AUS vs IND 2025: Aakash Chopra names Indian pacers he would play in first ODI

Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has revealed the India pacers he would want to see in the first ODI against Australia. The white-ball series is set to get underway in Perth on Sunday, October 19.

Chopra felt Mohammed Siraj needs to be in the lineup. He preferred Harshit Rana over Prasidh Krishna due to his bowling potential and the ability to bat down the order.

"People have forgotten that he (Siraj) wasn't part of the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup teams. Siraj needs to be there, and he deserves it. He'll definitely be in the XI. I want to play Harshit Rana. There was a toss-up between Prasidh Krishna and him. Harshit Rana has been with the team for such a long time, and if the selectors and team management are seeing so much promise and potential in him, he should be played. He played in the Test match in Perth and did decently. He also bats a little," stated Chopra in a video on his YouTube channel.

The former Indian cricketer reasoned why he wants Arshdeep Singh to feature in the squad. One of his reasons was to groom the left-armer for the World Cup in 2027. Chopra also highlighted the lack of options to choose from in the current fast-bowling unit. 

"After that, I want to play a left-arm seamer. I want Arshdeep Singh to get a chance. He has played a handful of ODIs thus far, but why not more? We should try and give him more opportunities because he is again a match-winner. In ODI cricket, if you are thinking about South Africa (World Cup 2027), you need to keep preparing more pacers," he added. 

We don't have that big a pool of pacers (Jasprit) Bumrah wasn't available, so you started searching whom to take. If Bumrah isn't available and (Mohammed) Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar aren't under consideration, who are you left with - Siraj, Prasidh, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and then over. I would say play Arshdeep Singh for sure here," Chopra observed.

With quite a few Australians out due to injury, including Pat Cummins and Alex Carey, India enter the series-opening clash as favourites.