Just two days ago, Liam Dawson was England's hero. His brilliant 68-run knock and a record 121-run partnership with Joe Root rescued England from a collapse at Edgbaston, lifting them to a respectable 258. It was the kind of performance that should have sealed his spot for the rest of the series.

So why is he sitting out the second ODI in Cardiff?

England have made two changes, both of which are pace-oriented. Gus Atkinson comes in for Dawson, while Saqib Mahmood replaces debutant Josh Tongue. That means England have packed their attack with four quicks: Atkinson, Mahmood, Jofra Archer, and Sam Curran, leaving spinners Will Jacks and Adil Rashid as the only slow-bowling options.

The logic seems clear: Cardiff's pitch is expected to offer more pace and bounce than Edgbaston, and England want to exploit that with extra firepower. Brydon Carse, returning from an injury that kept him out since the Ashes, is also in the squad but wasn't named in the XI for this game.

But dropping a match-winner who just scored a half-century and played a key role in England's only competitive total? That's a bold call. Dawson's left-arm spin also gave England variety, and his batting depth at No. 7 was valuable. Without him, the lower order looks thinner.

England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping his pace attack can rattle India's top order. But if England's batting stumbles again, they'll miss Dawson's calm presence with the bat. Only time will tell if this gamble pays off or if England regret leaving their Edgbaston hero on the bench.