3 reasons why India could struggle in AUS vs IND 2025 ODI series

Team India is all set to play a three-match ODI series in Australia, beginning in Perth on October 19. Big guns Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have returned to the side, while Shubman Gill has been appointed as the skipper of the 50-over format. The Men in Blue will play their first ODI since winning the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai in February.

A host of players like Gill, Axar Patel, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, and Arshdeep Singh are coming on the back of match practice in the Asia Cup T20 and the two-match home Test series against the West Indies.

On the contrary, senior players like Rohit and Kohli haven’t played much cricket following IPL 2025. Shreyas Iyer slammed a ton and fifty against Australia A in List-A cricket, but hasn't played for the senior team since IPL 2025. It's worth mentioning that Iyer and Kohli remain crucial for India in the middle order.

The upcoming ODI series is an opportunity for India to avenge their 1-2 defeat in a three-match series when they last toured Australia. The Asian giants last won an ODI series Down Under 2-1 in 2018/19. They last beat the Aussies by four wickets in the Champions Trophy earlier this year.

In this article, we take a look at loopholes that could prove tricky for the Men in Blue Down Under.

3 reasons why India could struggle in the AUS vs IND 2025 ODI series

Lack of game time for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Retired from T20Is and Tests, former India captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli haven’t played a single match since the IPL 2025 season. Notably, the Men in Blue have not played an ODI since the 2025 Champions Trophy final, where they beat New Zealand in the summit clash.

The two players recently sweated out in the nets to prepare for the 50-over matches. With plenty of experience under their belt, the duo needs to deliver if India wants to win the ODI series. Interestingly, Australia also brings the best out of them - Rohit has amassed 2,407 runs in 46 innings against the Aussies, averaging 57.30 with the help of eight centuries. Kohli is equally impressive with 2,232 runs in 53 innings at an average of 43.76, including nine tons.

However, the duo struggled in the longest format when India last toured Australia in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While Kohli continuously fell prey to edging outside off-stump, Rohit never found himself getting going in the series. The format change is likely to bring different results, as the duo rules the 50-over format with over 10,000 runs.

Jasprit Bumrah-less, inexperienced Indian bowling lineup

With Jasprit Bumrah rested for the ODI series in Australia, the weight of the fast-bowling unit will again rest on Mohammed Siraj. The latter also holds an impressive bowling performance against the Aussies in the 50-over format, bagging eight wickets in seven innings. A couple of fifers in the red-ball format in Australia might also boost his confidence.

Unfortunately, there are undercooked pacers like Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and all-rounder Nitish Reddy. The pace-bowling quartet needs to support Siraj to help the Men in Blue prevent the Aussies from imposing big targets.

While Arshdeep remains India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, he has yet to play an ODI against Australia. The left-arm seamer has 14 scalps in nine matches at an economy rate of 5.17. However, he has bagged seven wickets in five T20Is against Australia but at an economy rate of 10.40.

Harshit Rana recently proved costly in the T20 Asia Cup 2025, returning with figures of 1/54 in his last outing against Sri Lanka. The 23-year-old, though, has 10 wickets in five ODIs at an economy rate of 5.69.

Meanwhile, there are high hopes from Prasidh Krishna, who made his ODI comeback for the first time after 2023. The medium pacer has 29 scalps in 17 ODIs at an economy rate of 5.60. The 29-year-old bagged six wickets in the only Test he played in Australia during the 2024-25 BGT. Unfortunately, the Karnataka pacer bagged only one wicket in his last two first-class games against Australia A in Lucknow.

Like Krishna, Reddy is expected to continue his bowling prowess, having bagged five wickets in the Test series in Australia. The medium-pacer didn't get enough game time with the ball despite being included in the recently concluded Test series against the West Indies, bowling just four overs in the first game.

Question marks over all-rounders and team balance

There is a question mark over all-rounders and team balance as Team India prepares for the ODI series against Australia. With Nitish Reddy, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar likely to be part of the playing XI, the trio must deliver Down Under.

Reddy is expected to take confidence from his maiden Test century against the Aussies in Melbourne last year. Sundar also boasts a couple of half-centuries against the Aussies in the red-ball format.

However, the onus will be on Axar Patel to deliver in the absence of seasoned pro Ravindra Jadeja, who failed to find a place in the 15-member ODI squad. The left-arm spinner has managed just two wickets and one run in his four ODIs in Australia. Overall, with the bat, he has 783 runs in 47 innings at an average of 22.37, including three half-centuries. The 31-year-old has only one fifty away from home, against the West Indies in Port of Spain.

Additionally, the tail-enders rarely wag for the Men in Blue. Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana are unlikely to provide the batting depth that Australia possesses, particularly in Mitchell Starc.