England vs India Prediction & Match Preview – 2nd ODI at Sophia Gardens

England and India meet in the second ODI of India’s 2026 tour of England at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, with a 1:00 pm local start under largely dry skies.

England’s probable side is captained by Harry Brook, with Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell at the top, Joe Root and Jos Buttler in the middle, and all-round help from Sam Curran and Will Jacks. The pace attack features Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue, with Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid as spin options.

India are led by Shubman Gill and have a heavyweight top and middle order of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, followed by Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna form the pace group, with Kuldeep Yadav the main spinner.

Batting should be easier after the first 10–15 overs, and par is around 290–300. Our preview narrowly favours England, with India expected to win the toss; bowling first suits if there is cloud, otherwise posting a big total is just as effective.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Sophia Gardens generally offers a balanced pitch. Fast bowlers can get early swing and seam, particularly under cloud, but batting becomes easier as the surface offers good pace and consistent bounce. Spinners can come into play in the middle overs as the pitch slows slightly. Teams winning the toss often like to bowl first, as chasing has tended to work at this venue.

Weather

The 1:00 pm start is forecast to be warm with sunshine and a few clouds, at around 26–28°C. Rain is very unlikely, humidity should be moderate, and a light breeze may help the seamers with the new ball.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 280–310
• 2nd innings: 270–300