India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes India have what it takes to win the future ODI series against England. India is back in friendlier climes following a catastrophic summer tour of England - one which was regularly punctuated by poor form and injuries.
Depsite Dhoni's men failing to list a single win at international level on English shores, and the fact that talisman Sachin Tendulkar is still absent because of injury, hope is high that India's fresh squad can gain a modicum of revenge.
The performance of the batsmen was very imposing in England, especially in the ODI series,said Dhoni ahead of Friday's first ODI in Hyderabad.We have a different set of bowlers, who will get an opportunity in home conditions to show what kind of talent they have.
Most of them have IPL knowledge, so they have a fair idea of what needs to be done when the batsman is going after them.It's very hard to replace the senior players, but most of the youngsters are very talented.
Asked about the pressure on Ravichandran Ashwin to wear the mantle of senior spinner after Harbhajan Singh's exclusion, Dhoni explained:It's not at all heaviness but an opportunity for him. He has been my colleague in CSK for four years.
He is an exciting character to have and is not afraid to take on challenges. He is not afraid to bowl in first or second power plays.Obviously,it's difficult when you miss seniors but it is not at all difficult to manage junior players. Obviously, it's a big opportunity for them and it is important for us to make a winning start,he added.
Meanwhile, England captain Alastair Cook seems sure to tell an established vanguard batsman he is not required against India, and must make way for rising star Jonny Bairstow. The England captain insists, though, the selection headache is no hardship and merely a sign of the strength and depth in his country's cricket.
Cook's side begin their bid, at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in the first of five one-day internationals, to follow up the 3-0 home victory over India in last month's NatWest Series. Such has been the feeling made by Bairstow, in a match-winning debut in Cardiff and then with an astounding 53-ball hundred in England's second warm-up win here, it will be a significant shock if he is left out.
That leaves the only feasible alternative to miss the series opener as Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen or Jonathan Trott. Since Pietersen's role was already being openly factored into England's gameplan by the captain at his press meeting this afternoon, and Trott's career statistics are so compelling, Bell is the obvious fall guy.