England vs Ireland 2020, 1st ODI: England Predicted XI

As Joe Root passes the baton to ODI captain Eoin Morgan, he will look to maintain the momentum for the home team in the first of three match series against Ireland, starting on Thursday at The Rose Bowl in Southampton. All the three matches in the series will be played at the same venue to ensure the ‘bio-bubble’ environment is maintained during the time of novel coronavirus pandemic.

England have picked up a young and relatively inexperienced side to face the neighbours with Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer missing out on the team bus. The series will give a fair reflection on the upcoming talents England possess and help them gain confidence to play at an international stage.

A pack of non-regular English players including Liam Dawson, David Willey, Tom Curran and Sam Billings will have a chance to take a go at the not-so-frightening Irish side and display their prowess. Reece Topley returns to the English side for the first time in four years and might well earn his ODI cap. Boosting the pack will be some serious talents.

Here is how England’s playing XI can look like in the series opener:

Jason Roy

England opener Jason Roy did not have a good outing during the warm-up match against Ireland but he will be raring to go in the series opener. With a lot of senior players, not being considered for the England vs Ireland ODI series, Jason Roy becomes an automatic choice to fill in one of the opening slots. Roy has a staggering average of nearly 43 in ODIs. He has hit nine centuries and 18 half-centuries in the format and scored 3434 runs.

Jonny Bairstow

After missing out in the Test series, with Jos Buttler preferred over him, Jonny Bairstow will be one of the other senior players in the English line-up against Ireland. Bairstow is the more attacking out of the two openers and will look to give the home side a flying start, And if he gets going, England will look to put up a big total on board. Bairstow has scored at average over 47 in the ODIs, which makes him one of the finest openers in international cricket.

James Vince

James Vince will provide further stability to the English top order stepping in to bat at No.3 spot. Vince has made 13 appearances for England and scored at an average nearly 24 in ODIs, with one century to his name. Coming up against Ireland, this could well be a chance for him to rake up some runs to his tally and help his side.

Eoin Morgan

England captain and one of the finest limited-overs players Eoin Morgan will step in at No.4 against Ireland. Morgan provides composure to the English line-up and will be hungry to get some runs. He has represented England in 236 ODIs and will look to use his experience to his and the team’s benefit.

Sam Billings

Sam Billings is a hard-hitting batsman and can finish off the games for England or play quick-fire knocks with the side is batting first to help them reach a big total. He has a stunning strike rate of over 136 and will be handy for the side with his fierce batting display. Billings last played for England in a 2019 T20I series against New Zealand. He, has, however not represented the side since 2018.

Tom Banton

Promising England batsman Tom Banton then follows the list. The series will be a chance for a youngster like Banton to prove his calibre. He has earlier represented England in three ODIs and scored at an average nearly 25.

Moeen Ali

England all-rounder and deputy captain Moeen Ali will be a crucial cog in the line-up. He can play some quick fire knocks to contribute to the side and also chip in with wickets which makes him one of the most valuable players for the side.

David Willey

David Willey will be one of the bowling options England will have in their line-up and he has done well in the recent past. Willey has picked up 52 wickets from 46 matches in the ODIs at an average of 3632. He also has two four-wicket hauls to his name and bowls at an economy rate under 6 runs per over.

Tom Curran

Bowling all-rounder Tom Curran is an asset to the English line-up and would be able to contribute with the bat and ball. He has represented England in 20 ODIs and picked up 27 wickets at an average of 33.11. Besides that, Tom provides depth to the English batting line-up as he has scored 198 runs at an average nearly 40.

Adil Rashid

Adil Rashid with Moeen Ali will act as the spin twins for the English bowling line-up. He has featured in 100 ODIs for England and picked up 146 wickets at an average of 31.49. Rashid has two five-wicket haul to his name and would be crucial in the middle overs for England to chip in with wickets.

Reece Topley

Reece Topley will be making his return to the England fold after four years and will be itching to get among wickets. He had earlier featured in in 10 ODIs for the English side, picking up 16 wickets at an average over 25. Topley also had two four-wicket hauls to his name and might spearhead the young English bowling attack in the series opener against Ireland.