India vs England First ODI Preview: Visitors aim for a quick start

A hard-fought series that ended 3-2 in favour of the hosts has set the tone for the three-match ODI series between India and England. Although the ICC World Cup Super League puts context to every game, both the teams will have their eye on asserting their supremacy. The first of the three matches will be played at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday.

India’s last tryst with the ODIs was in Australia where they were soundly beaten 2-1. In a high-scoring series where they were outplayed by Steve Smith, India managed to win back some pride with a win in the final match of that series.

Coming into this series, though, India have the confidence of the T20I series win. Captain Virat Kohli (231 runs) was the man-of-the-series with exceptional batting, while Shardul Thakur and Bhuvneshwar Kumar stood out with the ball.

Suryakumar Yadav and Prasidh Krishna received ODI call-ups for the first time, but will have to wait time for their debuts. The all-rounder slot could be a toss-up between Krunal Pandya and Washington Sundar.

England were 2-1 losers to Australia in their last ODI series that was played back in September 2020. With a golden chance of bettering their series record in India, England will look to put that behind.

The visitors had Jos Buttler (172 runs) and Jason Roy (144) in top form during the T20Is, which augurs well for the ODIs. Mark Wood (five wickets) and Adil Rashid (four wicket) will also look to continue their T20I wicket-taking form.

Jofra Archer has withdrawn from the ODIs, while Liam Livingstone and Reece Topley have earned a recall along with Matt Parkinson. Test captain Joe Root is also rested ahead of a gruelling Test schedule.

India and England have played 100 ODIs so far with India leading 53-42 on the win-loss count with two matches tied and three no-results. The record is more skewed in India with the hosts having a 31-16 record in 48 matches with one tied.

England will hope that ODIs bring the best out of their form considering their recent success in this format over India. The hosts will hope to continue the momentum from the T20Is, but have traditionally struggled with their fourth position. England’s consistent aggression from ball one could be the story of the series as they chase redemption on the tour having lost both Tests and T20Is.

India will look to continue with the momentum from the T20Is, while England have plans to utilise their best format to make a comeback. The visitors have some exciting players in their ranks helping them settle on an aggressive template over the past few years. That makes them a good fit to win the battle for sixes or the powerplay – not India’s forte in the recent times. Jonny Bairstow could relish getting back to the top of the order. England may upset the apple cart and start their series with a win.