IND vs AUS 1st ODI Dream11 Team Prediction, Fantasy Cricket Tip & Playing 11 Updates for Today's Cricket Match - Jan 14th, 2020

One of the most awaited series gets underway this Tuesday as India and Australia lock horns in the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium. Both teams had a decent ICC World Cup campaign as they stumbled in the semi-finals. While the Australians haven't played an ODI since their semi-final defeat to England, India has begun identifying their next core of players.

Coming into this series on the back of a series win over the West Indies, India are considered the favourites for this series. In spite of their good record in home conditions, they will be wary of Australia, who did get the better of the hosts last year.

With an entertaining start to the series in store, fantasy players are in for a treat with the likes of Virat Kohli and David Warner taking it to the field. Here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team for IND vs AUS.

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Squads to choose from:

India:

Virat Kohli (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Kedar Jadhav, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami

Australia:

Aaron Finch (C), Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

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Playing XI Updates:

India:

India should field their strongest XI for this game with Shikhar Dhawan set to get the nod over KL Rahul alongside Rohit Sharma. Captain Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer hold fort in the middle order while Rishabh Pant dons the gloves for the home side. One of Kedhar Jadhav or Shivam Dube should take up the finisher's role with Ravindra Jadeja being a permanent fixture in the side after a productive outing against the West Indies. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will share the new ball while tearaway pacer Navdeep Saini could also feature in the bowling attack.

Possible XI: Rohit, Dhawan, Virat (C), Iyer, Pant(WK), Dube/Jadhav, Jadeja, Thakur/Saini, Kuldeep, Shami and Bumrah.

Australia:

Australia looks well-equipped for this tour after a fairly successful summer back home. Steve Smith should return to his preferred number three spot with Usman Khawaja's exclusion. While David Warner, Aaron Finch and Alex Carey are permanent fixtures as well, two spots are up for grabs in the top six. Marnus Labuschagne is the prime contender for the number four spot while Ashton Turner looks set to get to the nod over Peter Handscomb in the middle order.

As for the bowling unit, Australia could field the New South Wales trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins for the first time in over a year. Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar should also feature with both of them impressing in tandem against Sri Lanka and Pakistan last year in the T20Is.

Possible XI: Warner, Finch(C), Smith, Labuschagne, Turner, Carey(WK), Agar, Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Zampa.

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Match Details:

India vs Australia, 1st ODI

14th January 2020, 1:30 PM IST

Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

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Pitch Report:

Traditionally, the pitch at the Wankhede is a good batting track with minimal help for the bowlers. A similar sort of wicket is expected for this match although there should be some swing on offer early on. Either side will be looking to chase upon winning the toss with dew playing a factor as the game progresses.

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Fantasy Tips and Suggestions:

Wicket-keeper: Although both Rishabh Pant and Alex Carey are available for the same number of credits, the Australian wicket-keeper should get the nod for this game. Over the last year or so, Carey has taken up the middle order role like a fish to water.

His performances in the ongoing BBL 2019-20 also hold him in good stead with the southpaw scoring 266 runs in seven games. With his ability to play spin well, Carey is a dependable pick although Pant could also be picked as the second option.

Batsmen: Virat Kohli and David Warner are must-haves in the fantasy team owing to their reputation and ability. While Kohli is bound to feature in most fantasy teams, David Warner's knowledge of Indian conditions having played in the IPL makes him a worthwhile option.

Shikhar Dhawan's last outing against the Australians yielded a hundred in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. His record against the Aussies is exemplary which gives him the nod over Rohit Sharma. Shreyas Iyer and Steve Smith should suffice in rounding off the batting department for this game.

Allrounders: Marnus Labuschagne is the talk of the town after sensational performances in the Test format. Although the Queenslander hasn't played in the shorter formats for Australia, his skill-set makes him a valuable asset in Indian conditions. Along with Labuschagne, the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Ashton Agar are also decent options while Shivam Dube could also be picked if he is included in the playing XI.

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah was eased back into international cricket with two outings against the Sri Lankans. Although he wasn't at his supreme best, Bumrah did generate decent pace and picked two wickets as well. Nevertheless, he should be picked without fail alongside Mitchell Starc, who is arguably one of the best in the business in the ODI format.

While Kuldeep Yadav or Shami should suffice as the second Indian bowler in the fantasy team, Adam Zampa's record in Indian conditions makes him a viable option. In the five-match series between the two sides last year, Zampa picked eleven wickets in five games which should hold him in good stead.

Captain: Virat Kohli is the ideal candidate for captaincy with the Indian captain averaging in excess of 50 in this format. His ability to pace an innings to perfection should serve him well on what is a good batting track. Along with him, David Warner and Steve Smith are also good options while Shikhar Dhawan could be a surprise pick for the multiplier options as well.

Fantasy Suggestion #1: Alex Carey, Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Captain: Virat Kohli, Vice-Captain: David Warner

Fantasy Suggestion #2: Alex Carey, David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav. Captain: David Warner, Vice-Captain: Shikhar Dhawan