Lord's offers Rohit the chance to change the conversation

Where do we start? This was supposed to be a Sunday blockbuster in London, a series-deciding ODI at Lord's featuring Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Jos Buttler.

Instead, it became a referendum on Rohit Sharma's future, an endless cycle of retirement speculation, until the BCCI felt compelled to step in and publicly state that no such discussion had taken place.

Now, the occasion has quietly returned to what it was always meant to be: a decider at Lord's. Sunday offers four modern greats another opportunity to remind everyone why they remain central to the present. And why, with an ODI World Cup about a year away, they still have unfinished business.

Root has already produced the defining innings of the series, his match-winning 99* in Cardiff. Kohli has looked every bit the master craftsman. Buttler's statement came in the final T20I in Southampton.

That leaves Rohit Sharma. His returns have dipped, his Powerplay strike-rate has lost some of its old menace. Lord's offers Rohit the chance to replace speculation with substance.

When: Sunday, 19 July, 2026 at 11:00 AM local / 3:30 PM IST

What to expect: Not another Edgbaston or Cardiff. The square doesn't quite have the pace and bounce like some other UK venues. That may play into India's hands, although England's recent record here remains formidable: five wins, two defeats and the tied 2019 World Cup final from their last eight ODIs.

India's bowling coach Morne Morkel expects a "tricky" pitch and has advised batters to "give yourself that extra five to 10 balls". Harry Brook said the new ball would be quite important. It's set to be pleasant and sunny, high of 22 degrees.

England: After replacing Liam Dawson with Gus Atkinson, the hosts looked much better balanced.

Probable XI: Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood

India: KL Rahul is expected to replace Ishan Kishan. Washington Sundar is out with a right hamstring injury, Harsh Dubey named his replacement. Kuldeep Yadav might get a go.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

• India are yet to win two straight bilateral ODI series since 2024.
• India lead 9-3 in ODIs vs England since 2021.
• Since 2025, Joe Root has scored 1230 runs in 20 ODIs at an average of 76.87.

"Root has been such a good player for so many years. Hopefully, the boys can learn from what he's doing. If we can add a little bit of Joe Root into our batting, we'll definitely be in some strong positions." – Harry Brook

"No doubt Rohit will work it out, he has done it in the past. No worries and concerns at all with the way he is going about things." – Morne Morkel