England's tormentor Yuvraj an injury doubt for second ODI

Indore: After mauling England by a margin of 158 runs, India will go into the second One-Dayer with the confidence of putting yet another dominating performance here on Monday.

India, though, have a reason to worry as it is doubtful their main architect of the Rajkot win, Yuvraj Singh, will appear for the match here.

Yuvraj, who made the England attack look pedestrian en-route to his century, pulled a back muscle and batted with a runner during the first one-dayer.

The flamboyant left-hander missed a training session yesterday and it is unsure he will play in today's match.

"There is improvement in Yuvraj's condition, but we will take a final call on him before the match," Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told reporters.

India will also be without Ishant Sharma, who has been rested for the second One-Dayer due to an ankle sprain he suffered during the Test series against Australia.

India, however, can rest easy about their pace department as Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel knocked off England's top-order in the Rajkot ODI.

England on the other hand will have to improve on many counts and will need to get their act together, if they fancy their chances against the hosts.

England's new skipper Kevin Pietersen, who started his tenure on a high, winning the series against South Africa 4-0, will have plenty to think about the team combination.

Humiliating loss

After the humiliating loss in the first ODI, Pietersen received flak from the English media, who said his "honeymoon period" was over. England played with three pace bowlers and one spinner in Samit Patel in the first match, but the combination did not work. After India piled up 387 runs, it was a tough call for the batsmen to chase it.

"We were a bit tentative in Rajkot and could have been more aggressive," England coach Peter Moores said.

"We played some really good one-day cricket against South Africa and we want to make sure we go out and back ourselves to play that sort of cricket out here in India."

Dhoni, too, feels it is too early to write off England and that they will soon bounce back.

"We are focused on what needs to be done. They are a good side and they have a very good bowling attack. It's a much better attack than what they had two years ago. We are certainly not taking them lightly."

"We are always wary of becoming complacent because, if we lose, we will be criticised that we were overconfident."

Few UK fans expect win

Few in England expect an English win in the seven-match one day international (ODI) series against India, if one were to go by the bets placed with a top British bookie.

William Hill - a leading London-based sports betting house, favours an Indian win in the series. According to the odds it has placed on the two teams until Monday a bettor backing England would win Rs1,500 (about Dh150) on a wager of Rs1,000, while it would only be Rs500 if India was backed.

Before the series began, William Hill's odds of 8/13 on India to win the first match and 6/5 on England meant a bettor would have won Rs615 on every Rs1,000 placed on the hosts, and as much as Rs1,200 placed on the visitors.