3 Australian players who will pose a huge threat to India ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs ft. Josh Hazlewood

Team India will lock horns in a three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning in Perth on Saturday, October 19. The Men in Blue will be looking to avenge their 1-2 loss when they last toured Australia for an ODI series in 2020/21.

Meanwhile, Australia will be keen to bounce back after losing their previous ODI series 1-2 against South Africa at home earlier this year. The Aussies will also be eyeing revenge for the four-wicket loss they suffered against India in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai.

Unfortunately for the hosts, big guns like regular captain Pat Cummins (injured), Glenn Maxwell, and Steve Smith (both retired from ODIs) are not available for the ODI series. Thus, skipper Mitchell Marsh will be keen to deliver for the reigning 50-over World champions. He will likely benefit from swashbuckling opener Travis Head and ace pacers - Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Unavailable for the series opener, Adam Zampa, Alex Carey, and Josh Inglis will further strengthen the side for the last two ODIs. Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne will have a point to prove after making a comeback to the ODI side after all-rounder Cameron Green was ruled out due to an injury at the last minute.

In this article, we take a look at key players who could affect Team India's chances of winning the series.

3 Australian players who will pose a huge threat to India ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs ft. Josh Hazlewood

Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh slammed 100 in his last ODI vs South Africa. Source: Getty

Australia’s stand-in captain for the ODI series against India, Mitchell Marsh, will be keen to step up in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins. Notably, the leadership role brings out the best in the all-rounder, especially with the bat. The right-handed batter recently returned with scores of 88 and 100 in the first and third ODIs against South Africa in August. The 33-year-old continued his purple patch in the T20Is against New Zealand, smashing 85, 9*, and 103* as the Aussies won the series 2-0.

Marsh loves playing against India, having amassed 473 runs in 11 innings at an average of 59.12 with the help of one century and three fifties. The medium pacer is equally handy with the ball, returning with four scalps in six innings at an economy rate of 6.37. He, however, hasn't bowled since missing out on the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a back injury earlier this year.

Cooper Connolly

Copper Connolly bagged a fifer in his last ODI vs SA. Source: Getty

Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly might turn out to be the surprise package against India in the ODI series. The 22-year-old player has been impressive in his limited outings in international as well as domestic cricket. The left-hander had a breakthrough BBL season last year, amassing 351 runs in 10 innings with the help of two half-centuries. The left-arm spinner also bagged six wickets.

Conolly returned with figures of 5/22 against South Africa in his last ODI as Australia won the game by 276 runs. The youngster recently performed with the bat during the Australia A tour of India. The Perth-born cricketer scored 70 runs in his first of the two first-class games and then piled up 33, 50*, and 64 in the One Day series.

Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood enjoys an amazing record against Virat Kohli in ODIs. Source: Getty

Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood is traditionally known to trouble India across formats. The 34-year-old is always spot on with pace, which proves to be a massive weapon for the Aussies in their home conditions. The speedster has bagged 17 wickets in 11 ODIs against the Men in Blue at an economy rate of 5.41, including 3/38 and 2/60 in the 2023 World Cup final and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, respectively.

Notably, he dismissed Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the Champions Trophy clash. Overall, Hazlewood has 78 wickets against India across all three formats.

Additionally, Hazlewood has dominated Kohli on numerous occasions in his 50-over career. The medium pacer has dismissed the star batter five times, giving away just 58 runs off 98 deliveries. It's worth mentioning that Kohli struggled throughout the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, when he was caught out nicking outside off-stump on all eight occasions in his nine innings, including an unbeaten knock.