Injury-hit Australia take on India in Perth: 1st ODI Preview
What's the story
Australia and India are all set to clash in the first ODI of a three-match series at Perth Stadium on October 19. The match will be a test for India under new captain Shubman Gill. Though Australia have the home conditions in their favor, they miss out on several players due to injuries. The opener is crucial as it could set the tone for the rest of the series. On this note, let's look at the match preview.
Details
Pitch report and streaming details
The Optus Stadium has been a relatively low-scoring venue for ODIs, with Australia being bundled out for 152 and 140 in their last two visits here. The weather could be a major factor as rain is predicted throughout the day. The match, which will get underway at 9:00am IST, will be telecast live on Star Sports Networks in India, with live streaming available on JioHotstar app and website.
H2H
Head-to-head record: India vs Australia
India and Australia have faced each other 152 times in ODI cricket, according to ESPNcricinfo. Out of these encounters, India have won 58 matches while Australia has emerged victorious on 84 occasions (NR: 10). When it comes to games played on Australian soil, the two teams have clashed 54 times, with India winning just 14 matches and losing 38 (NR: 2). India's solitary bilateral ODI series win in Australia came in 2019, when they won by 2-1.
Updates
Australia to miss key players
Australia will be without several first-choice players due to injuries. Josh Inglis (calf) will miss at least the first two matches while regular skipper Pat Cummins (back) and Cameron Green (side) are out for the entire series. Mitchell Marsh will lead the Aussies in Cummins's absence. Adam Zampa (awaiting birth of second child) will also miss the opener. Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Travis are the other big names in the squad.
Indian team
India's squad for the ODI series
India's batting line-up is studded with the likes of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Axar Patel. The team is expected to have the same top six as in the Champions Trophy final despite their last ODI being in March. However, they will have to decide who takes up the No. 8 role and whether Washington Sundar should be included for extra batting strength.
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.
Stats
Here are the key performers
Mitchell Starc has two five-wicket hauls against the Indian team in ODI cricket. Marsh has an average and strike rate of 59.12 and 115.36 respectively versus India in ODIs (473 runs). Rohit has the most sixes for a visiting batter in ODIs Down Under (34). Since the start of 2023, Kuldeep Yadav has taken 62 ODI wickets at an average of 22.90.
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