India v England Third ODI: Expert Predictions & Analysis

India v England predictions: 

• Rohit Sharma over 31.5 runs - 1.83 @ 22Bet Sports
• Joe Root over 32.5 runs - 1.83 @ 22Bet Sports
• Mohammed Shami top India wicket-taker - 4.00 @ 22Bet Sports

When: Wednesday 12 February, 1:30 pm IST

Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

Watch: Star Sports, Hotstar

Best Odds: India 1.44, England 2.75

The second ODI between India and England unfolded in a similar manner to the first, where India carved out what was overall a commanding victory with a late hiccup that changed the margin but not the result. 

The loss of three late wickets gave the host side a minor scare but Ravindra Jadeja batting at number eight ensured that England couldn’t get into the tail, and it was not the four-wicket margin but the 33 balls to spare that accurately reflected just how strong India were. 

Neither team had a Champions Trophy warm-up match scheduled at time of writing which could mean this is their final hitout, making it far more important than the series result (2-0 to India with one game to play) would otherwise suggest. 

Jasprit Bumrah was initially named in the squad for the third ODI, but reports emerged early on Monday morning to suggest that he will be rehabilitating at the NCA rather than playing this game, which would likely have some impact on the win odds offered by the best Indian cricket betting sites for the match.

The Numbers That Matter

• Four of the five 2023WC games in Ahmedabad were won chasing
• The average run rate during those five games was 5.49rpo
• Ravindra Jadeja to Joe Root in this series: 2-15 from 3.3 overs
• Harshit Rana to Harry Brook in this series: 2-9 from 1.5 overs

He’s back, and with a lot to give!

• 40+ runs in three of five ODI innings here

With his 38th birthday approaching and T20 internationals behind him, Rohit Sharma showed he still has plenty to give in the ODI format as he carved out his 36th century to make India’s chase of over 300 look easy. 

He now has the most ODI centuries as a 30-something-year-old (22) of any man in history and will be looking to continue building upon said history in his sixth ODI innings at the new Narendra Modi Stadium. 

Rohit cleared 40+ runs in three of his five ODIs at this venue, scoring a brisk 31-ball 47 in the powerplay of the 2023 ODI World Cup and he has a habit of stringing together good scores once he gets going.

That was demonstrated at the World Cup when he got to 40 and beyond in eight out of nine games following a tournament-opening duck. 

He looked in pristine touch on Sunday and is primed to clear the 31.5 run mark set by cricket betting apps for this game. 

Prediction: Rohit Sharma over 31.5 runs - 1.83 @ 22Bet Sports

Another veteran finding his groove at the right time

Joe Root is playing his first ODI series since England’s disastrous World Cup campaign and, despite many writing his career off for a series of poor scores during the tournament, appears to have been a timely addition to England’s Champions Trophy plans.

His second best score of that World Cup came at this venue, a 77 against New Zealand, as part of back-to-back centuries in the tournament. 

Indian cricket betting sites have set Root an over/under mark of 32.5 runs for this match, which he exceeds in 53% of his ODI starts in India, so it seems a fair number on that basis.

Perhaps the major concern with betting Joe Root to score over is his head-to-head record of 36/3 against Bumrah, but if Bumrah does not make the XI as has been recently reported, Root’s average of 44 against Shami, Hardik, Jadeja, Chakravarthy and Axar could serve him well.  

He’s another man who can string together some extended runs of good form and his class is likely to see him peak just at the right time. 

Prediction: Joe Root over 32.5 runs - 1.83 @ 22Bet Sports

A homecoming of sorts for Shami

He’s not a Gujarat local, of course, but Mohammed Shami should somewhat feel at home at Narendra Modi Stadium, having played 14 IPL matches there for various teams. 

He’s the IPL’s second leading wicket-taker in Ahmedabad with an impressive 20, averaging 14 deliveries and 18 runs per wicket, and whilst this is of course a different format, it’s a great demonstration of his white ball bowling capability in the conditions.  

Shami has been slowly working his way into this series but the World Cup is a fresh reminder of the big bags of wickets that he can take in ODIs, with five of his last nine ODIs of 2023 seeing him claim at least four in a match. 

At the time of writing, Indian bookmakers had Jasprit Bumrah as a favourite in the top bowler and Player of the Match markets despite the likelihood of him playing being low, giving Shami inflated odds to be India’s leading wicket-taker at a venue where he has routinely performed well with the white ball. 

Prediction: Mohammed Shami top India wicket-taker - 4.00 @ 22Bet Sports