India vs England 2nd ODI Live Score: Virat Kohli fit for Cuttack ODI as India look to seal series

For Jos Buttler’s England, this match is a must-win to keep the series alive. Their ultra-aggressive batting approach backfired in Nagpur, and they may need to be more measured against India’s quality spinners, especially on a surface expected to offer turn.

With India holding the advantage and Kohli back in action, the second ODI promises to be a gripping contest.

India’s bowling unit looks stable, with Mohammed Shami settling in well following his return from injury. Shami started with a maiden over in Nagpur before finishing with 1/38 from his eight overs, dictating the middle overs.

Debutant Harshit Rana had an expensive outing as Phil Salt attacked him early on, but he bounced back with key wickets of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in the same over. With Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness still a concern, Rana has a chance to cement his place with another solid performance.

Rohit Sharma's form is another concern. The skipper fell cheaply for just two runs in Nagpur, continuing his struggles from the Test series against Australia. His dismissal — a mistimed lofted shot off Liam Livingstone — showed his desperation for runs.

Rohit has not scored a fifty in any format since August last year, when he made 64 against Sri Lanka. If he fails to fire in these ODIs, questions over his form and future will grow louder.

However, Kotak defended the captain: "Sometimes a player has a lean patch, but that doesn’t worry me. In Test matches against Australia, it was tough, but in ODIs, he has been consistent. There’s no real concern about his form."

Kohli, meanwhile, is looking to regain form after a lean patch, particularly following struggles in Australia, where he repeatedly edged deliveries behind the stumps. His recent Ranji Trophy outing also yielded just six runs. However, ODI cricket remains his strongest format.

Kohli is just 94 runs away from becoming the third player to reach 14,000 ODI runs after Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234). Having played 283 innings, he could also become the fastest to this milestone, ahead of Tendulkar (350 innings) and Sangakkara (378).

Kohli’s return creates a selection headache. Shreyas Iyer, who replaced him in Nagpur, played a blistering 36-ball 59, making his exclusion a tough decision. If past patterns hold, Kohli would slot in for Shreyas, but it’s more likely that young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will be the one to make way.

"That’s for the head coach (Gautam Gambhir) and captain (Rohit Sharma) to decide," Kotak said when asked about team balance. "Yes, the left-right combination is important, but that’s not for me to answer."

If Jaiswal is dropped, Gill may open with Rohit, reinstating the pair that has enjoyed success together. Jaiswal had a modest outing in Nagpur, making him the more vulnerable choice for omission.

India will head into the second ODI against England today with two major challenges: skipper Rohit Sharma’s lean form and the selection puzzle posed by Virat Kohli’s return. After securing a four-wicket win in Nagpur to take a 1-0 lead, India received a boost as batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed Kohli is "completely fit and good to go."

Kohli, ruled out of the first match due to a sore right knee, was the first to hit the nets in an optional session on Saturday, batting for an hour without discomfort. Vice-captain Shubman Gill had hinted after the first game that Kohli could return, and his presence at a venue where he played a match-winning 85 against West Indies in 2019 bodes well for the hosts.