England's predicted playing XI for the 2nd ODI against India

England have their backs against the wall as they take on India in the 2nd ODI of the 3-match series at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Virat Kohli's side have a 1-0 lead in the series, and the visitors need to live up to their billing as arguably the best white-ball side in the world.

England were firmly in control in the 1st ODI, with their openers getting them off to a flier. Even though the required run rate was well under 6, an inspired performance from India's pacers handed Eoin Morgan's men - who are without Joe Root for this series - a 66-run defeat.

Morgan claimed that his team won't waver from their uber-aggressive approach, which has won them a World Cup among many other high-profile series. As a result, we should be in for a cracker in one of the final international games before the Indian Premier League.

Here is England's predicted playing XI for the 2nd ODI against India.

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Openers: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow

Roy is in pristine form

Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow stitched together a 135-run opening stand in the 1st ODI, and nearly took the game away from India single-handedly. Although they fell short of a fifty and a hundred respectively, Roy and Bairstow are in stellar form and pose a massive threat at the top of the order.

Opposition new-ball bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur will need to provide breakthroughs early if they are to derail England's aggressive batting approach.

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Middle order: Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk)

Buttler managed only 2 runs in the 1st ODI

In the absence of Root, Ben Stokes has been entrusted with the responsibility of batting at No. 3. The all-rounder didn't trouble the scorers too much in the 1st ODI, but he picked up 3 crucial wickets with the ball and is a key component of this England side in all three formats.

Eoin Morgan split his webbing in the first innings of the previous game and had to go off the field, but turned up to bat in the chase. The England skipper is facing a race against time to be fit for this clash, and if he doesn't make the cut, wicket-keeper Jos Buttler will take over the reins.

Dawid Malan, who is part of the reserves at the moment, might be in line to play his second ODI if Morgan is unavailable.

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All-rounders: Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran

Sam Curran has been underutilised by England on the white-ball leg of this tour

Sam Billings suffered an injury to his collarbone in the 1st ODI. Like Morgan, he came out to bat and there is no official word on his fitness. If he isn't fit (the injury seemed more serious than Morgan's), England might opt for the spin-bowling all-round value of Liam Livingstone, who hasn't made his ODI debut yet.

Accompanying Livingstone will be Moeen Ali and Sam Curran. Both all-rounders add great depth to the England batting lineup, and the latter in particular was impressive with the new ball in the previous game.

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Bowlers: Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Mark Wood

Mark Wood bowled quick but was expensive in the 1st ODI

With Tom Curran unimpressive in the recent T20I series as well as the 1st ODI, we might see Reece Topley pip Matt Parkinson to a place in the England playing XI. Although he doesn't offer Curran's skills with the bat, Topley's extra bounce and impressive ODI record are in his favour.

Adil Rashid went wicketless in the 1st ODI, and the England team will ask more from their lead spinner. The leggie's primary role in the side is to provide breakthroughs in the middle overs, and he'll have a task on his hands in Pune.

Mark Wood's 1st ODI was a tale of two halves. While he was penetrative with the new ball, his influence on the game waned drastically as the innings wore on. Entrusted with death-bowling responsibilities in the absence of Jofra Archer, Wood was taken to the cleaners by KL Rahul and Krunal Pandya.

Wood is the spearhead of this England pace attack, and he'll want to put in an improved performance in the 2nd ODI.