Harry Brook won the toss on a warm Sunday in Mumbai and surprised no one by batting first. England believe the Wankhede surface, already used the previous evening, will slow up quickly, so Brook wants to post a score before the pitch goes tired. “We feel like the pitch is going to be in the best shape for the first innings, and then hopefully we can bowl well and defend our score in the second innings… It looked like there was a little bit of spin in it, and a little bit of bounce,” he explained.
Opposite number Rohit Paudel sees the same surface rather differently. “We love slow tracks, and it’s a used wicket so I think it will spin a little bit,” the Nepal captain said. “I think, if that happens, it will help our team… To be honest, we would have bowled first. Looking at the conditions, I think chasing is a good option.”
Nepal are contesting their first-ever international against England and have given 20-year-old left-arm spinner Sher Malla a debut. Middle-order slot goes to Lokesh Bam ahead of experienced seamer Sompal Kami, a call that signals Nepal’s wish to pack the attack with spin and lower-order hitting instead of extra new-ball nous.
England, who named their XI a day early, keep faith with Luke Wood rather than Jamie Overton. Brook wants “two out-and-out seamers up top with the new ball to see if we can get it to swing and get a few early wickets in the powerplay,” but Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson should still see plenty of work once the ball softens.
The pitch itself is the same one on which India could only hustle to 161 for 9 against the United States less than 24 hours earlier. Viewed from the press box it already carries a faint mosaic of footmarks, and the bare patches down one side are likely to grip. With only a gentle breeze and mid-afternoon sunshine, any moisture is expected to disappear by the second over.
Nepal will not mind. All four of their group matches are at Wankhede, which means no travel, familiar square boundaries, and — crucially — the chance for their sizeable local diaspora to turn up in red and blue. “Playing all the games here will always be an advantage to the team playing all four games here,” Paudel noted. “As a team, playing in Asian conditions always helps Nepal.” Expect flags, drums and the inevitable brass band under the Sunil Gavaskar Stand.
England arrive with the usual noise that follows them. Brook’s late-night escapade in Wellington last October still pops up in press conferences, but the captain insisted he is looking forward, not back. “I’m feeling good… I’m feeling good with the bat, and hopefully I can make some good decisions as captain as well — on and off the field,” he said, smiling at the last bit.
Match-ups to watch? Phil Salt against Sandeep Lamichhane in the powerplay should reveal how predictable the surface is going to be; and if Nepal are chasing, keep an eye on Jofra Archer’s opening burst. Both sides have quietly circled this fixture as one they “should” win, a reminder that group stages rarely follow paperwork.
Probable XIs
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (capt), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood.
Nepal: Aasif Sheikh (wk), Kushal Bhurtel, Rohit Paudel (capt), Dipendra Airee, Aarif Sheikh, Lokesh Bam, Gulsan Jha, Karan KC, Sher Malla, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane.
First ball is scheduled for 2.00 pm local time, conditions permitting.
