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Australia have beaten India three times in a row in the last three ODIs they have played on Indian soil which is a highly surprising stat as the men in blue don’t lose too many games at home in any format. The Kangaroos, after having a tough 12 months, have well and truly regained their mojo again. They have not played any ODI cricket since the World Cup 2019, but they looked really balanced and penetrative in the T20Is they played in the initial parts of the Australian summer.
Although Justin Langer, their head coach, who has played a key role in their resurgence, is not on this tour, Australia have got most of their first choice players in the squad for this series and they are going field a very strong XI.
The Indian conditions will obviously be something that the Aussies will have to adapt to because there is a difference in the pace of the pitches, with the ball coming off the deck much slower in India, in comparison to the Australian pitches. However, there are a few players in the Australian squad who have got an idea of playing in the Indian conditions as they have played a lot of cricket in India in the past, in the IPL as well as in international cricket.
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The hosts, on the other hand, don’t have two of their first choice players available, with Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar still out due to injury. However, they are still an incredibly strong team in their own conditions. India have had good outings against West Indies and Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket in the last few weeks. Although, the series against Australia is going to be different ball-game, the fact that they have been in good form recently, they will come into this series full of confidence.
Match Details
Date: January 14, 2020 (Tuesday)
Time: 01:30 PM (IST)
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Weather Forecast
The weather is going to be slightly overcast and windy in Mumbai on Tuesday, but, the showers have not been forecasted. The clouds, however, might reduce the chances of dew which is always a huge factor on the Indian grounds in winters.The temperature will be in the range of 21-27°C throughout the day which means it won’t be that chilly.
Pitch Report
The Wankhede stadium is one of the truest surfaces in India. It might provide a bit of assistance to the spinners, but the ball doesn’t grip into the surface and the bounce is not uneven either. It’s a batting paradise if you have got horizontal bat strokes and you know how to ride the bounce of the ball. Since the ground is pretty small in terms of its dimensions, defending a score is really tough. The captain winning the toss would like to field first.
Probable XI:
India
Although KL Rahul scored a hundred in the series against West Indies, he might have to make way for Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order, as the left-hander is still one of India’s first choice openers in 50-over cricket. Kuldeep Yadav has looked in better form with the ball as compared to Yuzvendra Chahal in the recent games and he is likely to be India’s second spinner, along with Ravindra Jadeja who will play as an all-rounder at no. 7.
Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Australia
Although Steve Smith batted at no. 3 for Australia in the World Cup, he might drop down to 4 in favor of Marnus Labuschagne who has been brilliant at no. 3 for Australia in Test cricket in the last few months. Ashton Turner and Alex Carey will be the finishers for the Kangaroos, while Ashton Agar might play as the spin bowling all-rounder.
Predicted XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Ashton Turner, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins (vc), Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa
Match prediction
It’s going to be a close game, considering the fact that both the teams are carrying a rich vein of form into the series. But, India might just prove to be slightly better in their home conditions at the start of the series. The men in blue are expected to win the game and take a 1-0 lead.
Live Broadcast and streaming details
The 1st ODI between India and Australia will be telecasted live on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD and Star Sports Hindi 1. It can also be streamed live on the Hotstar app.
Also see: Recap of series decider of India v Australia 2019 that Aussies won (2-3)
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