Australia host India in the first of a three-match ODI series, at the Perth Stadium on Sunday, October 19. The home team have announced a rather young-looking outfit for this series, whereas India have been boosted by the return of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in their squad. India’s chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, created quite a flutter when he named Shubman Gill as India’s captain instead of Sharma, even though the latter had last led India to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.
Agarkar felt India must keep an eye on the future, as Sharma, now 38, may not be in the squad for much longer. Australia, in turn, have opted for untested names ahead of their Ashes preparations later this year. For this series, their main aim will be to strengthen their batting lineup and score heavily against the Indian seamers, who could struggle on these pitches. With the ball, the hosts will target back-of-a-length areas to challenge Indian batters.
The visitors have had little time to prepare, having just wrapped up a 2-0 Test series win over the West Indies on Tuesday, October 14. Adapting to new conditions and formats will be a challenge, but the Men in Blue have shown they can adjust quickly. With Shubman Gill now the captain, strategies and tactics may appear somewhat different for the visitors.
Predicted Teams
AUS: Travis Head, Matthew Short, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Marsh (c), Josh Philippe (wk), Cameron Green, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood.
IND: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
Key Players
Cameron Green (AUS): Australia all-rounder Cameron Green can trouble opposition teams with both bat and ball. He is capable of big hits and rotating the strike. As a bowler, he can exploit seam movement and deliver cutters effectively, especially in the middle overs.
Shubman Gill (IND): India captain Shubman Gill is the key player to watch. Coming off a century against the West Indies in Delhi, Gill is striving to establish himself as a world-class top-order batter in ODIs. Known for playing through the line and minimizing risks, he could thrive on Australia’s pace-friendly pitches.
Match Prediction
Australia, playing at home, hold a slight upper hand. India may need time to adjust, especially after a home Test series against the West Indies. The seam-friendly Perth pitch could favor Australia, even though India plan to field three pacers and an all-rounder. The Aussies’ local knowledge and better preparation give them an edge despite some inexperience.
