Five reasons why India will defeat England to win the Champions Trophy

3. The Opening Partnership

The new ODI rules have exponentially increased the importance of the first 10-12 overs as two new balls are used from different ends. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma were put together in a haste after Murali Vijay’s failure in the warm-up games and they have clicked wonderfully. Two consecutive century partnerships were followed by convincing displays against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sharma complements the aggression of Dhawan; and if he can control that odd false shot against England, the pair can once again create a strong foundation for the middle order to build upon.