England bowling coach David Saker is optimistic that fast bowler Steve Finn will be fit to participate in the ODI series against India, starting on Friday, after a series of injuries kept him sidelined in recent months.

Finn was one of England's better bowlers in the past year, but he missed most of the Test series against India at the end of 2012, first with a thigh injury and then a back strain.

But Saker is hopeful Finn will be able to take the field, saying on the ECB's website: "If we can get a few overs into him in the next few days, I think he will be fine for the first one-day international.

"He is going to be a key for us because he has got that pace; he did really well in the last ODI series we had over here and I am confident he will be fine."

He added: "We need wickets up front; that is really important. I think Pakistan showed in the ODI series they've just had (when they won 2-1 against India).

"If you can get wickets with the new ball, you are going to put a lot of pressure on the Indian team. As a bowler, whether you are a spin bowler or fast bowler, your job is to get wickets.

"We have just got to find a way to do that. It is harder in India than other places but we will be working hard to do that."

Saker also commented on the weather in India, which has been particularly chilly in recent days, seeing the warm-up game against India A reduced to 39 overs per side on Sunday as it was too cold to play a full game.

He said that the players would actually prefer the hot conditions, despite being Englishmen, joking: "It should be easier for an English team than an Indian team you would think.

"It is not easy; we talked yesterday about the difference between playing in Colombo in that extreme heat and playing yesterday.

"Most of the players would like to play in the heat rather than the cold because it is a really tough battle playing in such weather. But I think we have got to just get on with it."