The Men in Blue will open their campaign against the mighty Aussies at the iconic Chepauk stadium in Chennai. The opener would be a tough test for India but they would like to take positives from the recently concluded ODI series against Australia which they won. The Indian team defeated Australia 2-1 in that series but on the global stage, the Kangaroos come with extra passion and grit which is pretty evident from the fact that they are 5-time champions.
With the news coming in that opener Shubman Gill is unlikely to play the first game it would be interesting to see what will be the starting xi for India. Let’s take a look at the likely Indian lineup for their opening clash against Australia.
Top Order
In-form opener Shubman Gill might not play against Australia in the first match and in his absence, Ishan Kishan might take his place as Kishan likes to play up the order. His free-flowing game in the powerplay might help India to start with a bang. Along with him will be Captain Rohit Sharma. Hitman’s form has been fantastic and he will look to continue his run. At no.3 will be Virat Kohli and there’s absolutely no debate about this. Ishan Kishan will have to step up if Shubman Gill doesn’t play.
Middle Order
The Indian middle order has performed exceptionally well in recent times whether it is in the Asia Cup or against Australia. Now with the exclusion of Shubman Gill and the promotion of Ishan Kishan up the order, Shreyas Iyer might get a look in. He might play alongside KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle order. Each of these batsmen has made crucial contributions in recent matches, especially KL Rahul who has made a resounding comeback from his injury. The middle order has been in a great run of form and they’ll have to continue this momentum if India has to start their campaign with a victory.
Bowling Unit
India’s bowling department has looked lethal in the last month or so. With Their exceptional display in the Asia Cup, they have issued a warning to every team in the competition. On the Chennai track, we might see Ravichandran Ashwin getting the preference over Shardul Thakur as the Indian team would want to go with an extra spinner. It would be a great opportunity for Ashwin to turn up with a solid performance in his own backyard. Along with Ashwin the other two spin options would be dangerous-looking Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. This spin trio will have a huge role to play in Chennai.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj will be the two fast bowling options and they will get assistance from Hardik Pandya. This bowling lineup can put Australia under tremendous pressure and to start on a high it is imperative that they do so.