Daijiworld Media Network

Mohali, Jan 23: Can India seal the series tonight? The hosts are up 2-1 after losing the first game and look favourites to win this one too. Their batsmen are in good form and the bowlers too have delivered. England need to raise their game quickly if they are to keep the series alive at Dharamsala. The temperature at Mohali is struggling to get to double digits, so it's tough work for the players from both sides. Stay tuned for more.

India have won the toss and elected to field.

Cook: 'We have to get through the first 10 overs. It's a lot cooler here and it's more or less similar to England. We have to get through the new ball. It'll do something initially and then become flat. Buttler comes in for Kieswetter.'

Dhoni: 'The pitch has been under covers so it will help the pacers. The batsmen have taken up the responsibility and the bowlers are delivering as well. We have to continue that. We have been a side that relies a lot on part-timers but with Jadeja coming in, we have more options. I got hit on the thumb before the Ranchi game but I'm okay to play. Rohit is in for Rahane.'

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Shami Ahmed

England (Playing XI): Alastair Cook(c), Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler(w), Samit Patel, Tim Bresnan, James Tredwell, Steven Finn, Jade Dernbach

Pitch report: 'The pitch is nice and hard. The sun is beginning to come out. There is a lot of green grass and dampness on the wicket. The bowlers will enjoy it for the first 20 overs or so. It's a win the toss and field first wicket.'

Preview by Ganesh Chandrasekaran

The series might not have started the way many people had expected it to. World cup holder, India, was forced onto the backfoot straightaway as England clinched a high-scoring game at Rajkot. Thereafter though, it has been India all the way. They comfortably outclassed the tourists in Kochi and Ranchi. With a 2-1 lead and the momentum behind them, the hosts will be looking to clinch the series in the 4th ODI at Mohali.

India:

The hosts were beleaguered by the failure of the top order in the recent ODIs against Pakistan. Ajinkya Rahane's struggles against Steven Finn in particular has kept the team management worried. There has been some improvement over the course of the three games against England. Gautam Gambhir has got to starts but continues to frustrate by not carrying on. Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh have shown signs of returning to top form. The former was particularly impressive in the 3rd ODI at Ranchi. He badly needed some runs under his belt after a short lean trot. The Man of the Match winning performance should hold him in good stead for the upcoming games. That is good news for India and not so much for England. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina continue to be solid in the lower middle order.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shami Ahmed and Ishant Sharma have gelled well becoming an increasingly potent attack in this format. Bhuvneshwar, in particular, has made the new ball count almost every time he takes it. Ravindra Jadeja's good form with the ball has made things easier for Dhoni with Ashwin not being in the best of form.

The team has seen considerable change in personnel since the World Cup last year. What was a batting heavy team, now bears a more all-round look despite the disparity in experience. A series win would only help Dhoni and his young team a world of good.

England:

After losing both their practice games, England did spring quite a surprise by pulling off a win in the 1st ODI. A week after though, it looks more flash in the pan than something more substantial. The batting has been woefully inconsistent and the reason for their two losses so far. The lack of an impact player right at the top could be one of the reasons. Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan shoulder a huge responsibility in the middle order. England will want either of the two to play a big innings. Samit Patel could get a look in higher up the order too given his good record in India.

The bowling has not inspired confidence. James Tredwell has been amongst the wickets but has hardly looked like a spinner who could give Cook some control. The pacers, with the exception of Steven Finn, have looked lackluster. Finn, however, has shown that he has the class to trouble top order batsmen on any surface. England will need the others to take a lesson or two from the way Finn has bowled with the new ball.

Quotes:

Their opening bowlers are very good. They have made us work really hard. We need a foundation for our big hitters in the middle to get us going - Ian Bell, England opener

Stats:

* Ravindra Jadeja is 32 runs short of the 1000 run mark in ODIs. He has also picked 66 wickets so far.

* The last time an ODI was played at Mohali was in November, 2011 and between the same teams. India won that match by 5 wickets.