Joe Root will play his first one-day international since the 2023 World Cup in the opening match of England's series against India on Thursday in Nagpur.

England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to bat first as Virat Kohli misses out due to knee problem.

So here we are, then. The India of Rohit and Kohli versus the England of Buttler and Root, both unsure of where exactly they stand in ODIs, with a major ODI tournament starting in two weeks' time.

While India will feature in their first home ODI since the 2023 ODI World Cup, England have a point to prove. The series will be a litmus test for both sides ahead of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Joe Root is back in England’s ODI team for the first time since the 2023 Cricket World Cup. The 34-year-old Root will bat at No. 3 in the first match of the one-day international series against India in Nagpur on Thursday.

The three-match series that gets underway in Nagpur on Thursday will be the final ODIs for India as well as England ahead of the Champions Trophy, meaning both teams will be looking to finalise their ideal playing XI and fine-tune their strategies for the mega event over the course of the next one week.

England captain Jos Buttler has elected to bat first, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana making their debuts for India. India and England share a rich history, having clashed in 107 ODIs. The Men in Blue have won 58 games while England own 44 wins. Two matches have ended in a tie (NR: 3).

Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel smashed half-centuries as India defeated England by four wickets in the opening one-day international on Thursday and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series that is a warmup for the Champions Trophy.

Joe Root returns to the England playing XI for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup. Jos Buttler-led England named their playing XI for the first ODI against India that will take place on Thursday.