Perth ODI: Will rain play spoilsport in Australia-India clash?
What's the story
The highly anticipated ODI series between India and Australia is set to kick off on October 19 at Perth's Optus Stadium. The match will mark the return of Indian cricketing giants Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after a seven-month hiatus. However, weather forecasts suggest that rain could play a spoilsport during their much-awaited comeback in the first ODI. Here are further details.
Weather prediction
Rain likely to play spoilsport in Perth
AccuWeather has predicted a 63% chance of rain on Sunday in Perth. Showers are expected before the match starts at 11:30am local time, with the likelihood of rain increasing to over 35% during play. This could lead to several interruptions throughout the game, much to the annoyance of fans and players alike.
Match strategy
Overcast conditions could lead to captains bowling 1st
The predicted rain could also affect the toss decision, with captains likely to opt for bowling first. This would take advantage of the overcast conditions that are favorable for seamers. The Perth pitch's bounce and swing could make survival difficult for batters, adding another layer of challenge to their performance in this highly anticipated match.
Pitch conditions
Optus Stadium pitch report and ODI stats
The Optus Stadium has hosted only three ODIs so far, with teams batting second winning two of them. The pitch is known to favor fast bowlers, with an average first innings score of 183 and a highest target chased being 153. Batters will have to adjust to the pace and bounce of this pitch before attempting any extravagant shots.
XIs
A look at the probable XIs
Australia (Probable XI): Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Matthew Short, Mitchell Owen, Josh Phillippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis, Matt Kuhnemann. India (Probable XI): Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav/Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.