Australia vs India - first ODI Preview: India set to face new-look Australia at WACA opener
After suffering ODI series losses to Bangladesh and South Africa last year, the M S Dhoni-led Indian side will hope to start the New Year on a happy note as they take on World Champions Australia in a five-match ODI series, with the first ODI starting on Tuesday at the pacy WACA ground in Perth.
On the pitch, India started the tour with two victories against Western Australia XI in a twenty20 and fifty-over warm-up match at Perth. However, the side suffered a big blow on Saturday after pacer Mohammed Shami returned back with a hamstring injury ruling him out of the tour.
India has clashed against the hosts three times in ODIs at WACA, winning one and losing two. Their one and only win came in the first meeting in 1991, where current India team director Ravi Shastri produced a magnificent spell of bowling to take a five-wicket haul to take the away side to a 107-run victory. Under the guidance of Shastri, the Indian team will be looking for a repeat performance to level the record at WACA.
The pitch at WACA has traditionally been a pacy one, with the spinners coming into play later on in the game. However, the fresh strip at Perth is expected to be full of runs similar to the one, which played host to the second Test between Australia and New Zealand, which ended in a draw with David Warner and Ross Taylor scoring mammoth double centuries. The warm-up matches also signal the likely arrival of spin later on in the game. With the hosts choosing not to include a full-time spinner in the XI, it seems to be advantage India even before the toss.
Team News
Australia has already announced their XI for the match by handing out debuts to 23-year old left-arm pacer Joel Paris and 26-year old Victorian pacer Scott Boland in the absence of retired Mitchell Johnson and injured Mitchell Starc. David Warner and Aaron Finch are expected to open the innings with captain Steve Smith, George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell forming the middle-order. The hosts will be going in with five pacers in Josh Hazlewood, James Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh along with debutantes Paris and Boland.
On the Indian side, Manish Pandey is expected to take up the place vacated by Suresh Raina after scoring a fifty in the second warm-up match against WA on Saturday. Rookie pacer Barinder Sran is also likely to make his debut tomorrow after the departure of Mohammed Shami with an injury. Umesh Yadav will be Sran’s new ball partner with a toss-up between Ishant Sharma and Axar Patel for the fifth bowlers’ spot. R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are almost certainties in the XI barring any last-minute injuries.
India looks the more settled and balanced side heading into the ODI at WACA with the World Champions introducing new faces to the team. With the pitch predicted to be batting friendly with spin coming to play in the second innings, the advantage rests with the away side.
India XI (likely): Dhawan, Rohit, Kohli, Rahane, Dhoni, Manish Pandey, Jadeja, Axar Patel/Ishant, Ashwin, Umesh, Sran
Australia XI: Warner, Finch, Smith (c), Bailey, Maxwell, M Marsh, Wade (wk), Faulkner, Paris, Boland, Hazlewood
Match timings: 8.50 am IST, 11.20 am Local
TV listings: Star Sports 1, HD 1 (English), Star Sports 3, HD3 (Hindi)
Live Streaming: Hotstar.com