3 things Australia need to do to defeat India in 1st ODI
Australia are set to begin a long safari of India, commencing with a three-match ODI series and extending into the World Cup. They will play the first ODI against India at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Friday, September 22.
On the back of a 3-2 series defeat in South Africa, the Aussies welcome skipper Pat Cummins amongst others into the fold. Cummins has recovered from a wrist fracture that kept him out of the tour of the Rainbow Nation, while Steven Smith is also fit to play on Friday.
Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell are on their respective paths to recovery, and it remains to be seen if they will take the field at some stage during the series.
The last time Australia were in India, in March earlier this year, they defeated the hosts 2-1. With the Men in Blue resting some of their key players for the first two matches of this series, the Aussies will fancy their chances of taking an early lead.
On that note, we look at three things Australia need to do right to defeat India in the first ODI in Mohali.
#1 Stick to their positive batting approach in the powerplay
Australia have adopted a cavalier approach with the bat in recent times in ODIs. Travis Head - who is injured and out of this series - and Mitchell Marsh have led the way, and it seems to have rubbed off on David Warner, who unleashed the best version of himself during the recent tour of South Africa.
There were times Australia treated their batting essay as though it were a T20 contest. While that's not always going to be the case, particularly against a quality Indian new-ball attack, they would certainly do well to stick to their modus operandi of taking the bowlers on.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj swung the ball around corners in the Asia Cup. However, in Warner and Marsh, who are likely to open the innings for Australia in the first ODI, the aforementioned seamers will be up against two power-hitters who are better equipped to tackle high pace.
While hitting out against the moving ball is a risky proposition, the least the Aussie openers can do is to tap the ball and rotate strike. Whenever there's an opportunity to put the opposition bowlers under pressure, though, they must grab it with both hands and leave the Indians searching for answers, with Kuldeep Yadav not there to fall back on in the middle overs.
#2 Time Marcus Stoinis' entry point to perfection
Since the start of 2020, Marcus Stoinis has mustered 321 runs in 19 ODI innings without a single half-century to his name. To say that he has endured a wretched period in the format would be a understatement, even as he has made an impact with the ball from time to time.
These returns haven't affected Stoinis' form in T20s, although pacing an ODI innings is a different kettle of fish altogether. Australia need 'The Hulk' to return to his best batting form ahead of the World Cup, and timing his entry point in the 1st ODI could go a long way towards the same.
What Stoinis can do with is walking out between overs 30 and 35 with a solid foundation laid in front of him. In Kuldeep's absence, he won't have too many mysterious variations to contend with and can build his innings before unleashing the long handle even with the extra fielder outside the inner circle.
With no Glenn Maxwell for the first game, Stoinis is Australia's de facto power-hitter for the latter part of their batting essay. They clearly need to keep him ready for the death overs and have him take the attack to the Indians in order to bat them out of the contest.
Hence, an entry point after the 30th over would be wise.
#3 Get their best bowlers to take the new ball
This might sound a very obvious thing to say but there is a catch - Australia have often used Stoinis with the new ball in recent times, with their last series in India and the South Africa tour adding up as evidence.
Due credit must be given to the medium pacer since he has proven to be a handful in this phase by getting the ball to swing. But as far as this first ODI is concerned, India wear a rather flaky look to their middle order, and a lot of their hopes will ride on Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan up top.
Getting past them early on will put a lot of pressure on KL Rahul and the returning Shreyas Iyer, who is in desperate need of batting time in the middle. Given the latter's struggles against wrist-spin, as well as Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja's batting woes in ODIs, the door for Adam Zampa to weave his magic will also open up.
This gives the visitors the license to unleash Cummins and Josh Hazlewood early on to bombard the Indian openers with pace, swing and hard lengths. If they can nip them out inside the first 10 overs, it will make life extremely difficult for the middle order and put Australia in pole position to take the series lead.
Can Australia begin their 3-match series against India on a winning note? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Also read: Picking a combined India-Australia 11 ahead of 1st ODI ft. KL Rahul, David Warner