3 things to watch out for in the India vs Australia ODI series
The final leg of India's preparations for the World Cup 2023 will commence on Friday, September 22 in Mohali, with the Men in Blue all set to lock horns with Australia in the first ODI of a three-match series.
India have rested some of their key names for the first two encounters. With only three games to go before the World Cup commences, the decision has been met with mixed opinions. Several fans and experts believe that the hosts should be fielding their best side so close to the high-profile tournament.
Nevertheless, India now have the room to experiment with a few combinations, and that gives us a few factors to keep an eye on.
India's squad for the first two ODIs against Australia: KL Rahul (c & wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
Here are three things to watch out for in the India vs Australia ODI series.
#3 KL Rahul's captaincy
KL Rahul has led Team India in seven ODIs to date, with mixed returns. He led the Men in Blue against South Africa in January last year and came under immense criticism for his captaincy, with the Proteas blanking the visitors 3-0.
Since then, Rahul's fortunes as skipper have improved. He oversaw a whitewash of Zimbabwe and also tasted victory in an ODI against Bangladesh best remembered for Ishan Kishan's double hundred.
However, with Hardik Pandya impressing with his leadership, Rahul is no longer the frontrunner to take over from Rohit Sharma when the current captain steps aside.
It's a matter of little consequence as far as the World Cup is concerned, but Rahul, who has made a good comeback in the batting and keeping departments, will want to tick off this box too.
#2 India's two offies in tandem
Axar Patel suffered a quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup 2023 and subsequently missed the final, which saw India field Washington Sundar in his place.
In need of an off-spinner to complement first-choice spin-bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, the hosts have called up both Sundar and Ravichandran Ashwin for the ODI series against Australia. Although combinations might not necessitate two off-spinners, India will want to give both players some gametime.
If Axar doesn't recover in time, Rohit and Co. will want one of the two off-spinners in their World Cup squad. Needless to say, their performances over the course of the three-game assignment will be keenly watched.
#1 Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav's returns in the middle order
As mentioned earlier, India still have a few boxes to tick. One of those is in the form of Shreyas Iyer, who hasn't been able to make as convincing a comeback as KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah.
Shreyas, who featured in India's first Asia Cup 2023 game, missed the remainder of the tournament as a back spasm acted up. He is now running out of time to make the No. 4 berth his own, with Kishan having made a statement in his absence.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav has been backed through the direst returns. Head coach Rahul Dravid has once again thrown his weight behind the under-fire batter, saying that he will be given opportunities against the Aussies and that he is a member of the World Cup squad.
The middle-order duo's returns, starting with the opening ODI against Australia, will be a key factor in India's World Cup plans.