ENG vs IND: India’s predicted playing XI for 1st ODI

After the triumph in the T20I series against England, team India turns its focus on the 50-over format with the three-match ODI series commencing on Tuesday, 12th of July, at the Kennington Oval. The visitors will be up against a replenished English side buoyed by the return of the talismanic figures of Ben Stokes and Joe Root to the side.

India’s thrashed West Indies 3-0 in their last assignment in the format in February. Although the focus largely remains on T20Is with the T20 World Cup on the horizon, India will look to continue their winning momentum in the ODI series, before heading to the Caribbean.

Let’s look at India’s probable playing XI for the 1st ODI against England:

Openers: Rohit Sharma (c) and Shikhar Dhawan

Rohit Sharma’s lack of runs recently will be a cause for concern for the Indian team as they are dependent on him for a brisk start at the top of the order. The attacking opener did show signs of some form in the T20I series but failed to make any substantial contribution to the team’s totals. The Mumbaikar will hope that a change of format might bring a change of fortune for him.

Shikhar Dhawan’s absence from the T20I series against South Africa was a cause for debate on social media, and his omission from the recently concluded T20I series against England means that the southpaw isn’t in the scheme of things for the team management in T20Is. The composed opener is a reliable run-scorer for the Blues and is set to lead the 50-over team in West Indies later this month.

Middle-order: Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk)

It would be naive to not consider Virat Kohli, one of the best limited-overs batters in the world into this Indian team. Although he is amidst a horrendous lean patch, he still brings a lot to the table in the team. But reports of a groin niggle might keep him out from the series opener, but there has been no official announcement from the Indian camp regarding the former skipper’s injury.

The man of the moment, Suryakumar Yadav was on the verge of pulling off one of the heists of the decade in the final T20I in Nottingham. And yet, India fell just short after his dismissal in the dying moments for a momentous 117 runs off just 55 deliveries. Still, in the nascent stages of his ODI career, the 31-year-old would like to continue his form in this series.

Rishabh Pant’s role in the team is still under scrutiny, not because of how he plays, but because of where he plays. The team management will have to decide where the explosive southpaw has designated the finisher’s role or of a solid middle-order batter. With the inclusion of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the squad, the latter seems a more viable option.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja

Since the conclusion of IPL 2022, Hardik Pandya has been India’s most bankable player. The all-rounder has played quickfire cameos and also bagged crucial wickets for the team in recent matches. The ODI series will be a test for medium pacer as he has had a history of back issues, and it will be interesting to see how many overs he puts in for the side. 

Ravindra Jadeja has roared back into form after a disappointing IPL this year, which was cut short due to a rib injury. After his heroics in the rescheduled fifth Test, he was drafted into the T20I team for the second match against England and had an instant impact as his unbeaten 46 provided the impetus to the Indian team. 

Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal

Shardul Thakur will have to bring his A-game to the fore as he has been quite poor for the Indian side off-late, and with the emergence of young talented quick bowlers in the country, his place in the side is under threat. India will be relying on his happy knack of picking crucial wickets in the middle overs against a strong English batting order.

Another player whose omission in the T20I series caused a few debates among the experts is Mohammad Shami. The fast bowler is in good form and his opening bowling partnership along with Jasprit Bumrah will be crucial for India’s chances in the series.

Jasprit Bumrah made his presence felt in the second T20I as he outsmarted Liam Livingstone with a clever off-cutter, a delivery that even the Englishman seemed to appreciate. Bumrah’s presence in the team makes the bowling tick, and he is undoubtedly India’s spearhead in all formats now.

Yuzvendra Chahal has gone from strength to strength after a memorable IPL 2022 campaign, the leggie made his return to the national side in the T20I series against South Africa and has been India’s best bowler ever since. It will be interesting to see how he performs without his usual partner in crime in this format, Kuldeep Yadav.

India’s predicted XI for the first ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal