India v Australia 2017, 1st ODI: Australia Predicted XI

It’s once again time for the “frenemies” to take on the centre stage. No love lost between the two sides since the Test series that took place earlier this year. Australia doesn’t have a pleasant memory of the past records, as they had lost the limited overs series in the year 2013. Captain Steve Smith will look to start fresh and leave the sub-continent with happy memories.

Both the sides will meet in the 1st ODI in Chennai, and the wicket promises to be a belter. The side winning the toss will look to bowl first and chase down the digits under the designated 50 overs. The Australian side has some big names in their rank and the addition of Peter Handscomb in the batting line up will surely boost their side. Here’s the Australian predicted XI for the 1st ODI against India:

Openers (David Warner and Hilton Cartwright)

After sweating heavy and piling up big runs in Bangladesh, David Warner must have gained a lot of confidence. There is nothing like facing a white ball in the sub-continent when the pitch promises to be a flat batting track. The left-handed batsman can surely add some hundreds next to his name at the end of this series but most importantly, he will look take home the winners medal.

Aaron Finch’s injury brings Hilton Cartwright his ODI debut. The 25-year-old has played 2 Tests in his international career thus far. He featured in the warm-up game against the India Board President’s XI in Chennai but bagged a duck. Irrespective of that, Steve Smith hinted that they would want Travis Head to bat at No.4 and thus Hilton will open the batting with Warner.

Middle Order (Steve Smith, Travis HeadPeter Hanscomb, Matthew Wade)

Skipper Smith loves playing against India. He won’t be much bothered about his hot and sweet relation with his opposite number. He will be more focused on scoring runs for his team and taking the right calls, with much involvement from the dressing room. With a high-scoring contest on the cards, Smith won’t really wish to miss out on the party.

23-year old Travis Head understands the opportunity he has got in his hands. Head averages 40 in ODIs and has played 25 games. He is the perfect batsman to take on the No.4 spot in this Australian team, at least that is what the management believes and he will have to bat through the middle phase against the Indian slower bowlers.

Matthew Wade had a dismal tour of Bangladesh, earlier this year. He conceded 22 byes and scored in single digits. Wade will be under tremendous pressure to score runs and at the same time, he can’t think of a better series to prove a point. With the pitches being tailor-made for batting, Wade will look to capitalize on the starts and support the lower order with his bat.

All Rounders (Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and James Faulkner)

Coach Darren Lehmann, who is currently not in India, had earlier said that he will have to think of the middle order, going into the Ashes. Maxwell is familiar to the Indian wickets and scored match-winning knocks while playing in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab. A valuable contribution from Maxwell is what the visitors will need in the game tomorrow and the overall series.

All-rounder Marcus Stoinis had a good practice match against the Board President’s XI and he will look to build on the good start that he has got early on. He is no stranger to the international scenario, and a pitch like the one in Chennai will excite him.

James Faulkner played an outstanding knock in the final of the 2013 series between the two teams but he failed to take his team over the finishing lines. The all-rounder is the mainstay in the Aussie lineup. His all-round skills will make or break the case for Australia.

Bowlers (Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa)

A few months back Nathan Coulter-Nile thought its all over. Today he sits pretty inside the visitors dressing room, making strategies to counter the best in the world. The pacer will cherish the recall and will look to repay the faith that has been shown. With Mitchell Starc out with injury, Nathan’s performance on the flat tracks will be crucial.

Fresh from a tested series against Bangladesh, Pat Cummins will feel much better slipping into the ODI format. He won’t have to spend the entire day under the sun, but he will have to lead the Australian attack against an in-form Indian side. A lot will depend on how Cummins question batters like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and probably Ajinkya Rahane with the new ball.

It is debatable to talk about Nathan Lyon’s exclusion for the upcoming series, but more importantly, the focus is now on Adam Zampa to turn things around. Zampa has played in the IPL and is familiar with the big hits and run scoring against the run of play. He will not only look to contain the batsman with his variations but also take some important wickets.