England's predicted playing XI for 1st T20I v India

England captain's Eoin Morgan's biggest challenge starts even before the first T20I against India at Ahmedabad. After all, England played a combined total of five days of Test cricket at the venue across two matches, trounced by India despite controlling the game in spurts. The spectres of Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel might haunt the English camp in the lead-up.

However, once England open their eyes, they will see no Ashwin, no red ball, and possibly no treacherously turning pitch either. The white-ball leg of the tour provides an opportunity for the 2016 T20 World Cup runners-up to stamp their presence over proceedings.

It is in this format that England have an embarrassment of top-order riches, with a number of batsmen vying for the opener's spot. The quality of the side is captured by the top-ranked T20I batsman in the world, Dawid Malan, not quite having an assured long-term berth. Here is England's predicted playing XI for the first T20I against India.

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Openers: Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy

Jason Roy could not consistently impress in the Big Bash League.

Jonny Bairstow was sent back to the pavillion for a duck thrice in his last four Test innings, but he will fancy a return to white-ball cricket. He has been a limited-overs staple for England for a while, and with Jos Buttler moved back to the middle order, Bairstow will open the innings. With Alex Hales still on the fringes of the England team, there is no immediate threat to Bairstow's position.

Jason Roy will look to brush off the disappointment of going unsold in the IPL auctions. The top-order batsman has been an England mainstay, but an ordinary BBL campaign sees him enter the series under some pressure. Roy has shown a traditional weakness against spin, hence he would be hoping for a docile batting wicket.

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Middle order: Dawid Malan, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk)

Eoin Morgan would look to score a morale-boosting win in the first game.

Dawid Malan found interest in the IPL auction, and a legion of Punjab Kings fans will want to see the English southpaw in action. An outrageous start to his career sees the Middlesex batsman at the No. 1 spot after just 19 T20I games. A strike-rate touching 150 means that India cannot relax after dismissing the openers.

Eoin Morgan is the second of a string of left-handers in England's lineup. Morgan is an excellent attacker of spin - evidenced by his scathing assault on Afghanistan in the 2019 ICC World Cup, as well as his strong showing in the IPL - and will put the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal under pressure. However, it is with his calm and composed leadership that he arguably serves the team most.

Mimicking the reshuffle in the Rajasthan Royals, Jos Buttler returns to the middle order, primarily due to his ability to be destructive at all stages of the innings. Apart from the expected destruction with the bat, Buttler is also England's designated keeper and vice-captain.

All-rounders: Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran

Ben Stokes could be one of the players to watch for.

Ben Stokes was one of England's shining lights with bat and ball in the final Test of the series, despite looking far from fully fit. England would hope their star all-rounder has fully recovered to take the field. Stokes can single-handedly boss the game with the bat, and although his bowling was hardly used in the IPL, he can send down a few at a good pace to trouble the Indian batsmen.

Moeen Ali picked up wickets despite looking rusty in the second Test against India, and might be raring to go for the limited overs leg. With a sumptuous IPL contract in the bag, Moeen will look to unleash more of the big hits that temporarily held England back from a massive defeat in the second Test, earning him the attention of franchises.

His Chennai Super Kings teammate Sam Curran enjoys playing against India, and stood out amid a shambolic IPL outing for the Men in Yellow. Having been rested for the Tests, Curran would be looking to hit the ground running.

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Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid

Jofra Archer has the pace and variations to trouble the Indians.

In the shortest format, Jofra Archer is a serious all-round asset for England. Despite Rajasthan Royals' poor finish, Archer deservedly finished as the Most Valuable Player. His lethal bouncer, slower ball and yorker make him a threat regardless of the pitch.

Mark Wood was expected to have a larger role to play during the Test series, but he will enter the T20Is well-rested and raring to go. Like Archer, he provides the express pace that troubles Indian batsmen up-front.

Adil Rashid enjoyed success during India's last limited-overs tour of England, and would be hoping for more in the same vein. A few of India's batsmen struggle against leg-spin, and Rashid would look to make a mark.