Australia vs India 2018-19, 1st ODI: Australia's predicted playing XI
Australia lost 2-1 to India in the historic 4-Match Test series and added to their sorry run of games. They have yet another challenge to face before India leave for New Zealand, a 3-match ODI series. They will certainly look to bounce back and give confidence to themselves and their fans with decisive and aggressive cricket.
Australia's ODI Squad: Aaron Finch(c), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Jhye Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Jason Behrendorff, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa
Having said that, their selection choices for the 3-match ODI series have come under severe scrutiny. Former Aussie greats have expressed their displeasure on excluding the pace bowling trio of Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood and while this might have been due to their workload, players like D'arcy Short and Travis Head's omissions might just backfire on them.
Here is Australia's Predicted XI for the first ODI.
Openers - Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja
Aaron Finch will be itching to get some runs under his belt especially after he was dropped for the 4th Test. The Aussie skipper's numbers last year were impressive, especially his performance in Australia where he scored 332 runs in 6 matches augurs well for his name.
He will be one key player for Australia and if Finch can get going, he can get Australia a much-needed victory.
Usman Khawaja is a solid option for the struggling Aussie top order. Though he can't get going very quickly, Khawaja can hold the innings together from the top and can be dangerous as the innings progresses. He's a great partnership builder and his foray into this team can do some wonders for them.