India v Sri Lanka, 1st ODI - India Predicted XI

Team India would definitely consider themselves unlucky to have finished the Test series against Sri Lanka with a scoreline of 1-0. They got very close to registering wins in the Kolkata Test and the Delhi Test but fell short on the final day. However, they need to move on and regroup before heading in to the limited overs setup.

The men in blue are all set to host the islanders for 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is in the span of next couple of weeks. The last time these two sides had met in the shorter formats during the reverse fixtures, team India had drubbed the Sri Lankan team in both formats. Now, the times have changed and the Sri Lankan team looks very improved too.

Moreover, the look of the Indian team is not same either. Virat Kohli has been rested and Rohit Sharma takes the captaincy duties. In addition to this, a plethora of youngsters have been added to the side and that makes the team selection very difficult for the management. We try to analyze and pick the best combination that is likely to take the field at Dharamsala in the first ODI:

Here is the India Predicted XI for the match:

Openers (Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma)

The opening pair for the Indian team looks very set for the game. The tried and tested pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma will continue to open the innings for the team. Rohit will have the added responsibility of being the captain. Well, that should not be much of a concern as Rohit has always thrived under the captaincy pressure.

His exploits as Mumbai Indians skipper in the IPL is very well known to all. Also, he has been in a good form in the recent times. Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan had also mustered a fifty in the final Test against the islanders. He, too, would want to get some runs under his belt before the bigger tour that awaits a month later.

Middle-order (Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav)

Team India will face difficulties in picking up their middle-order. They will head in to the series without the services of their most consistent batsman, Virat Kohli. There are youngsters in the team, both experienced and the rookies. The likes of Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey might have to wait a little longer for their turn in the series.

Ajinkya Rahane becomes an automatic selection in the series as the team management desperately want him to get some runs under his belt. His string of low scores in the Test series is a cause of concern for the team ahead of the Test series in South Africa. Rahane had accumulated only 17 runs in 5 innings in the recently concluded series.

Dinesh Karthik had done nothing wrong in the opportunities that came his way during the New Zealand series last month. He had even scored a match winning fifty whilst batting at the number 4 spot. Kedar Jadhav could make the cut in the side due to his services with the ball. He can be a good sixth bowling option in the team.

Wicket-keeper (MS Dhoni)

Arguably the most popular player in the team, MS Dhoni, is ready to be back in the mix of things. Dhoni has had a good resting phase and would be raring to go in the Indian colors. He has been under the scrutiny in the recent times and would be under some pressure to perform and maintain his position in the lineup.

All-rounder (Hardik Pandya)

All-rounder Hardik Pandya is all set to be back in the Indian colors. He had opted to rest from the Test series. Now, just before the South Africa series gets underway, Hardik Pandya would want to get some match practice under his belt. Pandya can be the floating batsman in the lineup. His poor performances in the New Zealand series would be something that he would want to improve upon.

Spinners (Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal)

Team India will face selection conundrums when it comes to the spin bowling department. They have Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Axar Patel in the squad. In all likelihood, Chahal looks like a direct starter in the playing eleven. He has been very brave in throwing up the ball to the batsmen even on shorter boundary venues.

Chahal could be accompanied by Axar Patel. The reason why Patel could make the cut ahead of Chahal is his prowess with the bat. With the inexperience in the Indian batting, strengthening the lineup would be on the mind of the team management.

Pace bowlers (Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar)

In the pace bowling department, the team will see the comeback of their ace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Kumar, who was a star performer in the first Test against Sri Lanka, had to miss out on the final two Tests due to personal commitments. Now, he is back to take the field and should be a preferred pick over rookie Siddarth Kaul.

Jasprit Bumrah will be the other pacer in the lineup. Bumrah, who recently received his maiden call-up in the Test team, will be eager to brush up his skills before heading to the South Africa. He has been one of the strong weapons in the Indian death bowling over the last year or so.