India predicted XI for 1st ODI: Will Suryakumar pip Iyer at No. 4 for India?

Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as a bright prospect for the No.4 spot for India, but with Iyer being a regular in that position, he could retain his place.

After securing back-to-back series victories in Tests and T20Is, India will now lock horns with England in the ODI series, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The four-match Test series was clinched 3-1 by India, followed by a 3-2 triumph in T20Is.

Suryakumar Yadav in action against England in Ahmedabad. (Twitter)

Both teams head into the first of three ODIs high on confidence after some notable performances in the T20 series in Ahmedabad. While Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, and Mark Wood were impressive for England, India saw Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma return to form along with Hardik Pandya bowling full-time again.

Let's have a look at India's predicted playing XI for the first ODI:

India vs England 1st ODI live score

1) Shikhar Dhawan: With a few batsmen knocking on the door to occupy that second opening spot, this series will be a litmus test for Shikhar Dhawan. The southpaw failed to deliver in the first T20I and was made to warm the bench in the remainder of the series. In India's last ODI series - in November 2020, in Australia - Dhawan scored 120 runs in three matches. Rohit Sharma and Dhawan have a successful opening pair for India and the management is likely to give Shikhar one more chance.

2) Rohit Sharma: "Ro-hit" is back to form and that's not good news for any opposition. The right-handed batsman played three T20Is and scored 91 runs, including an impressive 64 in the last T20I. He missed India's last ODI series due to injury but is most likely to retain his spot in this format.

3) Virat Kohli: Skipper Virat Kohli will be back to his favorite position, which is number 3. He amassed 173 runs in three matches in the last ODI series and topped the charts in the recently-concluded T20I series against England with 231 runs from five matches.

4) Shreyas Iyer: The moment one thinks of this spot, especially after the T20 series, two names immediately come up. Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav. Iyer was subdued in the ODI series in Australia but looked more like his former self in the T20I series. Since he has been a regular in this position in the ODIs, Kohli is likely to stick with him.

5) Rishabh Pant: The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman has a year to remember so far. His wicketkeeping has massively improved and the proven matchwinner he is, the southpaw will continue to remain an important part of the team.

6) Hardik Pandya: The hard-hitting Pandya is back to bowling at full-throttle again, something the team had been waiting for. He was in fine form with the bat in the Australian series, finishing with 210 runs in three matches; third in the highest run-getter list of the series.

7) Washington Sundar: Yes, Krunal Pandya might have to wait for a while as Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar has been been a reliable figure in the lower middle-order. He's not the one to succumb to pressure and his economic spells stem the run flow very effectively.

8) Shardul Thakur: The highest-wicket taker of the T20I series in Ahmedabad is likely to keep his place in the team. Despite being a little expensive, Thakur is a wicket-taking bowler. He has been put to test at the death by Kohli and he sure has coped up well. He has shown glimpses of his talent with the bat and if needed, he is capable of stepping up in that department too.

9) Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The Uttar Pradesh bowler returned with decent figures in the first four T20Is but was highly impressive in the last game. Known for his prowess with the new ball, Bhuvneshwar returned to form in Ahmedabad and is likely to spearhead the bowling attack.

10) Yuzvendra Chahal: The leg-spinner was made to sit out in the fifth and final T20I after a relatively poor show earlier in the series. However, he is an experienced player in the longer format and is likely to be preferred over Kuldeep Yadav.

11) T. Natarajan: The left-arm pacer, at least for the first game, is likely to feature over Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj. While Krishna is yet to make his debut, both Siraj and Natarajan have played an ODI each. However, Natarajan featured in the final T20I and also picked up two wickets on his debut in Australia.