India vs Australia 2017: Five talking points from India's side for first three ODIs

The Indian team for the first three ODIs against Australia, starting in Chennai on the 17th of September, was picked on Sunday.

After a successful tour of Sri Lanka, most of the players picked themselves, however, there were a few things to ponder.

#5 Should a backup wicket-keeper have been picked?

MS Dhoni perhaps had his best series in the last few years, against Sri Lanka. He made 162 runs in the 5 matches that he played, essaying a significant role in 2 out of the 5 games.

His work behind the stumps was excellent as always.

However, it would not have been a bad idea for the selectors to pick Dinesh Karthik, keeping in mind his excellent performances in the domestic limited-overs competitions at the beginning of the year for Tamil Nadu.

Add to that, he could be the backup 'keeper, just in case Dhoni suffered an injury of any sort.

It can be assumed now that, like against Sri Lanka, KL Rahul would be the man to take the gloves should calamity strike, but it might have been a better option to have a specialist like Karthik in the fold.

#4 The fast bowling conundrum and the solution to it

India have a problem of plenty

Ask any die-hard Indian cricket supporter and he will tell you that the current phase of Indian cricket is the best ever, as far as fast bowling is concerned.

There has never been a time when India have been able to boast of possessing so many able quicks as they do now.

However, with the recall of Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav for the first three ODIs, that could create a battle for spots in the playing XI.

Jasprit Bumrah, for his superb ability to get wickets at various stages of the innings, looks certain to play as does Hardik Pandya.

It, then, becomes a three-way tussle between Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yadav and Shami to complete the trio that would take the field.

Bhuvneshwar was the 3rd highest wicket-taker for his side in the series against Sri Lanka, but Yadav and Shami, both provide the option of the additional yard of pace with the ball.

Who Kohli picks to partner Bumrah will be interesting to see.

#3 Have we seen the last of Yuvraj Singh in limited-overs cricket?

Is it the end of the road?

They say, in sport, you never say never. Those three words in the context of Indian cricket rest comfortably on the shoulders of Yuvraj Singh.

A stalwart in limited-overs cricket, the 35-year-old has made several comebacks in the past few years, putting in middling performances in most of them.

But, now, with the selectors opting for the likes of Manish Pandey in both the previous and the current series, one must start to wonder if Yuvraj can make yet another comeback to the side.

The selection for the final two matches as well as the New Zealand series that succeeds this series should throw some light on matters.

#2 No. 1 or No. 4: Where will KL Rahul bat?

KL Rahul struggled against Sri Lanka but may be given another go in the middle-order

One of the few disappointments for India in the limited-overs series win against Sri Lanka was the form of KL Rahul, who was used in the middle-order by the team management.

The right-hander fell to the spin of Akila Dananjaya in few of the matches, raising concerns regarding his ability to adjust in the middle-order.

However, there is a strong chance that the management would give him another go in the middle-order for two reasons:

1.The pairing of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma at the top have been excellent, ever since they first opened in 2013.

2.The management would want to give Rahul some more time to get used to playing in that role, if they do see him as a long-term option.

It will be interesting to see if Rahul can get his act together at home.

#1 Should Ravindra Jadeja have been picked?

Jadeja will not feature in the first three ODIs

While the chances of Ravichandran Ashwin finding a place in the team for the ODI series did seem bleak, his spin partner Ravindra Jadeja could have been given an opportunity, at least for the initial part of the series.

Jadeja began the 2017 Champions Trophy on a positive note, but ended with a whimper, and with no Test cricket for a couple of months and him not opting for a county contract, he could have done himself some good by getting some game time.