3 things India need to do right to beat England in the 1st ODI ft. playing Varun Chakaravarthy

India now how to go about ODI cricket. The Men in Blue were, by far, the standout team in the 2023 World Cup, although they fell at the final hurdle against Australia in Ahmedabad. Now, however, things are slightly different ahead of the Champions Trophy.

Most importantly, the world's best bowler is missing, with no clear timeline regarding his return. Jasprit Bumrah, who got injured in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has been named in the squad for the ICC event but doesn't seem close to a return.

Moreover, key Indian players are coming back from injury, while others are dealing with major form concerns. As a result, the hosts need to be at the top of their game from a tactical perspective if they are to replicate their dominant ODI displays in the new calendar year.

India’s squad for the ODI series against England: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy.

On that note, here are three things India need to do right to beat England in the first ODI.

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#3 India need to make the most of England's supporting spinners

England & India Net Sessions - Source: Getty

England have named their XI for the first ODI against India. Assuming they get 10 overs each from their four specialist bowlers - Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid and Brydon Carse - they will need part-time contributions from Liam Livingstone, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell.

All three spinners are higher than part-time quality. Livingstone has been a useful, versatile bowler for England, while Root was in excellent bowling form in the recent SA20 league. Bethell, meanwhile, will be useful while turning the ball away from India's right-handers.

However, India need to capitalize on the trio's overs. While Nagpur is expected to offer a bit of turn, England's spinners need to be put under the pump. Fielding part-timers through the ODI middle overs, with only four fielders out, doesn't seem like a sustainable strategy anymore.

India have many quality players of spin in the lineup. Those batters need to put away anything loose and dominate the key phase of the innings.

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#2 India must remember the 2023 World Cup even if their players aren't who they were then

India v Australia: Final - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 - Source: Getty

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been out of touch lately, while Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav are just returning from long-term injuries. So India's players might not be who they were during the 2023 World Cup to a tee, but the fundamentals will remain the same.

India need to remember that when they face off against England, they are bound to be aggressive and creative with both bat and ball. The Men in Blue need to continue to be intent-rich at the top of the order and keep faith in their big guns to do the job.

And while they will be without Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh is more than capable of being a match-winner on his day. They have another X-factor in their midst as well...

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#1 The hosts should consider playing Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav in tandem

India v Australia: Final - ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 - Source: Getty

Varun Chakaravarthy has been added to India's squad, and the hosts might consider fielding him alongside Kuldeep Yadav at the expense of batting depth. If Chakaravarthy can play ahead of his state teammate Washington Sundar or Axar Patel, Rohit would have a lethal spin attack to rotate around.

The Indian skipper has mentioned that Chakaravarthy is definitely in contention for the Champions Trophy, and if that is the case, he will need to be tried out. Uncapped at the OD level, the spinner getting all three games against England would be a big positive.

Moreover, India would be in a prime position to exploit England's weaknesses if they play Chakaravarthy, who tormented them in the preceding T20I rubber.