India might have had the better of England in the Test series, but the away side will be confident of making a better impression in the limited-overs matches. Before the international white ball fun starts on Sunday, though, the England players, at least the ones that weren't a part of the Test series, will get some time to get acclimatised to the conditions, with two warmup matches set to be played.
Live Streaming information for the first match
England will not have it easy in either of those warmup games, with the India selectors naming a strong India 'A' squad. MS Dhoni will captain an India team for the final time in one of those warmup matches – the first one – with the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Ashish Nehra, Shikhar Dhawan, Hardik Pandya and Yuvraj Singh all set to feature as well.
While Dhoni and Yuvraj will use the warmup match to get some white ball practice, these games will be crucial for Rahane, Pandya, Dhawan and Nehra to prove their fitness, after time out through injury – Nehra hasn't played a competitive game since suffering a serious injury during IPL 2016.
These matches, as they always are, will also be an opportunity for some of the players who have been overlooked for the Team India squads to make an impression and stake their claim for future series and games. Sanju Samson, Mandeep Singh, who only found a place in the T20 team against England, Shahbaz Nadeem, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohit Sharma (remember him?) and more will be keen to show they have the talent and ability to play against powerhouse opponents like England.
England are a strong team now in ODIs and T20s, not the ones that were a laughing stock after exiting the 50-over World Cup abruptly.
Eoin Morgan has led the side well and with dynamic players in Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Alex Hales, to just name a few, this England batting side is as good as any in international cricket, capable of smashing the bowlers to all parts of the ground on their day.
The warmup games, though, aren't about winning; it's about finding some form, getting a gauge of the wickets and getting back into the limited-overs rhythm after so many Test matches.
India vs England warmup games schedule (all 50-over games): India 'A' vs England XI.
1st match: Date: Tuesday, January 10.
Time: 1.30pm IST, 8am GMT, 3am ET.
Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.
2nd match: Date: Thursday, January 12.
Time: 10am IST, 4.30am GMT, 11.30pm ET (previous day).
Venue: Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai.
TV guide: India: Star Sports HD2, Star Sports 2.
India 'A' squads:
1st match: MS Dhoni (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Mandeep Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Y Chahal, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Siddharth Kaul.
2nd match: Ajinkya Rahane (C), Rishabh Pant, Suresh Raina, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Kishan, Sheldon Jackson, Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem, Parvez Rasool, Vinay Kumar, Pradeep Sangwan, Ashoke Dinda.
