Australia vs India 2018-19: 1st ODI, Sydney - Indian National Cricket Team's Predicted XI

Indian National Cricket team will look to continue their superb form from the Test series into the one-day internationals when they face Australia in the first of the three-match ODI series starting from January 12 (Saturday).

The return of the limited-overs will see Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan take guards as the openers while they will field Kuldeep Yadav as the lone spinner. In addition to, the slow off-breaks off Kedar Jadhav will come in handy and Virat Kohli will aim to utilise it to full effect.

The Sydney ODI will also see the return of MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya after a significant amount of time. While the selectors rested Dhoni from the Windies series and the T20Is against Australia, Pandya was out due to a lower-back injury.

Here is the predicted XI for Indian National Cricket team for the first ODI against Australia at Sydney:

ROHIT SHARMA

Rohit Sharma is back to resume his business after spending a week with his family and the newborn child. He will take the openers spot along with Shikhar Dhawan and look to continue what he has been doing over the years for India.

SHIKHAR DHAWAN

After a gap of one month, Shikhar Dhawan will return to action wholly fresh and ready to go. The southpaw has been among the runs in recent times and will look to continue his form against a revamped Aussie bowling attack.

VIRAT KOHLI (c)

Indian National Cricket team’s success in the upcoming series will depend a lot on how their skipper Virat Kohli fare in this series. The talismanic skipper has blown hot and cold in the Test series and will be keen to be in top gear when the ODI series resumes.

AMBATI RAYUDU

Since his return to the national setup, Ambati Rayudu has almost made this place his own. He has been among the runs off-late and will have to continue scoring runs in the middle-order if India have to score big.

MS DHONI (WK)

The former Indian National Cricket team skipper, MS Dhoni will return to the national fold after missing the series against Windies and Australia. However, he was struggling to put runs on board and will be desperate to hit the right chords before the ICC World Cup.

KEDAR JADHAV

Kedar Jadhav has been a key figure in the limited-overs side with his round-arm action bowling proving to be crucial in the middle overs. His batting also comes in handy as he can clear the infields with ease and will like to contribute to India’s win.

HARDIK PANDYA

Hardik Pandya will return to action after regaining full fitness from the lower back injury he sustained during the Asia Cup in the UAE. Pandya will look to hit back the form right away with the ICC World Cup in view.

BHUVNESHWAR KUMAR

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been India’s go-to man in the limited-overs, and he will be raring to go after getting a sustainable amount of rest during the Test series. Virat Kohli & Co will depend on Kumar to give them early wickets with the new ball.

KULDEEP YADAV

Kuldeep Yadav has proved his worth in the only Test he played bagging a five-wicket haul, and the visitors will depend heavily on him. Kuldeep has been India’s leading spinner over the past one year or so, and he will be keen to continue his magic with the ball.

JASPRIT BUMRAH

The top-ranked ODI bowler has been the most significant star for India with the ball in the past 18 months. After a successful Test series, Jasprit Bumrah will like to continue his magic in the fifty-overs format as well.

KHALEEL AHMED

The young left-arm fast bowler has impressed one and sundry in his short international career. Khaleel Ahmed will de desperate to be on top of his game as Mohammed Shami sits on the wings for an opportunity.