RAJKOT (India), Nov 13: Buoyant India hope to build on their impressive Test success over Australia by defeating England in a seven-match One-day International series starting on Friday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s home team takes the field for the first match here just four days after beating Australia 2-0 in a high-profile Test series.

Dhoni said he was confident his team would take the sudden switch to ODI cricket in its stride and was relying on fresh legs to see India through in a gruelling 19-day series across the country.

“Modern schedules demand that we switch quickly from Tests to one-dayers and we have to adjust fast and keep up the momentum,” the Indian captain said.

“Besides, not all players in our one-day squad took part in the Tests and they will be fresh and raring to go.”

Only five Indians — Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan — who turned out for the Test series will play the opening match.

One-day cricket’s leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar opted to rest for the first three matches, while in-form fast bowler Ishant Sharma has been sidelined for Friday’s clash because of a sprained ankle.

England’s left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom was ruled out of the first match with an Achilles tendon problem, but paceman Stuart Broad will play, having been declared fit following an earlier knee injury.

England on Thursday named left-arm spinner Samit Patel in their playing XI, which also includes seamer James Anderson at the expense of a second slow bowler in Graeme Swann.

England, who have not won a one-day series in India since 1984-85, will bank on inspirational captain Kevin Pietersen to lift the side after crashing for 98 in a practice match in Mumbai on Tuesday.

England coach Peter Moores said he was confident of taking advantage of India’s untimely switch to one-day cricket.

“India will be very buoyant and very up, but will they be able to get down quick enough to be able to deliver in Friday’s game?” Moores asked reporters.

“There is also quite a big turnover in personnel and they have quite a few different players coming in. “We have got the advantage that we are fresh and though Tuesday’s practice match was disappointing, it is not going to knock our confidence as a team.

Teams:

INDIA (from): Mahendra Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Rudra Pratap Singh, Virat Kohli, Murali Vijay.

ENGLAND: Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Kevin Pietersen (captain), Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Samit Patel, Stephen Harmison, James Anderson.—AFP