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England and India move to Sophia Gardens in Cardiff for the second of three ODIs on Thursday, July 16, with India already 1 0 up after a comfortable six wicket win in Birmingham. In this preview you will find the match details, what happened in the opener, pitch report and two ENG vs IND 2nd ODI fantasy team options, one safe and one for grand leagues.
England will already be feeling the pressure. This was their first ODI defeat at Edgbaston since 2014, and it is their 13th loss in 19 ODIs since the start of 2025. India, by contrast, have now won five matches in a row in this fixture.
For Indian viewers, the match starts at 5.30 PM IST, which is a 1.00 PM local start in Cardiff. The match will be shown on Sony Sports TEN Network and DD Sports, and streamed on JioHotstar.
ENG vs IND 2nd ODI Match Details
Match: England vs India, 2nd ODI, India tour of England 2026
Date: Thursday, July 16, 2026
Time: 5.30 PM IST | 1.00 PM local time (day/night match)
Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Broadcast in India: Sony Sports TEN Network, DD Sports (TV), JioHotstar (streaming)
Series: India lead 1 0
What Happened In The 1st ODI
India won by six wickets with 28 balls to spare, chasing 259 in 45.2 overs. England had been sent in and collapsed to 80 for 5 inside 100 balls, before Joe Root’s unbeaten 76 and Liam Dawson’s 61 dragged them to 258 all out in 47.5 overs.
Gurnoor Brar struck twice early, removing Ben Duckett (45) and Jacob Bethell (14), and Prasidh Krishna took out both Jos Buttler (5) and Sam Curran (0) as England’s middle order fell away. Jasprit Bumrah, playing his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup final, conceded just 8 runs in his first four overs, though he finished with only one wicket. Axar Patel took the best figures of the innings with 4 for 62.
India’s chase had its own drama. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both fell cheaply, out for 5 apiece, before captain Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer put on 101 together. India then lost three batters in the space of 11 runs, with Gill forced off after cramping on 80 not out, Iyer run out for 35 by a direct hit from Harry Brook, and KL Rahul out for a duck on debut bowler Josh Tongue’s first ODI wicket. From 160 for 4, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar took India home, adding an unbroken 102 to seal the win, Axar unbeaten on 57 and Washington on 52.
Gill told BBC’s Test Match Special he expects to be fit for the second ODI. Speaking after the match, he credited India’s depth: “When you see your middle and lower middle order score runs and finish the job, it gives confidence as a captain. Even if we had a target of 300 to 320, we back ourselves to chase that.”
England: A Middle Order Collapse To Fix
England’s issue was not a lack of individual quality, it was the collapse itself. Losing 5 wickets for 19 runs inside 100 balls against a India attack missing several frontline names from the T20I series is the kind of pattern that has defined England’s rough 2025 and 2026 in this format. Jacob Bethell’s first attempt at opening in limited overs cricket did not go smoothly, and Harry Brook will have to decide whether to persist with that experiment or restore a more settled top order.
Root and Dawson showed there is substance in the middle order when given the platform, and Will Jacks’s late hitting, including a slog sweep off Rashid on the way to a fifty from just 39 balls, took the total past 250. The bowling attack of Archer, Tongue, Curran and Rashid took wickets throughout, but could not defend a total that always looked below par on a good batting surface.
India: The Legends Delivered, The Finishers Sealed It
For all the pre series talk about Rohit and Kohli’s returns, it was Gill, Iyer, Axar and Washington who won India the match. Gill’s 80 not out continued his excellent recent ODI form, and it helps that he was forced off by cramp rather than dismissed, since he has already said he expects to play in Cardiff. Bumrah kept things tight on his return even without much luck, and Brar took two wickets on debut, both signs that India have more fast bowling depth than the T20I series suggested.
The Rohit and Kohli returns produced little with the bat this time, both dismissed inside the first ten overs, and captain Gill will be watching closely to see if either finds rhythm in Cardiff.
ENG vs IND Head To Head Record
India have now won five matches in a row in this fixture, and lead the last ten meetings 8 wins to 2. The most recent English win in this sample came at the 2023 World Cup in Lucknow. Since then India have swept a three match series in India in early 2025, and now taken the opener of this series too.
ENG vs IND Recent Form (Last 5 ODIs Each)
| Team | Last 5 Results |
|---|---|
| England | L, W, W, L, L |
| India | W, W, W, W, L |
England’s only two wins in this stretch came against Sri Lanka. India’s only defeat in their last five came against New Zealand.
Sophia Gardens Pitch Report: Pace Bowling Ground, Chasing Has The Edge
Sophia Gardens has hosted 26 ODIs, and pace bowlers have taken 68 percent of the wickets across the last ten matches here against just 32 percent for spin, one of the more seam friendly venues on this tour.
Sophia Gardens ODI stats:
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Matches | 26 |
| Won batting first | 31% |
| Won bowling first | 50% |
| Average 1st innings score | 228 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 196 |
| Highest total | 386/6 by Bangladesh vs England |
| Lowest total | 125/10 by Afghanistan vs South Africa |
| Highest successful chase | 312/7 by England vs West Indies |
| Lowest total defended | 169/10 by New Zealand vs England |
Chasing has clearly had the upper hand at this venue, winning exactly half of all matches played here against just under a third for teams batting first. Combined with a cloudy forecast and low average second innings scores, the side winning the toss is highly likely to bowl first. A total in the 230 to 250 range should be competitive.
Cardiff Weather Report For ENG vs IND 2nd ODI
Good conditions expected, with a low chance of rain unlike some of India’s other recent tour stops. The forecast for Thursday in Cardiff is mostly cloudy, around 18 degrees, humidity at 75 percent and just a 2 percent chance of rain. The cloud cover should help the seam bowlers on both sides throughout the day.
ENG vs IND Probable Playing XIs
England (probable): Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid
This is the XI that lost the opener. Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Tom Banton and James Coles are the squad options if Brook wants to freshen the attack or revert to a more conventional top order after the Bethell opening experiment.
India (probable): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna
This was the winning XI in Birmingham, and India have no obvious reason to change it, though Gill’s fitness after cramping will be monitored closely. Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh are the notable squad members still waiting for a game.
Key Player Battles
Shubman Gill vs Adil Rashid: Gill’s 80 not out in the opener came against a varied England attack, and how he handles Rashid through the middle overs, assuming he is fit, will shape India’s innings again.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Ben Duckett: Bumrah was tidy but wicketless in Birmingham. Duckett fell to Brar in the first game, and a cleaner examination from Bumrah at the top of the order is the contest to watch here.
Axar Patel vs Harry Brook: Axar was the difference with both bat and ball in the opener, and Brook as both captain and one of England’s best players will want a personal response in this match up.
ENG vs IND 2nd ODI Fantasy Team (Small Leagues)
Wicketkeeper: Jos Buttler
Batters: Shubman Gill (C), Joe Root, Ben Duckett
All Rounders: Axar Patel (VC), Washington Sundar, Sam Curran
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Jofra Archer, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna
Gill is the captain after his unbeaten 80 in the series opener, provided he is confirmed fit at the toss. Axar is the vice captain after producing the best all round performance of the match with 4 for 62 and an unbeaten 57. Root’s 76 not out earns him a spot despite the defeat, and the bowling attack leans on the four seamers who shared the wickets between them in Birmingham.
ENG vs IND 2nd ODI Fantasy Team (Grand Leagues)
For grand leagues, this second ENG vs IND 2nd ODI fantasy team leaves out Gill and Axar, who will be the two most owned players in this match.
Wicketkeeper: KL Rahul
Batters: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Liam Dawson, Will Jacks
All Rounders: Washington Sundar (C), Shivam Dube (VC)
Bowlers: Gurnoor Brar, Josh Tongue, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid
Washington as captain is the differential, a man who finished the opener unbeaten on 52 and bowls handy overs, at far lower ownership than Axar or Gill. Dube is the vice captain as an all round option still to make his mark this series. Kohli and Rohit are picked on reputation and the fact both are overdue runs after twin failures in the opener. Brar’s two wickets on debut make him a genuine differential pick, and Jacks and Dawson both batted well even though England lost.
ENG vs IND 2nd ODI Match Prediction
India go into Cardiff full of confidence after a chase built on contributions right through the order, and their bowling attack held up well even without several first choice T20I names. England have the quality to respond, particularly with the bat, but the same middle order fragility that undid them in Birmingham needs fixing fast in a series they are already trailing. With chasing historically the stronger option at Sophia Gardens, and India’s finishers in the form they showed in the opener, India start as favourites to move to an unassailable 2 0 lead.
FANTASY
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Q. When is the ENG vs IND 2nd ODI?
A. The 2nd ODI will be played on Thursday, July 16 at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, starting at 1.00 PM local time, which is 5.30 PM IST.
Q. Where can I watch ENG vs IND 2nd ODI live in India?
A. The match will be shown live on Sony Sports TEN Network and DD Sports on TV, and streamed on JioHotstar in India.
Q. Who won the 1st ODI between England and India?
A. India won by 6 wickets, chasing 259 with 28 balls to spare. Shubman Gill made 80 not out before retiring hurt with cramp, and Axar Patel (57 not out, 4 for 62) and Washington Sundar (52 not out) finished the chase with an unbroken 102 run stand.
Q. Is Shubman Gill fit for the 2nd ODI?
A. Gill retired hurt with cramp in the opener but told BBC’s Test Match Special he expects to be fit for the second ODI. His fitness should be confirmed closer to the toss.
Q. Who should be captain in the ENG vs IND 2nd ODI fantasy team?
A. Shubman Gill is the best captain choice after his unbeaten 80 in the opener, subject to fitness confirmation. Washington Sundar is a strong differential captain for grand leagues after his unbeaten 52 and part time bowling.
Q. What is the head to head record between England and India in this series?
A. India lead the three match series 1 0 after their win in Birmingham, and have now won five matches in a row in the head to head, leading the last ten meetings 8 wins to 2.