England's predicted playing XI for the 1st ODI v India

On a tour which was always going to be challenging, England see themselves on the wrong side of two series results. Both the Test series and the T20I leg had convincing starts, but fell away towards the end as debutants from the home side trumped the pedigreed English unit.

With a spot in the ICC World Test Championship Final lost, along with a hard-fought T20I series title, England turn to the ODI series in their hunt for silverware on this tour. The reigning world champions and top-ranked team in this format, Eoin Morgan's men have a few issues to sort out regarding their team composition.

For starters, how do they utilise Ben Stokes' all-round abilities better? The southpaw batted low in the T20I lineup and didn't complete his quota of overs, prompting Kevin Pietersen to lambast the team for the same.

Sam Curran endured a somewhat insipid series for once barring a memorable wicket-maiden first over to KL Rahul, with both he and brother Tom not quite providing England with strong seam backup. The departure of Joe Root leaves England with a hole at No. 3, leaving them needing either a new cog or a batting rejig.

For England to maintain a strong grip on their No. 1 ranking in ODIs, here is the predicted playing XI for the first ODI against India.

---

Openers: Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow

Jason Roy found his touch in the T20Is and will look for the big knocks.

Jason Roy enjoyed a profitable series against India for most part, getting the team off to quick starts. Though he fell occasionally to off-spin and swing, England would bank on their opener to pile on the runs in probably their strongest format over the past six years.

Partnering him will be Jonny Bairstow, as Alex Hales continues to remain beyond the England radar. Though Bairstow was a sitting duck in the Test series against the likes of Axar Patel, he batted far more freely in the T20Is. What England would want is more consistency - though Bairstow showed his ability to clear the infield, he rarely got much more than good starts.

Middle order: Sam Billings, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk)

Jos Buttler has the ability to single-handedly win England games.

Between Sam Billings and Liam Livingstone, England will have to find a placeholder solution for Joe Root's absence. The team is likely to side with the tried-and-tested Billings for this series. Billings provides the team with a high amount of utility - not only can he bat lower down the order as a finisher, he can also keep wickets if needed apart from being an excellent fielder.

England captain Eoin Morgan will bat at his preferred No. 4 spot, breaking a streak of right-handed top order batsman. The hard-hitting batsman did not have a personally successful T20I series, scoring 33 runs in three games where he was required to bat, and will look to get back into form.

One of England's most destructive limited-overs players, Jos Buttler would look to cause more carnage in the middle overs and put pressure on India's relatively inexperienced bowling outfit in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah. The match-winner nearly sealed the T20I series for England, but his dismissal brought an end to his team's chances.

All-rounders: Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran

Ben Stokes' all-round abilities are crucial for an occasionally misfiring England team.

One of the heroes of England's ICC World Cup 2019 triumph, Ben Stokes was one of the visitors' fiercest competitors on the field throughout the Test series, even as they hurtled towards a crushing defeat. The left-handed batsman did not have much of a role to play in England's T20I wins, and the change to a new format with more time at the crease will benefit Stokes.

Once an opener for England, Moeen Ali will bat at seven for the team, also bringing his accurate off-spin that has troubled the likes of Virat Kohli in the past. With India confirming Shikhar Dhawan's place in the XI, a spinner who takes the ball away from the likes of Dhawan, Pant and Washington Sundar might be a great bet.

Sam Curran will want to outshine his older brother for a spot in the side. While his role in all three formats is unquestionably important, Curran could be utilised better by England as an opening bowler and end-overs attacker to bring out his best.

---

Bowlers: Mark Wood, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley

Mark Wood heaped pressure on India with the new ball during the T20Is.

It was hardly a coincidence that England lost the game which Mark Wood was absent from. The express pace bowler's ability to hustle opposition batsmen is mirrored by few in the current setup, except for Jofra Archer who is not playing this series. Ten overs of facing Wood must be making the Indian batting lineup sweat.

Adil Rashid had a strong outing with the ball initially, as he got the better of the Indian skipper twice for a low score. He also showed his ability to bowl in the powerplay and threaten opposition batsmen. With the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli tentative against spin early on, Rashid could have a say again.

Finally, Reece Topley is the front-runner to fill the void left by Jofra Archer. The tall pacer, who has been out of the game for a while, will look to make the most of this rare opportunity.