India v England, I ODI, Pune – Preview

The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy is almost six months away, but Virat Kohli, India’s new limited-overs captain, has his eyes firmly fixed on the big-ticket tournament. Fortunately for him, MS Dhoni’s decision to step down as captain also provides Kohli enough time to build a strong side for both the ICC Champions Trophy and the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup.

In that light, the upcoming three-match One-Day International series against England, the first of which takes place at MCA International Stadium in Pune on Sunday (January 15), assumes great significance, especially after the bruising the visiting side received in the precding Test series.

Although India start as the firm favourite, England is hardly a pushover. It finished second to West Indies at the ICC World Twenty20 in India last year, and have won five of its seven bilateral ODI series since crashing out in the first round of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. Meanwhile, India, whose recent golden run in Tests has masked an up-and-down run in ODIs, has just these three matches to iron out any kinks before June, when the ICC Champions Trophy begins in England and Wales.

The lack of an in-form and settled opening combine has hurt India the most in recent times, with Kohli having to shoulder the bulk of the scoring responsibility. Against South Africa in October 2015, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma failed to put together a single half-century stand as India went down 3-2. During the 4-1 loss in Australia, the two combined for a half-century and a century stand, but only after the series had been conceded. While Rohit was in fine form in both the series, it was Dhawan’s inconsistency that was glaring. Against New Zealand at home last October then, India was made to sweat for the 3-2 win. In Dhawan’s absence because of injury, Ajinkya Rahane partnered Rohit at the top, but the two could not manage a single half-century stand.

Now, while Rohit is out, still recovering from a thigh injury, there could possibly be a three-way shootout for the opening slots, with the KL Rahul and Dhawan in the mix alongside Rahane. Dhawan made a case for himself with a neatly constructed half-century in the first warm-up match for India A against the visiting Englishmen, while Rahane furthered his case with a match-winning 91 in the second game.

Kohli slots in at No. 3, and he suggested on the eve of the first game that Dhoni’s promotion, possibly to No. 4, would let the former captain revert to his swashbuckling ways without the burden of captaincy. In the absence of Suresh Raina, who has been left out, the selectors turned to Yuvraj Singh for his experience in limited-overs cricket. And although the move raised a few eyebrows, Yuvraj put them to rest with a quick half-century in the first warm-up match in Mumbai.

There’s also the matter of who will occupy the lower middle-order slots and play the finisher’s role if Dhoni is promoted – Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav or Hardik Pandya? Both Jadhav and Pandey had modest returns against New Zealand, but while the Karnataka batsman impressed with a match-winning century against Australia a year ago, the latter’s part-time off-spin proved handy against Kane Williamson’s side, and both men are excellent in the field, while Pandya fulfils India’s quest for a seam-bowling all-rounder.

Throw in R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for the spin duties, and when it comes to the seam attack, India will have to choose from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah.

By no means can one call England's pace attack for this series experienced, but there is no lack of skill or speed either. For an Indian line-up that was unsettled by Tim Southee and Trent Boult four months ago, England's attack led by Chris Woakes, and comprising David Willey and Liam Plunkett, could pose an equal, if not a bigger, threat.

England’s spinners, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, were not as lethal as Ashwin or Jadeja in the Test series, and on an MCA surface that sported a tinge of green and looks ideal for stroke-making, they could have it tough.

Joe Root’s timely arrival following the birth of his son is a shot in the arm for England, which is still coming to terms with Eoin Morgan’s inconsistency. Sam Billings, who has been talked up as one of England’s best players of spin, impressed with his match-winning 93 in the first warm-up match, and Jonny Bairstow top-scored with a fluent 64 at No. 3 in the second, but the two aren’t guaranteed places in the XI now that Root is available for the first ODI.

With ten more ODIs after this series, the visitor has enough time to build towards the ICC Champions Trophy. But before that, it has the poor record in four previous ODI series in India to correct. Just three wins in 21 ODIs in India since 2002 does not paint a pretty picture after all.