India v England, 1st ODI - India Predicted XI

After a thoroughly clinical Test series win, the action moves to limited-overs cricket. Team India will hope to continue their good run under the newly appointed skipper Virat Kohli. At the same time, the England team will be hoping for the fortunes to change with the change in the format of the game. It is worth noting that the English limited-overs team has been a much more balanced unit than their Test side.

The same was evident when they managed to win the first warm-up match against India A. The England team are keen on getting their balance right and are considering options to draft into the playing set up. India, on the other hand, have a problem of plenty. The Indian squad has been bolstered by the return of Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan.

Former skipper MS Dhoni will take the field as non captain for the first time since a long time. While the eventual playing eleven depends on what the team management deem to be right, here we have the predicted XI for the India v England 1st ODI. The match will be played at the MCA Stadium in Pune. The venue has not been a happy hunting ground for the Indian cricket team thus far. Here is the predicted XI that can turn the tables on January 15:

Shikhar Dhawan

After being out of the action for close to three months, Shikhar Dhawan is all set to make a comeback to the national side. The southpaw hasn’t had the best of times in his recent appearances for team India. As per most critics, the opportunity in the England series might well be an alarm call for Dhawan.

In case he fails to deliver, he will be under serious threat to lose his position. He is most likely to play the first ODI as the senior opener in the absence of Rohit Sharma.

Also read- MS Dhoni feels Virat is ready for limited-overs captaincy