England vs Sri Lanka ODI series 2016: The combined XI

Sri Lanka take on hosts England in the first of the five One-Day International series at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

After the trouncing in the Test Series, Sri Lanka showed their effectiveness against Ireland by clinching the 2-match ODI series by comprehensive margins. They are a much better ODI outfit and would love to put things in order.

Hosts England, on the other hand, have turned a corner themselves as far at white ball cricket is concerned and after a forgettable 2015 World Cup, they have roped in specialists for the One Dayers and it has reaped dividends. And the fact that they will be buoyed by the convincing performances in the Test Matches.

We present the combined XI for the first match between England and Sri Lanka.

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#1 Alex Hales

For much of his career, Hales was considered to be a limited overs slogger. But he has changed the perception with many innings of substance in the recently concluded Test Series. Although he did not get to the century, his application and the ability to spend time at the crease was a testament to his ability.

He returns to the format where he is the most comfortable, and playing on his home ground, he will want to continue his rich vein of form. Hales is an attacking batsman up front and loves to put the pressure on the bowlers right from the word go. His strike rate of 87.93 is on the upward move and hence becomes a potent force right at the top of the order.

#2 Kusal Perera

The hard-hitting left-hander is perhaps the brightest talent to have emerged from the Sri Lanka in the recent past. Not for nothing, there have been comparisons with Sanath Jayasuriya, and after a rather stop-start beginning to his career, Perera has finally found out the balance between attack and defence and is a potent weapon right at the top of the innings.

His attacking instincts and the ability to pick up the length is uncanny and very effective and this bodes well for the Lankans going into the first ODIs. This and the fact that he got a 128-ball 135 in the second game against Ireland makes him a hot property for Sri Lanka.

Watch out for the exciting Perera if he gets going!

#3 Joe Root

There is little doubt that Joe Root is currently the best England batsman across all formats. Thus, he assumes the all important position of number 3, where he can drop anchor and allow everyone else to play around him.

The fact that he has a watertight technique coupled with a whole array of strokes makes him an almost impossible batsman to bowl to. Root also has the power game which is so very important in this day and age, and can innovate with ridiculous ease.

He did not have a very fruitful test series, and this will make him hungry to go out and express himself in the way he does best. An average of 44.34 and a strike rate of 84.46 makes him a special player and an in-form Joe Root can have a tremendous impact on the game.

#4 Dinesh Chandimal

Dinesh Chadimal has been an enigma of sorts for Sri Lanka. He was identified early and was earmarked for success, but has never done justice to his talent. However, this tour has been a fruitful one for him. His century at Durham was proof of his talent and then a century against Ireland in the first ODI showed that he might be ready to assume the role of a senior statesman in the side.

He has shown an ability to handle swing and seam and this will be required at Trent Bridge where the ball does hoop around. However, he has form on his back and the team management will hope that he comes of age during this series.

He has shown that he has the talent, does he have the temperament, we shall wait and see!

#5 Jos Buttler (Wicket-keeper)

Many believe that Buttler is the face of new resurgent England, and this is true in many aspects. He takes almost no time to get going and is an out and out match-winner on his day.

Such has been his impact that he has England's three fastest one-day hundreds to his name. He might have lost his place in the Test Side to Jonny Bairstow, but there is no denying the fact that currently he is one of the best wicket-keeper batsman in the format.

Buttler has now the experience of an IPL season, and according to him the IPL experience has taught him a lot, and this will be reflected in both his mental as well as physical maturity.

A strike rate of 118.75 in 61 innings is no mean feat, and the impact of Buttler will go a long way in helping England win matches.

#6 Angelo Mathews (Captain)

The Sri Lankan skipper has been one of the lynchpins of the batting order for quite some time now. He plays the role of the accumulator when the going gets tough, as also the role of a finisher at the backend of the innings.

Mathews has an unflappable temperament and this is on full display when the backs are against the wall. His team might have lost the Test Series, but this does not mean that they will not bounce back in the format which makes Sri Lanka more at home. And Angelo Mathews will be the fulcrum once again.

He has shown glimpses of his form and ability during the Test Series and in the two ODIs against Ireland, and one can feel that a big one is right around the corner.

He is no slouch with the ball either and is adept ad picking up wickets at crucial times as well as keeping things tight when the situation demands. All said and done, Mathews embodies Sri Lanka, more so in the current context.

#7 Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali coming in at number 7 shows how much he has adapted to the limited overs format as a finisher. He is no muscular bloke but relies more on timing and placement, and is destructive on his day.

With the ball, he is a much-improved off-spinner and keeps it tight when not picking up wickets. Also, he is a reliable and safe fielder anywhere in the outfield, and this makes him a vital cog in the English cog.

He will be expected to provide the final kick at the back end of the innings. If however, things do not go according to plan, he is more than capable of holding fort and absorbing pressure and getting his team through to a respectable total.

#8 Dasun Shanaka

Shanaka has been quite a revelation this series. In his Test debut, he took 3 quick wickets to reduce England to 51/3. He got out for a duck with the bat and this marred the debut.

He rectified this in his ODI debut as he first smashed 42 off 19 balls, and then picked up a five-wicket haul, thus becoming only the 12th bowler in ODI history to take a 5-wicket haul on debut.

He is a powerful hitter down the order and when the conditions suit him, he can get the ball to hoop around and becomes a tough bowler to negotiate.

After his heroics against Ireland, he will be up against a far stiffer contest and how he reacts will be worth watching.

#9 Chris Woakes

Chris Woakes was drafted in the England team after the injury to Ben Stokes and he showed that he is an able replacement. He is a much-improved bowler with the red ball and is no rabbit with the bat.

With the white ball, he has already established a good name for himself, and now will be expected to be the leader of the English attack. His bowling average of 34.98 is on the higher side, but looking at his form with the red ball, no will be surprised if this average decreases.

He also provides the balance with the bat and his a handy lower order bat. Many believe that he has the potential to be a genuine all-rounder and in the absence of Ben Stokes, Woakes would ideally want to grab the mantle.

#10 David Willey

The left-arm swing bowler has been a consistent performer for England in the recent past and is a regular starter for the hosts. He swings the ball early and can trouble the batsmen with the hooping in-swingers.

He is a big hitter at the end and has the ability to change the course of the match by his lusty hits. He is an opening batsman for Yorkshire in the NatWest T20 blast, which is a testament to his ability with the bat, which has slipped under the radar for England.

He is a fierce competitor both with the bat and ball and is an outstanding fielder anywhere in the outfield. It will not be too farfetched to believe that is an incredible limited overs package.

#11 Nuwan Pradeep

Pradeep was by far the best bowler for Sri Lanka in the Test Series, and had it not been for a close no-ball, he might have won the final match for his team.

"It was disappointing that Nuwan Pradeep bowled so damn well and had such bad luck," Graham Ford, the Sri Lankan coach said after the Lords test match. "If ever a guy deserved to get a five-wicket haul at Lord's, it was him. It's sad for him in many ways."

He would now want to replicate his form with the white ball and playing at Trent Bridge will give him a good opportunity to make early in-roads into the English batting order.