After demolishing England 4-0 in the five-match Test series, India are ready to take on the Englishmen in the three-match ODI series, starting at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Sunday. Virat Kohli will be at the helm of affairs in the ODI after MS Dhoni stepped down as the skipper of the team a few days ago. Meanwhile, Lokesh Rahul is fit to open the innings along with Shikhar Dhawan while veteran Yuvraj Singh, too, is back in the squad after four years.
Here are the layers to watch out for in this ODI:
• Lokesh Rahul – The Indian opener had fabulous run in 2016 in all the three formats. His brilliant innings of 199 was the best performance in the final test in Chennai. India will need big runs from Lokesh Rahul in absence of their regular opener Rohit Sharma.
• Mahendra Singh Dhoni – After stepping down from his captaincy in all the formats of game, he will come to face England as pure batsman and wicket-keeper. For the first time in his career, he will under Virat Kohli. As promised to his fans, MS Dhoni will start to play fearless cricket again. He gave that hint in the first warm-up game, where he scored 68 not out off just 40 balls. Yuvraj Singh has also said that “He is ready to play fearless cricket with MS Dhoni again. England team should be very watchful because ‘Vintage Dhoni’ is back.
• Yuvraj Singh - The comeback man for India, he is back in the ODI side after 4 years. His last ODI was against South Africa in 2013. BCCI has rewarded him for good performance in domestic cricket. He looked in good touch in the first warm-up game at CCI. He scored 56 runs. He and MS Dhoni can damage the bowlers at the end of innings. If we can see vintage Yuvi and Dhoni again, then there is no stopping the Indian team and England is sure to be in trouble. The fans will be hoping to see both of them together in action.
• Shikhar Dhawan – In the absence of his partner Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan has an added responsibility on his shoulders. He needs to provide a good opening start with new partner KL Rahul. Dhawan is making yet another comeback into the ODI team. He should use his chances well otherwise the road may end for the Delhi southpaw.
• Ravichandran Ashwin – He is a the man in form. After his wonderful performance in the test series with bat and ball, Indian fans will be hoping him to continue his good work in 50 over format as well. Ravichandran Ashwin will play his first ODI after exactly one year. He played his ODI on January 15, 2016 Australia in Brisbane.
• Virat Kohli – The new captain of the Indian team! It would very interesting to see how Virat Kohli will perform as batsman and as a leader. All are waiting to see whether Kohli can replicate his test success in ODIs. It would also be interesting to see how he treats his senior players like MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra.
