Four questions England need to answer ahead of the 2023 Cricket World Cup

England returned to some kind of form when they won a rain-shortened second one-day international against New Zealand by 79 runs to level the four-match series at Southampton on Sunday.

But ahead of Wednesday’s third ODI at The Oval, England still have plenty of things to iron out before they fly to India for the Cricket World Cup on 27 September.

Here are the biggest questions Jos Buttler’s men need to address ahead of their opening game of the tournament against New Zealand at Ahmedabad on Thursday 5 October.

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Is Jason Roy going to be fit and in form?

The opener has not enjoyed the best form over the past year or so, dropped from England’s T20 squad ahead of the World Cup in Australia last autumn, having a tough time in the Hundred and with 12 scores below 50 in his past 15 ODI innings.

Yet the three where he did pass 50 saw him go on to reach 100. England are undoubtedly a better team with Roy in form. But the back spasm that saw him miss the first two ODIs against New Zealand has denied him a chance to get back into the groove ahead of the World Cup.

His partnership with Jonny Bairstow is so important and it would be useful for both to play in this week’s two matches against the Black Caps. England say his back issue is minor. Let’s hope that’s the case.

Does Harry Brook actually get in the squad now?

In Roy’s absence, Harry Brook, snubbed when England released their preliminary World Cup squad last month, has opened in the first two matches of the New Zealand series.

But he hasn’t done well, scoring 25 off 41 balls in Cardiff and two off 12 in Southampton. Given he has batted in the middle order since bursting onto the international scene – bar one innings in the Ashes at Headingley – judging him when opening maybe isn’t fair.

Yet if England only see him as potential top-order cover – and in a straight shootout with Dawid Malan for that role – maybe he doesn’t make the squad after all?

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What’s up with Joe Root?

Root has been England’s most reliable batter across all formats for a decade.

But his one-day form over the past two years has not been good, with his duck in Southampton on Sunday his fourth in 10 innings.

Yet England won’t panic. Class is permanent and as England’s best player of spin, they will trust that his class will out when it comes to the crunch at the World Cup.

What’s the first-choice bowling attack and will we see it before India?

On the proviso we are counting Root and Liam Livingstone as bowling options in India, the first-choice frontline attack looks likely to be spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid alongside the seam of Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood.

This combination have not played alongside each other yet this summer and Rashid (calf) and Wood (match fitness) are not fully fit.

Hopefully we can see this attack in operation together by the end of the New Zealand series.

Topley reveals trauma after injury hell

Reece Topley has admitted he is crippled by post-traumatic stress disorder at the thought of being ruled out of another major tournament for England following a year of injury hell.

The 29-year-old was forced to fly home from the T20 World Cup in Australia last October when he damaged ankle ligaments stepping back onto a “Toblerone” boundary advertising sponge. He then dislocated a shoulder while fielding in his first Indian Premier League game for Royal Challengers Bangalore in April.

However, after surgery and a successful return this summer, the left-arm seamer is set to take his place in England’s squad for the World Cup.

For a bowler who fought back from four stress fractures of the back in five years earlier in his career, his bad luck over the past 12 months has compounded feelings of anxiety about his fitness.

Topley, who took three for 27 in England’s victory over New Zealand, said: “For anyone to come back from seven months out of 12 injured is tricky.

“When I came back from my ankle injury, I was getting back into it and then it was like having the rug pulled from underneath me when I came home from India.

“You could say I have a bit of PTSD about getting on the plane again because it was pretty emotional coming back from the last one [T20 World Cup] injured.

“But injuries happen in sport. You can only do so much to prevent them. It’s nice to be finding my feet again, hopefully just at the right time for India.

“I definitely wouldn’t say I’m out of the jungle in terms of my ankle and my shoulder, but it’s a case of doing the right things and hopefully there’s more performances like this.”