India will have a fiery opener to deal with, after all, in the one-day international series against England, after the home side named Alex Hales in their side.
The five-match ODI series will be one of redemption for India, after their drubbing at the hands of England in the Test matches, and MS Dhoni and co. will deal with a lot of those familiar faces, with 11 players of the Test squad, who were involved in some shape or form over the five matches, also included in the one-dayers.
Joining those 11 players are Hales, who is likely to open the skipper Alastair Cook, Eoin Morgan, the limited-overs batsman extraordinaire, Harry Gurney and James Tredwell.
The surprise exclusion from the ODI team was Ravi Bopara, with the experienced player left out as England feel they have two quality all-rounders in Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes, who makes a return after being dropped for the final three Test matches. Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan are also capable all-rounders, which, no doubt also played a part in making that decision, even if Bopara provides a different option to the side. The other players missing out are Tim Bresnan and opener Michael Carberry.
"With the ICC Cricket World Cup now less than six months away our focus over the coming months switches to identifying our strongest possible squad for that competition," national selector James Whitaker told ECB's official website.
"However this is an important series in its own right and we have selected 15 players who we believe will perform well against an Indian side with a strong one-day record.
"This series presents an opportunity for players to build on their international and domestic form and demonstrate that they have the ability to win games of cricket for England.
"With plenty of domestic limited overs cricket still to be played this season and a series against Sri Lanka in November before finalising our World Cup squad there are still opportunities for us to consider a number of players who have missed out on selection.
"I would like to wish Alastair and the rest of the squad all the very best for what will no doubt be a competitive series."
India will certainly hope to make a better fist of this ODI series, which begins on 25 August, after their shambolic performances in the Test matches, and the away side will be wary of bowling against Hales, who has been in terrific form of late, scoring three hundreds this season in domestic cricket, with the last one being a wonderfully brutal 141 off a mere 96 deliveries.
Hales is expected to partner skipper Cook at the top, which will probably mean Ian Bell will drop down the order. England have struggled to get off to quick starts in ODIs of late, and they will certainly hope Hales can provide them that early impetus.
One of the bowlers who made merry during the Test series – Stuart Broad – will not take part as the fast bowler is set to undergo knee surgery. England will hope Steven Finn, who gets a recall, can fill in those large shoes, with James Anderson, no doubt, set to be their premier bowler again.
England squad: Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, James Tredwell, Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Harry Gurney.
