England’s last leg of preparations for the 2025 Champions Trophy have begun with the selectors picking a predictable XI for the opening ODI against India from the same squad that will travel to Pakistan next week. Jos Buttler remains captain as promised in Brendon McCullum’s first game as the team’s ODI head coach after enduring a 4-1 defeat in the T20I series in his opening white-ball endeavour. Phil Salt and Ben Duckett, the only two specialist openers in the squad, make it to the team by default as does leggie Adil Rashid.
Joe Root will fill in at number three despite having not scored an ODI century since 2019 and averaging under 30 in the four years since, the last of which came at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India where the veteran’s poor form was a major reason behind the team’s atrocious performance. However, the 34-year-old has hit new highs in English whites since, becoming their highest-ever run-getter and surpassing the 10,000 run-mark, including six tons and an average of 55.57 in 2024.
Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, and Jacob Bethell will form the rest of the middle-order with England chosing the latter for batting depth over wicket-keeper Jamie Smith and pace all-round options Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton. The only among the latter crop to make it is Brydon Carse on the back of a stellar T20I series, scalping 11 wickets in four games and scoring 31 in Chennai.
Keeping Carse company with the ball will be Jofra Archer and Saqib Mahmood, despite the former featuring in all five T20Is after return from injury. Mark Wood, on the other hand, is set to be on the bench having himself played four T20Is in the series.
England’s XI for first ODI: Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood
