England vs India 2018: India-England Combined ODI XI

The upcoming ODI series between England and India will feature some of the best limited-overs cricketers to ever play for their respective countries. These two sides have the 2 highest ODI win-loss ratios since the end of the World Cup in 2015, and are also ranked 1st and 2nd. It does not get better than this.

Some of these players have been around for a while and have established themselves as excellent ODI players whilst the recent mammoth performances of newcomers have led to positive speculation regarding their futures.

Both squads are extremely strong in the batting and bowling departments, but here is my pick for the best XI:

#1: Jason Roy

Jason Roy has a reputation of being a destructive opening batsman and he has lived up to that hype as well. His most recent innings, where he went after the Indian attack, scoring 67 off only 31 deliveries was a testament to that ability.

His habit of taking the aerial route when playing his trademark aggressive brand of cricket is suited to batting in the powerplay where more fielders are in the circle. He provides this XI an explosive start and he will be one to watch in the ODI series.

#2: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma returned to form with a 100

Once scratchy, now firing. With the “Hitman”, it has been hit or miss so far in this tour of England and Ireland. After an IPL season that was not up to the high standards we are accustomed to from Rohit Sharma, he scored a rapid 97 against Ireland but then failed to get a good score in the next 3 innings.

Just when it looked like he might have to make way for someone else in the playing XI, Rohit came back with a 100 in a chase of 199 against England in the 3rd T20I and with how sweetly he was striking the ball in that innings, you would’ve never guessed that he was out of form leading up to the match.

#3: Virat Kohli

It is hard to count Kohli out of any discussion involving limited-overs cricket

One of the best No. 3s in ODI cricket to have played the game, Virat Kohli has locked in this position in this XI and on the back of two good performances in the last two T20Is, it looks like Kohli is back to being close to his destructive best.

He will likely face more deliveries in the ODI series than he did in the T20Is and Kohli will be looking to silence his critics that claim that batting in English conditions is a weakness of his.

#4: Joe Root

Root will likely be more comfortable in the ODI format

The English member of the Fab 4, Joe Root did not have the greatest of outings against the men in blue in the recently concluded T20I series, having to make way for Ben Stokes in the decider. However, he is much more comfortable when he has a better chance to get himself in – a luxury that the ODI format allows, unlike T20s.

Root’s conversion rate is subject to much criticism – his consistency when it comes to notching up fifties is amongst the best but he often loses his wicket before going on to convert that into a big score. If Root can improve upon that in the upcoming series against an Indian attack that has lost one of its frontline bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

#5: MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni has recently been in vintage form – a welcome sign for India as there were many questions surrounding his position in the team and if he should even play in the 2019 World Cup. Dhoni is the cornerstone in the Indian middle order and after he faces a handful of deliveries to get himself in, he seems to possess the ball striking ability that he is renowned for.

It is no secret that ODIs are Dhoni’s favourite format and he will be looking to make it big in what many are speculating to be his final series in England. Needless to say, his wicketkeeping has also been top notch.

#6: Jos Buttler

Buttler has been in incredible form at the top of the order

Since the latter half of the IPL where he was promoted up the order, the form English opener Jos Buttler has been in is nothing short of sensational. He has continued to amass runs since then, both against the Australians in the ODI series and against the Indians in the T20I series. Buttler has scored rapidly too, going after the bowling, often taking the aerial route, where more fielders are in the circle and he is a force to be reckoned with at the moment.

#7: Ben Stokes

England will be expecting good all-round performances from Stokes

Ben Stokes announced his return from injury with a 90 in the Vitality Blast and was slotted into the team for the 3rd T20I in place of Joe Root. Stokes only got to face 10 deliveries against the Indians where he scored 14 runs that included a couple of fours, but his bowling was tight during a phase when every other bowler was being dispatched for boundaries by Sharma, Kohli and Pandya.

His all-round efforts will be crucial for England in the ODI series and the highly anticipated Test series following that as well.

#8: Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya has been excellent with both bat and ball

Hardik Pandya has answered the call for a genuine fast bowling all-rounder that India has been looking for for a long time. With many match winning performances under his belt already in his career that has only recently begun and being in great form of late, Pandya is an automatic pick in the combined XI and his performance with both bat and ball will be relied upon heavily by India.

#9: Adil Rashid

England v India - 3rd Vitality International T20

Adil Rashid had a great series against Australia in the ODIs and the T20Is and looked to be England’s best and most consistent bowler throughout the recently concluded T20I series against India. His variations were tough to pick for even the Indian batsmen who are all seasoned players of spin, and with 10 overs that will likely be bowled in the middle phase, he will be a big threat especially if batsmen look to attack him.

#10: Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav will be a key part of India's pace attack

Umesh Yadav has been on the slightly expensive side in the IPL and the T20I series but his line and lengths have been impeccable. He has been pitching it further up and in England, which is traditionally conducive for swing bowling, he should be able to exploit these conditions.

Yadav’s death bowling has also been good, and he has nailed yorkers in the penultimate overs of the T20Is thus far. With India losing Bumrah, arguably their best death bowler in recent times, Yadav’s performance with the ball will be crucial in restricting the flow of runs towards the end.

#11: Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep's bag of tricks will be difficult to contend with for the English

This will be one of the greatest tests for Kuldeep Yadav. After a great showing in the first T20I where he picked up 5 wickets, and in the matches leading up to that, he was negotiated effectively in the 2nd T20I after the English batsmen used Merlyn to try and prepare for his unconventional left arm wrist-spin.

With the English stocked with power hitters, he will have to mix up his deliveries as frequently as he would in a T20, aiming to keep runs down and pick up wickets whilst being economical.

12th man: KL Rahul

KL Rahul’s unlucky to miss out on the XI but with the batting might it already carries, with 8 destructive batsmen in the lineup, it made more sense to bolster the bowling attack. Either way, Rahul will be crucial for India’s chances and will probably bat in either the No. 3 or No. 4 position depending on how early the first wicket falls. Considering the kind of form he is in, England will have to do their homework against him.