India vs England = Rotation vs Desperation

To say that nothing8217;s gone right for the Englishmen on this trip is an understatement.

To say that nothing8217;s gone right for the Englishmen on this trip is an understatement. And if the eve of the fifth one-dayer was anything to go by, the trend only seems to be continuing.

Having travelled across the country in a seemingly endless nets-match-flight cycle, Pietersen 038; Co decided to take a break and play a round of rugby instead. But lack of adequate security ensured even that didn8217;t go according to plan, as the proposed trip to a local school or club ground was shot down by local officials.

Having lost four games on the trot in this seven-match series, England are understandably desperate to get onto the scoreboard, but for that to happen, they will need more than a fair share of luck.

Owais Shah summed up his team8217;s mood: 8220;Everything has been going wrong for us, and it8217;s the basics that8217;s been the problem. And then there8217;s Yuvraj Singh, we just don8217;t know how to handle him. None of us have had a hundred so far on the tour and he8217;s already had two. We have to look at all three areas of the game if we want to win the next three matches.8221;

7-0 not top of the mind

What might just give them hope is the fact that Mahendra Singh Dhoni, in his pre-match press conference, asserted that they would be including at least a couple of players who have been warming the bench so far.

8220;Definitely, there will be a few changes in the playing XI tomorrow. But it will be two players at a time,8221; Dhoni said after India8217;s optional nets at the Barabati Stadium. 8220;I am looking forward to rotating and resting a few players in the remaining matches. What we have here is one rare opportunity, the liberty to allow the reserve players to have a go.8221;

There was more good news for England, if they had been looking really hard, for Dhoni also mentioned that a 7-0 sweep wasn8217;t exactly on top of his mind going into the last three games.

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8220;At the end of the day, these changes are going to happen for the benefit of the team. There8217;s no point in carrying guys around in the squad and not playing them at all. They are missing out on domestic cricket as well,8221; Dhoni said, when asked if India wouldn8217;t rather go for an unprecedented 7-0 sweep.

Among the Indians, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Munaf Patel and Harbhajan Singh decided to skip the nets.

Irfan Pathan is almost a certainty to play, while Virat Kohli or Pragyan Ojha could also get a look in as indications were that the team management was looking to rest one regular batsman and one regular bowler at a time.