Wasim Jaffer picks India's playing 11 for 1st ODI vs Australia; Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan to open 

Former batter Wasim Jaffer recently picked India's playing XI for the first ODI against Australia, scheduled to be played at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday, March 17.

The Men in Blue will miss their regular skipper Rohit Sharma in the first game due to family commitments. All-rounder Hardik Pandya will lead the side in his absence.

Jaffer picked five batters with KL Rahul as the wicketkeeper-batter along with three all-rounders in Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik, and Washington Sundar.

The cricketer-turned-commentator named Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami as two pacers, while Kuldeep Yadav was picked as the lone spinner.

The upcoming three games will give in-form Shubman Gill a good opportunity to stake his claim ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup on home soil. Rahul, on the other hand, will look to get his form back ahead of another busy season.

The first game will also provide Ishan Kishan with a great opportunity to present his case ahead of the marquee 50-over competition later this year.

Kuldeep Yadav, who warmed the benches during the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, will hope to make a mark and retain his berth ahead of leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

India won their last ODI series against New Zealand in January and will hope to keep their winning run going as they look to find their best combination before the ODI World Cup.

After the first game in Mumbai, the caravan will shift to Vizag for the second game on Sunday, March 19. The third and final game of the series will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, March 12.

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India's squad for 1st ODI vs Australia

Hardik Pandya (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, and Jaydev Unadkat.

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