The Test series was an absolute nightmare, and India will now look to get over that major thrashing when they turn their attentions to a format they are more comfortable with – the one-day internationals.
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The game is set for a 10.30 am local time (3 pm IST) start with no live coverage on TV in India or in the UK. Viewers though can listen to the action on BBC Radio 5 Live Extra or by live streaming HERE. Get live updates of the match HERE, HERE or HERE.
The Indians begin their preparations for a five-match ODI series with England with a practice match against Middlesex, where the teams will be allowed to play as many players as possible – as long as, of course, there are only 11 players on the field and only 11 players actually come out to bat.
This will give, the Indians hope, their players enough time in the middle, particularly the batsmen, after their horrendous showing in the Test series.
India, after all, have not won a single ODI outside the sub-continent for a while, having lost all of their matches in the tours of South Africa and New Zealand.
The Indians did, though, clinch the Champions Trophy title in style by beating England in the final in the UK and MS Dhoni's men will look to that success when the real business starts on Monday.
Before that, the Middlesex game will give the likes of Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Sanju Samson, who most will hope gets a game or two on this tour, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma and more to get acclimatised, while Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan will be desperate for some time in the middle after their forgettable outings in the Test matches.
"The team is going through a difficult phase right now and it is time for us to show character," Raina, one of the few who will not be scarred by that pathetic series defeat to England, told BCCI's official website. "It can be difficult sometimes to move on from such defeat but you have to fight your way out of it when you're playing at the international level.
"The new players will bring freshness in the squad which will help the guys who have been here for the Tests regain the positivity. They are striving to learn from their mistakes and we will add fresh spirit."
The spotlight will also be on the new coaching staff starting with team director Ravi Shastri and Sanjay Bangar, B Arun and R Sridhar, with Joe Dawes and Trevor Penney given a break, while coach Duncan Fletcher will know the importance of success in this limited-overs series.
Middlesex will have a few familiar faces as well and England players looking to gain a measure of the Indian bowlers ahead of the ODI series with Eoin Morgan, one of the most important players for England in the limited-overs formats, leading the way.
Morgan will be joined by Steven Finn, who will look to bruise a few of the Indians with his pace before taking charge when the ODI series begins on Monday in Bristol.
Squads: Middlesex: Eoin Morgan (capt), Joe Denly, Neil Dexter, Steven Finn, Nick Gubbins, James Harris, Ryan Higgins, Dawid Malan, Ravi Patel, Harry Podmore, Ollie Rayner, Gurjit Sandhu, John Simpson and Paul Stirling.
India: MS Dhoni (capt), Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Karn Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Mohammed Shami, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav.
