Gaji
England will look to get better on their miserable one-day record in India when they conflict with the injury-ravaged world champions in a five-match series starting Friday.
England have beaten India just once in their last 10 one-day internationals on Indian soil, which built-in a exciting tie during the World Cup in Bangalore in March.
Alastair Cook's side will be cheerful after a leading home season when they strike India 4-0 in the Test series to take over as the world's number one team, and also won the one-dayers 3-0.
Cook, however, refuse to take victory for decided against a exhausted home team misplaced key players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh due to injury or poor form.
"I don't see any relation between what happen in England and what's going to ensue out here," Cook said in front of the first one-dayer at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
"India is historically very strong at home, and we have a very tough challenge on our hands. It's a great chance for an England side to play the world champions in their back yard."
England, who at home in India on October 4 to acclimatize to local conditions, warm up for the series by winning both do matches next to Hyderabad teams.
On Tuesday, they routed the local side by 253 runs after Jonny Bairstow cracked an unbeaten 104 off 53 balls and uncapped leg-spinner Scott Borthwick pulled out up five wickets.
The new-look Indian team has just four survivors -- skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina -- from the side that beat Sri Lanka in the World Cup final in Mumbai on April 2.
Tendulkar, Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel are getting better from injury, while Harbhajan and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was drop due to unfortunate form.
India's 15-man squad for the first two one-dayers include three players -- leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, 24, left-arm seamer Sreenath Aravind, 27, and fast bowler Varun Aaron, 21 -- who have yet to play international cricket.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Sharma are the three spin option, while Praveen Kumar will lead a new-ball assault that also includes Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar.
Kevin Pietersen proceeds for England after being absent for the one-dayers next to India at home, but the tourists are with no pace spearhead James Anderson who is being rested, and Stuart Broad who is injured.
Tim Bresnan, Jade Dernbach and Steven Finn will top the tourists' pace attack, which also include 22-year-old uncapped Surrey bowler Stuart Meaker.
Despite injury to star players and the embarrassing defeats on English soil, India appears unfazed.
"England played very well in England and deserve to win, but we will do well at home," said middle-order batsman Raina.
The residual four matches after the Hyderabad opener will be played in New Delhi on October 17, Mohali on the 20th, Mumbai on the 23rd and Kolkata on the 25th.
England will around off the tour with a Twenty20 game in Kolkata on October 29.
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