Team India will be embarking on its first assignment in the COVID-era. On a tour to Australia, the Indian squad will play 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is, and 4 Test Matches. First up, it would be the ODI series that both teams would be battling in. India last played ODIs in New Zealand. Although they were supposed to be involved in a home ODI-series against South Africa, the tournament was canceled due to Coronavirus. Hence, it is after a very long time that the squad would play the 50-over format.
With India already qualified for the next World Cup, the focus would not be much on this series. Nevertheless, Team India would want to start the tour on a good note. In this article, we predict the strongest possible XI for the the first game. But, before that, let’s have a look at the ODI squad.
Team India’s ODI Squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (vice-captain & wicket-keeper), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper).
Australia vs India First ODI
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground.
Date: 27th November, 2020.
Time: 9:10 AM IST.
Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal.
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan is a sure-shot selection to the squad. He will also be the only left-hander in the top-order. The second opener’s role will belong to either Shubman Gill or Mayank Agarwal. However, considering he has played in Australia before, and courtesy of a better IPL form, Mayank could be the preferred selection.
Middle-Order: Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul.
The middle-order would wear a similar look to the recent tournaments. While Virat is a certainty at No.3, Shreyas Iyer will continue playing at No.4. KL Rahul has excelled at No.5 and Team India would want the in-form batsman to operate in this crucial role. The KXIP-skipper will also keep wickets for the team.
All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja.
Hardik Pandya would come back to the Indian Team after a long time. Although he is not bowling, the squad would still have him because of his hard-hitting skills. That said, if he is not up to the mark, the likes of Manish Pandey or Sanju Samson could get a look-in. At No.7, Ravindra Jadeja is a definite selection. He is the only active all-rounder in the team, and hence, his role would be important.
Bowlers: Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
The focus would firmly be on the Test Series, and hence, Team India could forced to go in for a few experiments in this department. While the strongest squad will have both Shami and Bumrah, the likely XI could have only one of them. In that case, both Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur would be in the squad. While Yuzvendra Chahal is the first-choice selection, you cannot rule out the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav as well.
Predicted XI for first ODI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
