England vs India 1st ODI Preview: Rohit and Kohli Return to Face Fierce Battle in Series Opener

Following an action-packed Eng vs Ind T20I series, England and India renew their rivalry in the 50-over format as they meet in the first ODI at Edgbaston, Birmingham. 

The three-match series offers both teams an important opportunity to build momentum and fine-tune their combinations ahead of future ICC tournaments.

England vs India Last 5 ODI Head-to-Heads 

• India won by 4 wickets (February 2025 – Nagpur)
• India won by 4 wickets (February 2025 – Cuttack)
• India won by 142 runs (February 2025 – Ahmedabad)
• India won by 100 runs (October 2023 – ODI World Cup)
• India won by 5 wickets (July 2022 – Manchester)

England vs India 1st ODI Predicted Playing XIs

England Predicted XI

Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Joe Root, Harry Brook (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Gus Atkinson

India Predicted XI

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

Eng vs Ind 1st ODI Key Player Battles

Rohit Sharma vs Jofra Archer

Archer's pace and bounce against Rohit's attacking approach during the powerplay could shape India's innings.

Joe Root vs Kuldeep Yadav

Root's will be tested by Kuldeep's variations, making this a fascinating middle-overs battle.

Virat Kohli vs Adil Rashid

Virat Kohli has enjoyed success against England over the years, but Rashid's leg-spin remains one of England's biggest weapons in ODI cricket.

Harry Brook vs Jasprit Bumrah

England's captain has been in outstanding form recently, but Bumrah's precision and death-over expertise make this one of the contest's defining matchups.

England vs India 1st ODI Preview

The opening ODI promises to be a fascinating contest between two evenly matched sides.

England hold the advantage of home conditions and arrive with confidence after winning the T20I series. India, however, possess greater experience in the ODI format. The return of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah significantly strengthens both their batting and bowling departments. 

If England exploit the early movement, they can place India under immediate pressure. If India's top order survives that initial spell, they have enough quality to post or chase a match-winning total.

Watch England vs India 1st ODI Live on tapmad

Catch every ball of the England vs India 1st ODI live on tapmad. Stream the match in real time and follow all the action as two cricketing powerhouses begin another exciting chapter in their long-standing rivalry.