India Vs Australia 1st ODI Predicted Playing 11: Ravichandran Ashwin To Make A Comeback, Shreyas Iyer And Steve Smith Set For Return Too

Team India and Australia will see plenty of changes for the 1st ODI of the three-match series in Mohali on Friday.

Ravindra Jadeja (left) and R. Ashwin at a training session in Mohali. (Source: Twitter)

Team India will begin their last leg on the road to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 which will get underway in India next month. The Indian cricket team will begin a three-match ODI series against former World Champions Australia with the first game set to take place in Mohali on Friday.

The Indian side will see plenty of change from the team which defeated Sri Lanka last Sunday to win the Asia Cup 2023. With both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli being rested for the first two ODIs in Mohali and Indore, KL Rahul will be leading the side. Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, who opened the innings in the 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final, will continue to open the innings.

However, with Axar Patel out injured and Kuldeep Yadav rested, both Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar could be given an opportunity to stake their claim should Axar fail to recover in time for the World Cup. Mohammed Siraj, who reclaimed his No. 1 position in the ODI bowling rankings, could be rested and all-rounder Shardul Thakur could partner Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

In the Australian team, skipper Pat Cummins and former captain Steve Smith will be returning to the side after missing the T20I and ODI series against South Africa. But Cummins informed that Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell have failed to recover from injuries and will be unavailable for the first game.

Young leg-spinner and India-origin Tanveer Sangh could be playing his first game on Indian soil as well. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh will partner David Warner as the opener with Travis Head fracturing his hand in the ODI series against the Proteas earlier this month. Head’s injury also means that in-form Marnus Labuschagne will get an extended run in the ODI squad as well.

Preps before the start of a cracking series _ _#TeamIndia | #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/Jmwm7FkfmN — BCCI (@BCCI) September 21, 2023

India Vs Australia 1st ODI Predicted 11

India: Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (c, wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj/Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah

Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Spencer Johnson/Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood