AUS vs IND ODIs Preview | Spotlight on Rohit and Kohli as India play first ODI after Champions Trophy triumph

‌All eyes will be on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as the Indian ODI side takes field for the first time after their successful ICC Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai earlier this year. The Men in Blue will meet Australia in the opener of the three-match ODI series at the Perth Stadium in Western Australia.

Having announced their retirement from the other two formats, the duo will be part of an international fixture after seven months since India beat New Zealand in the final of the multi-nation tournament in March. It will be interesting to see how both players cater to the international rigours with the side starting its preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

Virat and Rohit are the highest run-getters among active players, second and third overall, in ODIs between India and Australia. The number three batter has 2451 runs from 48 innings at an average of 54.46, while the Mumbaikar tallies 2407 runs from 46 innings at 57.30. Both players are just one century away from equalising Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of nine hundreds against the Aussies.

Shubman Gill will take over the reins of the team from Rohit Sharma after he was named captain of the side earlier this month. Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer will be his deputy, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel also included in the ODI setup.

Meanwhile, Australia will be led by Mitchell Marsh, with Test skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Inglis missing out with injuries. The batting looks slightly inexperienced in the absence of Steve Smith, who announced his retirement after the Champions Trophy. However, the bowling wears a settled look with the experienced duo of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc expected to play crucial roles.

Form Guide

AUS Form: NR L L L W 

IND Form: W W W W W

AUS vs IND head-to-head in ODIs

Australia hold an upper hand in the head-to-head record with 84 wins in 152 matches. Meanwhile, India have won 58 matches with 10 games ending without a result. However, it was India who finished on the right side of the fence when both sides last met in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai.

AUS 84 - 58 IND

Pitch and Conditions

The surface at the Perth Stadium is expected to be hard, pacy, and bouncy, with the pacers getting good support with the new Kookaburra. However, batters will also get to play their strokes with the ball nicely coming onto the bat. Both captains are expected to chase at this venue, with two of the total three matches being won by sides batting second.

It will be a sunny afternoon after a brief spell of morning showers at the Perth Stadium, with temperatures expected to be around 19 degrees. It will be a cloudy evening with temperatures dropping to 13 degrees as the game progresses. 

Team News

India are expected to start three pacers alongside pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who replaces an injured Hardik Pandya in the team. For Australia, Matt Renshaw is expected to start, while Josh Philippe will don the big gloves in the absence of Inglis and Alex Carey.

AUS Expected XI

Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Cameron Green, Josh Philippe (wk), Mitchell Owen, Cooper Connolly, Nathan Ellis, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood.

IND Expected XI

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna. 

Broadcasting Platforms 

The AUS vs IND first ODI match will be digitally streamed on the Jio Hotstar app and website in India from 9:00 AM IST on Sunday, with live telecast on the Star Sports Network.