Pillars of Indian batting skipper Rohit Sharma and the brilliant Virat Kohli resting for the first two games along with lead spinner Kuldeep Yadav and premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya, it will be head coach Rahul Dravid’s final chance to assess his bench strength. Rohit is unavailable, Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill are likely to open the batting for India in first ODI against Australia. With Shreyas Iyer replacing Virat Kohli at number three. Iyer needs game time to prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia. Shreyas Iyer’s dodgy match-fitness will be put to ultimate test while Suryakumar Yadav’s desperation to alter a dismal ODI record adds a fascinating sub-text to India’s three-game series against Australia, which also serves as final dress rehearsal before the World Cup, beginning next month. As chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar has said that Iyer is good to go in the three games but whether his body is holding for 100 overs during the three games over next five days, will be observed keenly. As much as Ishan Kishan has done his bit, India will need Iyer, the proverbial slayer of spin bowling in the middle overs during the World Cup.
The small quadriceps tear that left-arm spinner Axar Patel suffered has opened an unlikely door for 37-year-old Ravichandran Ashwin to play his third and what could likely be his last 50 over World Cup in case the former doesn’t recover in time. Even two weeks back, Ashwin was not even in Indian team management’s radar and his younger state-mate Washington Sundar are locked in a battle for an outside chance to make it to the squad. The absence of Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya will give both Ashwin and Washington, a chance to showcase what they have to offer to the team. But, there is every possibility that even if Ashwin does brilliantly, the team management will go with Axar if he recovers on time and plays the third ODI. India’s Asian Games-bound skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is in the squad more as a cover and could be released after the second game as he would link up with T20 team flying to Hangzhou on September 28. India haven’t rested any of its fast bowlers but Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj may play two of the three games as three 50-over games have been slotted in five days and it also includes travel. Workload management of two pacers will be paramount. Australia despite losing 2-3 to South Africa recently had a quality series. But having won the last ODI series in India in March and being one of the international teams which has regularly cracked the 50-over code in sub-continent, there couldn’t have been a better preparation going into a marquee event where both countries will incidentally meet again on October 8.
India Squad: KL Rahul (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
