Team India’s preparation for the ODI World Cup will begin with the three-match ODI series against Australia which gets underway on March 17 in Mumbai’ Wankhede Stadium.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya will be at the helm of the team in absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who is unavailable for the first ODI due to family commitments. This will be the first time we will see Pandya captain India in the 50-over format.
India have been unbeaten at home in ODIs this year, winning all the six games, against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, respectively. All eyes will be on Shubman Gill, who has been absolutely brilliant this year in ODIs. The opener has amassed 567 runs including three centuries in just six ODIs this year.
Five-time World Cup winners Australia, meanwhile, will be without their regular skipper Pat Cummins, who returned halfway through the Test series due to the demise of his mother. Cummins will not be back for the ODI leg of the series, and Steve Smith will continue to lead in his absence. The last time Australia played an ODI against India in India, they won by 10 wickets.
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India vs Australia Predicted XI
India Predicted XI
Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya ©, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami/Umran Malik
Australia Predicted XI
David Warner, Travis Head, Steve Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Sean Abbott.
India vs Australia Match Details
- Match: India vs Australia, ODI 1
- Date & Time: March 16, 1:30 PM
- Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Live Streaming: Star Sports Network and Hotstar app
India vs Australia Fantasy Team
- Wicketkeeper: KL Rahul
- Batters: David Warner, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith (c), Shubman Gill (vc)
- All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Cameron Green
- Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
India vs Australia Mumbai Weather and Pitch Report
The average first innings score in the last three ODI matches played at the Wankhede Stadium is 324, and we might have another high-scoring encounter in the first ODI between India and Australia.
The weather, meanwhile, has been cloudy in Mumbai for the last couple of days but the sky is likely to be clear on the day of the match.
India vs Australia Match Prediction
India have been absolutely sensational at home in ODIs this year, having won six of the six games. However, on paper, both India and Australia have strong squads which could make this clash interesting. The team that gets to bat second will have a better chance of winning because defending has historically not been easy at the Wankhede.
