India vs Australia: Aussies hope to ride on Glenn Maxwell wave; hosts bank on well-rounded outfit to start ODI series on winning note

It takes one just a couple of minutes to notice the blissful mood in the Australian camp ahead of the first One-Day match in Hyderabad. There are plenty of smiles, there is a spring in each step and the voices get louder with each warm-up drill. The T20 series victory has certainly invigorated the mood in the visitors’ camp and there is a strong belief that they can carry forward their T20 form into the ODI arena. The opening game could well set the tone for rest of the series and Aaron Finch’s men will be desperate to start off on a winning note. The Australians had a two-day camp at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium last week which included a centre-wicket practice session under lights. It means most of the players will be familiar to the ground dimensions and the pitch. [caption id=“attachment_6179681” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] After facing disappointment in T20I series, Virat Kohli would want to make amends in the ODIs against Australia. AFP[/caption] The 22-yard strip had a brownish tone to it on the eve of the match and was rolled several times with the light roller. The belief around the ground is that while it will be a good batting wicket, it will be on the slower side and spinners will play a significant role. The average score for the team batting first here is 286 and a total around that figure will be competitive. Aaron Finch kept his cards close to his chest regarding the Australian playing XI but did confirm that Shaun Marsh was unavailable for selection and D’Arcy Short was already on his way home. It means that there is a strong chance that Ashton Turner will make his debut for Australia and Peter Handscomb will play as a front-line batsman. Alex Carey will don the gloves and bat in the middle order meaning Usman Khawaja is primed to partner Finch at the top of the order. There is also plenty of debate in the Australian camp on how to utilise Glenn Maxwell rich vein of form. The enigmatic all-rounder has batted at No 7 in recent times but should get a promotion up the order. The contest between Maxwell against the Indian spinners through the middle phase of the innings shapes up as the most crucial part of the game. Maxwell averages 37.68 against India compared to his career average of 32.1 and his strike-rate also spikes up from 121.64 to 135.81. There is no doubt, Maxwell is the danger man for India and if they can negate his authority on the game then it will add additional pressure on the inexperienced middle order. While Australia will be hoping to ride on the Maxwell wave, India will be banking on their well-rounded outfit to dismantle the visitors. The slow nature of the surface and Australia’s poor record against wrist spin means Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav should both feature in the playing XI. Mohammed Shami will partner Jasprit Bumrah with the new ball and Vijay Shankar is expected to fill the shoes of the fast-bowling all-rounder. Ambati Rayudu is expected to bat at No 4, followed by MS Dhoni and then Kedar Jadhav. Asked about experimenting, Virat Kohli told reporters “We will have to think about the combinations, I don’t think playing a bowler less is a good idea. Because with the extra fielder in till the 40th over it becomes very difficult to sort of get few guys to chip in with a few overs here and there. We will have to work out the batting combination to try and give game-time to the guys we want to. But, I don’t see the bowling combination changing.” Shankar and Ravindra Jadeja both had a long stint in the nets with throw-down specialist, Raghu testing the former with ample of short balls. If Shankar happens to get the nod, then he along with Kedar Jadhav will be fifth bowling option for Virat Kohli. One other man that spent ample time in the nets was Rohit Sharma. The Indian vice-captain seemed to be working hard with batting coach Sanjay Bangar on transferring his weight into the ball. Sharma has scores of 7, 2, 1, 50, 38 and 5 in his last six innings for India in white-ball cricket and on the evidence of his net session, the right-hander was desperate to correct any technical deficiencies that may have crept into his game. Sharma has an incredible record against Australia in 50-over cricket on home soil. The stylish opener averages 78.80 with three centuries and a strike-rate of 106.48. The top three have been the lynchpin to India’s success in the ODI format and Rohit is once again shaping up as the crucial man in the contest. India are strong starters having won four of its past five opening matches of a bilateral series. On the contrary, Australia have only won the first match of the series once in the past 18 months. One aspect in the visitor’s favour is that they never lost to India in a 50-over match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium having won in 2007 and in 2009. The first ODI is shaping up as a contest between the momentum of the Aussies against the experience of India. One feels Australia needs a victory in Hyderabad to put the pressure on the Indians throughout the series. Indian cricket team gets new jersey: MS Dhoni says he is proud to hand over legacy to future generations India vs Australia, 1st ODI at Hyderabad: Live Cricket Score