What could be India's first-choice playing XI for the first ODI

The ODI series between India and Australia will commence on 12th January at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This match will prove to be a thrilling encounter between two competitive sides looking to outdo each other in the international arena. It will also be interesting as will tell us which side will have the advantage over the other in the rest of the series.

Having won their first ever Test series in Australia, the Indian team will be confident, and Virat Kohli will expect no less than another series victory from his side. The Indian side has a problem of plenty, and hence it will be interesting to see about who will be picked in the team on Saturday.

Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma

Shikhar Dhawan has established as one of the most senior players in the ODI set-up for India. His capability to score a lot of runs in the powerplay overs has paid rich dividends for India in the past.

Despite being in poor form, Dhawan is set to get the green signal ahead of the struggling KL Rahul for the first ODI. In the last four years, Dhawan has scored 342 runs in eight matches at an average of 42.75 in Australia.

Rohit Sharma is one of the most dominating batsmen in the limited overs format. His calm temperament at the start of his innings and ability to accelerate towards the end makes him a special player to watch out for the fans.

Since 2015, Rohit Sharma has scored 613 runs in seven matches at an average of 102.16 against the mighty Aussies in their backyard. Having played decently in the recently concluded Test series Down Under, Rohit Sharma will look to start the series with a big score in the first ODI.