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Rohit, Gill to open, Kohli at 3; Harshit Rana out: India's strongest playing XI for 1st ODI vs Australia



Rohit, Kohli and Gill will be India's key batters [Source: AFP]Rohit, Kohli and Gill will be India's key batters [Source: AFP]

On Sunday, India will cross swords against Australia in the first ODI of the upcoming three-match series. This will be Shubman Gill's first-ever outing in an ODI as the captain of the Indian team. The first ODI of the series will be played at the Perth Stadium, which is expected to offer a spicy pitch with significant assistance to the fast bowlers. 

Considering this is the first tour of Australia for several of India's white-ball players, the series opener is going to be extremely challenging for the visiting side. So, as the Men in Blue prepare for the highly anticipated encounter, let's analyse and find out what could be their most potent playing combination for this match. 

Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to spearhead India's top order

Criterion
Gill as opener
Rohit as opener
Kohli at 3
Innings50184235
Runs 2509913812060
Average59.7454.7260.60
Strike Rate99.2596.3594.26
50s/100s14/745/30
64/44

(Gill, Rohit and Kohli's stats at their respective positions)

India have four top-order batters- Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal- in their ODI squad for the Australia tour. Gill and Rohit have been proven performers for the Men in Blue, accumulating 2124 runs at an average of 68.51 as an opening pair in ODI cricket. So, Jaiswal, being an opener, will miss out, and Rohit will continue to open the batting along with India's new ODI captain, Shubman Gill. 

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, India's most successful batter at number three, has 12060 runs at that position. Just like Rohit, Kohli has retired from T20Is and Tests and is only active in the ODI format. While Ajit Agarkar has stated that the former Indian captain is not committed to playing the 2027 World Cup, this series gives Kohli a definite opportunity to prove his doubters wrong and keep his World Cup hopes alive. 

Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul fixed at 4, 5; Reddy, Axar as all-rounders

Rahul and Iyer: The backbone of India's middle order

Criterion
Iyer at 4
KL Rahul at 5
Innings4131
Runs 18211299
Average52.0356.48
Strike Rate99.7396.36
50s/100s12/49/2

(Iyer and Rahul's excellent batting record at 4 and 5)

  • As evidenced by the above stats, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul have been phenomenal at 4 and 5, respectively. 
  • Shreyas Iyer has improved his game against pace. His abilities to switch gears according to the match situation and dominate the spinners make him a genuine match-winner in the Indian middle order. 
  • On the other hand, KL Rahul has nailed the role of the number five batter for India in ODIs. He can arrest a batting collapse by rotating the strike; he can also torment the opposition in the slog overs with exceptional pace hitting. Thus, Iyer and Rahul perfectly complement each other and form the backbone of India's middle order. 

Axar gives flexibility, Reddy to play as Pandya's replacement

  • Axar Patel was picked over Ravindra Jadeja for the ODI series against Australia. While Jadeja is certainly the better bowler between the two, Axar's exceptional batting abilities proved to be the differential in squad selection. 
  • Besides chipping in with crucial breakthroughs, Axar can also be handy with the bat as a middle-order batter. He was promoted up the order several times in the Champions Trophy, and it won't be surprising if the Indian think tank implements a similar strategy against Australia. 
  • Axar's multidimensional ability makes him a sure starter in the Indian playing XI, while Nitish Kumar Reddy is all set to replace Hardik Pandya as the seam bowling all-rounder. Recently, India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had stated that the Men in Blue are keen to groom Reddy into India's next all-format all-rounder. Apart from his scintillating stroke play, Reddy's control with the ball could make him an asset in the ODI series. He will also provide India with a solid fourth seam-bowling option in Perth, where the pitch assists seam bowlers. 

Lower order: Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are certain starters

  • Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are India's two most experienced fast bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah's absence. Therefore, ideally, they should spearhead India's pace attack in the Australia ODIs. 
  • Siraj, who has bagged 71 wickets in 44 ODIs, can swing the new ball up front and trouble the Australians with his three-quarter delivery. Meanwhile, Prasidh brings a different dimension to the table, being capable of hitting the deck hard and surprising the Australian batters with raw pace. 

Kuldeep over Sundar; why?

  • While India still might select Washington Sundar for his all-round abilities, we reckon the visitors should give the first preference to their frontline spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, for his incredible bowling abilities. 
  • Kuldeep's ability to generate overspin and bamboozle the batters with his variations can work in his favour. He is one of India's prime wicket-taking options, and his inclusion will certainly strengthen their bowling department significantly. 
  • The left-arm wrist spinner recently oozed his class in the Asia Cup, scalping 17 wickets across just seven matches. Overall, he has bagged 181 wickets in 113 ODIs, showcasing his prowess in the format. 

Why India should select Arshdeep over Harshit Rana

  • Since Gautam Gambhir has become India's head coach, the Men in Blue have preferred multidimensional players over specialists. While Arshdeep Singh can undoubtedly challenge the Australian batters with his swing and ability to generate movement off the deck, it won't be surprising if India pick Harshit Rana over him, as the latter can also provide a batting option in the lower order. 
  • However, ideally, as it's a competition between two bowlers, we reckon the better seamer of the two should get the nod for the first ODI. Added to that, Arshdeep, being a left-arm pacer and the better death bowler between the two, should open the bowling with Siraj, with Prasidh Krishna playing as the third seamer. 

India's strongest XI for 1st ODI vs Australia

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna