Updated :
Friday January 11 , 2013 11:15:38 AM
England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bat against India in the first one-day international at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Friday.
India would look to somewhat settle a score after the Test debacle against the Englishmen and have history at their side as England has not won an ODI in their last 13 attempts in India, with 12 defeats and one tie which was the 2011 World Cup match in Bangalore.
England's last win over India in India was in Jamshedpur on April 12, 2006. However, while history does favour the hosts, they have their problems in the present. The opening conundrum is one of them. In the last 10 ODI innings, India have tried three different pairs, with even Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir opening in three games, but the first wicket mark has never crossed 50 with the scores reading 19, 25, 0, 7, 31, 8, 29, 17, 42 and 19.
One factor which might work in India's favour is that they are coming from a high-pressure series against Pakistan while England are coming from a break.
The conditions in Rajkot should also help the Indians and the track at the SCA Stadium is a batting beauty where more than 300 runs were scored and chased successfully regularly in Challenger tournament last year. The fast outfield and short boundaries are an added advantage.
England's bowling attack, without the presence of several key Test bowlers, appears inexperienced and could be just the tonic needed by the bruised Indian batting line-up to get back into the groove.
In the last ODI game played in Rajkot in 2008, the England pace attack was hit all over the park by Gambhir, Sehwag and Yuvraj, who cracked a 78-ball 138 with 6 sixes and 16 fours in it.
That attack comprised of James Anderson, India's nemesis in Tests who is absent from the ODI series, Stuart Broad, available only for the last two games of the current rubber, and the retired duo of Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison.
The current new-ball attack comprising Bresnan, Finn, Stuart Meaker and Jade Dernbach does not appear as lethal as the one that was smashed to smithereens by the Indian batsmen four years ago.
England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and chose to bat against India in the first one-day international at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Friday.
India would look to somewhat settle a score after the Test debacle against the Englishmen and have history at their side as England has not won an ODI in their last 13 attempts in India, with 12 defeats and one tie which was the 2011 World Cup match in Bangalore.
England's last win over India in India was in Jamshedpur on April 12, 2006. However, while history does favour the hosts, they have their problems in the present. The opening conundrum is one of them. In the last 10 ODI innings, India have tried three different pairs, with even Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir opening in three games, but the first wicket mark has never crossed 50 with the scores reading 19, 25, 0, 7, 31, 8, 29, 17, 42 and 19.
One factor which might work in India's favour is that they are coming from a high-pressure series against Pakistan while England are coming from a break.
The conditions in Rajkot should also help the Indians and the track at the SCA Stadium is a batting beauty where more than 300 runs were scored and chased successfully regularly in Challenger tournament last year. The fast outfield and short boundaries are an added advantage.
England's bowling attack, without the presence of several key Test bowlers, appears inexperienced and could be just the tonic needed by the bruised Indian batting line-up to get back into the groove.
In the last ODI game played in Rajkot in 2008, the England pace attack was hit all over the park by Gambhir, Sehwag and Yuvraj, who cracked a 78-ball 138 with 6 sixes and 16 fours in it.
That attack comprised of James Anderson, India's nemesis in Tests who is absent from the ODI series, Stuart Broad, available only for the last two games of the current rubber, and the retired duo of Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison.
The current new-ball attack comprising Bresnan, Finn, Stuart Meaker and Jade Dernbach does not appear as lethal as the one that was smashed to smithereens by the Indian batsmen four years ago.
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