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Australia vs India | 1st ODI: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

Mayank Kumar


After a long haul of bio-secure bubbles, quarantines formalities and discussions on who should or should not have been on the plane to Australia, the moment has finally arrived for which every cricket fan waited for so passionately in the COVID-19 affected world. Although the series against Australia and India have been organised in full accordance to COVID-19 protocols, there are signs that cricket will turn the clock back to the ‘old normal’ where a huge number of fans used to gather at grounds to cheer for their favourite cricketers from the closest distances. Organised at varied capacities depending on quarantine regulations and ground capacity across the continent, India's tour to Australia is supposed to bring back some semblance of normality. Furthermore, the clamour about India facing the prospect of getting ‘smoked’, 4-0 predictions and a few mind games have already started as usual to spice up the series.




A long and all-bases covered Indian teams have reached Down Under in a bid to challenge the reins of Australian cricket team which by all means looks at a completely different unit that received a major drubbing at the hands of Virat Kohli’s India the last time these sides met each other in Australia. Indian bowlers had proved to be stronger in every aspect of the game such as pedigree, perseverance and skills against a depleted Australian batting line up in the absence of David Warner and Steve Smith and now with the duo returning to play against India, it can be a completely different ball game altogether. But, Virat Kohli’s men are more ready than ever with their sublime forms in white-ball cricket along with cumulative experience of past tours to Australia.

On the other hand, Aaron Finch will be delighted to see the pace duo of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Strac looking to go at the Indian batting lineup which will be weaker from the outset in the absence of Rohit Sharma but he will do good to not underestimate the prowess of Shikhar Dhawan, more so when he is in as good a form as he was in the just-concluded edition of the Indian Premier League. The nucleus of the Australian ODI team namely Finch himself, along with Steve Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis were all in the UAE for the IPL so they will not be rusty for the lack of cricket due to the pandemic.

Steve Smith, who used to be a consistent thorn for the touring Indian side in the past has virtually issued a warning to Indian bowlers that things are back in order for him at the batting crease after a pretty subdued IPL with the bat. Steve Smith has been fidgety at the batting crease and Indian bowlers have been proven ordinary against him in the past. 


"I was pretty disappointed with my batting throughout the IPL.  From my standards, I wasn't consistent enough. I had a few innings here and there, but I never got into a really good rhythm. I got a bit caught up with trying to be a bit too powerful and that's not quite my game. There are those players around the world that can hit sixes at will, and I'm probably not one of those. For me, it's about playing proper cricket shots and hitting the gaps and manipulating the field as much as I can, and I probably went away from that a bit in the IPL,” Smith said looking back at his form in IPL and what the rhythm of batting means for him.

But, the bowling attack of Indian team wears a completely different outlook than the one Steve Smith had plundered in the 2013-14 series and the World Cup semi-final in 2019 that followed. Now, Indian pacers have many arsenals up their sleeves to challenge Smith’s defence whatever the format is. 




Bumrah has stepped up the ladder of reliability and consistency while Mohammed Shami has rejuvenated his career with a leaner body and meaner line and lengths. The emergence of wrist spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav along with the pace of Navdeep Saini will also challenge Smith in the limited over series.

The Indian team reached Australia straight after the completion of the IPL and had the opportunity of an extended training period in the country, a luxury they could not afford in a normal world without the pandemic and Viart Kohli must have made sure to get the best out of each plays in order to decide the best composition of the squad to start the ODI series. He knows the importance of starting strong on a tour and he will do well to remind his team that Australia can be made to look a brittle side if put under pressure but for that to happen, Kohli’s men will have to put together a strong show at the start of the first game of the season. On the other hand, Aaron Finch would be telling his premier fast bowlers about a certain gap in the indispensable top order of the Indian batting line up in the absence of Rohit Sharma and an inexperienced middle order that has not been tested in Australia with sheer pace and bounce.

Australia vs India: Match Details

1st ODI
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Broadcast: SonyLIV, Sony Ten Network, DD Sports
Date and Timing: November 27, 09:10 IST, 03:40 GMT

Team News

Australia

Steve Smith is certain to come back into the ODI squad after missing the last series against England due to concussion and he is working hard in the nets to make the most of the outings he will have before the Test series begins. Head coach Justin Langer has hinted on the good headache the team management is facing on the composition of the playing XI and the number of all-rounders needed to challenge India. However, he affirmed that Smith will return in place of Mitchell Marsh who had injured his ankle in the IPL. 

In case the team management decided to go ahead with only a four-man bowling attack, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell will have to chip in to cover the remaining 10 overs and it would also allow the team to play Marnus Labuschagne who did no wrong to lose out on a place in the playing XI after coming in for an injured Smith in Australia's tour to England. 



Finch has spoken highly of Glenn Maxwell’s ever so improving bowling in the limited-overs game and Stoinis’ recent exploits in the death overs of the white-ball games and it indicates that he is ready to back the duo to come up with good and produce 10 solid overs to back an impressive quartet of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa.


"What Maxi's shown in T20 cricket, in particular, is his bowling keeps improving all the time. I think Marcus Stoinis has proved that as well with the amount of exposure he's had over the past couple of years bowling at the death, it's really important for us and it gives us a lot of flexibility in there. In England, we had the three allrounders with Mitch (Marsh) so you can dissect the 10 overs a little bit easier, I guess. You're still expecting when that fifth bowler is, or the combination of all-rounders are, bowling that minimum 10 overs that they're still having an impact on the game," Finch said on the eve of the first game.


Strongest XI

Aaron Finch (Captain), David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (WK), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

India

India will miss Rohit Sharma’s reliability at the top of the order but an in-form Mayank Agarwal could answer the clarion call by Virat Kohli to provide a solid start to the batting lineup. Kohli himself will hope for getting back to his best form as soon as possible as he will have limited opportunity to leave his mark on the series and tour and lead the team from the front. 


Hardik Pandya is most likely to retain his batting position down the order based on his unbelievable displays of big-hitting capabilities in the IPL. Carrying on from the cash-rich tournament, he will play as a specialist batsman. Hardik’s lack of bowling will mean India will have to choose one among Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey for the perpetually contentious number four spot which will be followed by KL Rahul at the number five.


Hardik’s unavailability with the ball will alter the composition of bowling lineup as well as the team management will be reluctant to not use the services of Ravindra Jadeja who has been at his peak with the bat while his bowling may come handy at the big grounds in Australia. Young and impressive Navdeep Saini will most likely tip Shardul Thakur as the third seamer in the playing XI to patent Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.


Strongest XI

Mayank Agarwal, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (Captain), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini

Australia vs India: Dream11 team and suggestion

KL Rahul, Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Marcus Stoinis, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

Captain: Steve Smith

Vice-captain: Virat Kohli

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