Australia vs India ODI series: A quick preview

In normal circumstances, the world champions playing at home would be favourites going into a series. But things have been so messed up in Australian cricket that they are clearly starting as underdogs against a powerful Indian line-up in the three-match ODI series getting underway on January 12.

While the Australian Test team is in the doldrums due to the absence of Steve Smith and David Warner, the ODI side had its struggles last year against England at home even with these players in the squad. So, is there any hope for the Aussies or is this going to be another horrid experience for an unsettled side?

Let’s look at some key factors that will play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the series.

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Australian bowling

Billy Stanlake might be Australia's most potent bowler

Considering the massive workload inflicted upon the Australian pace bowling trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood by the Indian batsmen, it is not surprising that they are not part of the series. So, who is their main strike bowler?

Most probably it would be Billy Stanlake. This tall and lean fast bowler was one of the few good things that came out of their 0-5 drubbing at the hands of England last year. Like a typical Aussie pacer, he hits the deck hard and can get the ball to rear up sharply. If there is a bit of bounce in the wicket, he will be a handful for Indian batsmen.

Interestingly, Nathan Lyon has been brought into the ODI team. Mainly a Test bowler, Lyon hasn’t done badly in ODI cricket whenever he has been given an opportunity. With a good performance against India in the Tests under his belt, Aussies expect him to continue the good work in shorter format also.

Veteran Peter Siddle has been added to the team also, possibly to provide some experience. Siddle was also considered a Test specialist for a long time but with a bowling line-up full of greenhorns, he is supposed to be the wise old man in the team.

The likes of Jason Behrendorff and Jhye Richardson are young quickies yet to make a mark in international cricket and Adam Zampa, the other spinner in the team, won’t be regarded as a big threat by the Indians.

All-rounders like Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh can be useful but against the power-packed Indian line-up, not likely to be that effective.

Overall, it’s not a bowling attack that gives great comfort to the Aussies, especially when they are facing big guns like Sharma, Kohli, Dhawan, etc.

Australian batting

Shaun Marsh (L) and Aaron Finch are the mainstays of the Australian batting line-up

With Glenn Maxwell in the side, Indians would have at least one batsmen that they would be wary of. Aaron Finch too, in the ODI format, is a much more reliable performer than he is in Tests. Similarly, Shaun Marsh tends to perform better in ODIs, especially in Australia, than in 5-day games. These three would be the spine of the Australian batting.

Usman Khawaja, Marcus Stoinis and Peter Handscomb have a big point to prove. Among them, Stoinis is one player that has shown potential and may well emerge as the trump card for Australia. But the most exciting prospect is wicket-keeper batsman Alex Carey. Brought into the team after lack of runs from Tim Paine, he has impressed everyone in T20 tournaments and is expected to rise to the occasion in the ODI arena. With the World Cup around the corner, Australia are hoping that he ends their search for a wicketkeeper-batsman in ODIs.

Indian middle-order woes

Virat Kohli (R) and Rohit Sharma have been carrying the load of Indian batting

For the longest time, the Indian batting line up has seemed very top-heavy. While the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli have been plundering runs, there has been lack of productivity from batsmen below them. With the World Cup fast approaching, there is a desperate need to find players for spots no. 4 to 7 in the batting line-up.

The selectors have gone with KL Rahul, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya along with the veteran MS Dhoni to fill these places. Rahul, Karthik, Jadhav and Pandya are all required to show more consistency. With Ambati Rayudu certain to be in the playing XI, this series is a do-or-die situation for all these batsmen. They have to cement their spots and prove themselves in foreign conditions. The make-up of the Indian middle-order is yet to be finalized and if the IPL this year produces some big performers with the bat, they too would come into the reckoning.

MS Dhoni in the spotlight

This could be a make-or-break series for MS Dhoni

Even his biggest supporters are worried that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is losing his touch. The batsmen, who some years ago was the undisputed king of ODI batting, has become a pale shadow of himself and even batting higher up the order hasn’t helped.

Most people also feel that he should be in the team for the World Cup due to the experience he provides. However, one has to go a long way back to remember him playing a match-winning innings. If he has three more failures in this series, tough questions would be asked as to whether he is contributing enough to the team. The supposed assistance he gives to Kohli in his strategies may not be enough to keep him in the side. This series could decide the fate of MSD’s future.

Opportunity for Jadeja and Siraj

Can Mohammed Siraj establish himself in the Indian ODI team?

Lastly, this series provides a golden opportunity to Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja. The former has been in good form in first-class cricket and needs to make a mark in the absence of Bumrah to keep his spot in the squad.

Jadeja, on the other hand, is in the unusual position of being the third spinner in the group. His steady and consistent style of bowling doesn’t generate the kind of excitement that the mysteries of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal do. Only if the two incumbents lose their form will he get an opportunity.