Finally, after months of anticipation, the India tour of Australia is finally set to begin with the three-match ODI series, the first the which will be played at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday, November 27.
This will be the first time that India will play an international rubber following the coronavirus-enforced lockdown. The Men in Blue are grappling with the absence of Rohit Sharma, who has been ruled out of the white-ball leg of the tour due to a hamstring injury.
So, what will be the make-up of Team India’s playing XI for the 1st ODI? Here’s a look:
Shikhar Dhawan
In the absence of his regular opening partner, the onus will be on the veteran southpaw to lead the way for the tourists at the top of the order.
Dhawan has been in cracking form of-late. He is coming off a reputation enhancing IPL campaign, where he scored 618 runs at 44.6.
Dhawan’s record against Australia has been stellar over the years. In 26 ODI innings, the southpaw has 1145 runs to his name at an average of 45.80 and a strike-rate of 98.79. His last ODI scores against Australia read: 117, 74, 96.