News
COVID-19 and quarantine will take a back seat when India and Australia emerge at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday for the first of the three ODIs of a long tour. Virat Kohli and Aaron Finch may have been teammates as Royal Challengers Bangalore in the recently concluded IPL 2020 in UAE, but all that will be history. The SCG is certainly not India's happy hunting ground. They have won just two of the 16 ODIs played here against Australia but it will be a fresh start for Kohli's boys, most of whom had wonderful runs at the IPL. In many ways, the Indian cricket team is fully prepared in terms of match preparedness and only needs to fine tune their cricket mentally to adjust to the 50-over variety. The crowds will be back at an international cricket match for the first time the sport resumed in June-July in England. Half of the 48,000-capacity at the SCG is expected to be full. (LIVE SCORECARD | FULL SCHEDULE | CRICKET NEWS)
There's been a lot of talk about Rohit Sharma's absence from the Indian ODI team. But given India's bench strength, that should not really matter. India have several options to choose from and Shubman Gill or Mayank Agarwal have shown during the IPL that they are ready to take on the best bowlers in the world.
Timing them to perfection! ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ#TeamIndia skipper @imVkohli getting batting ready ahead of the first ODI against Australia ðªð»ð #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/lG1EPoHVKK
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 26, 2020
India's vice-captain KL Rahul said it was important for the Indian cricket team to start well in a white-ball series and the long IPL should stand the players in good stead. Rahul himself was the top-scorer in IPL 2020 and this will be a perfect opportunity to establish his worth both as a wicketkeeper-batsman and the next leader in the limited overs variety.
ð£ï¸Â KL Rahul on gearing up for the wicket-keeping duties in white-ball cricket. #TeamIndia | @klrahul11 pic.twitter.com/T7cMKUx5uU
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 25, 2020
India have not played a one-dayer since they lost a series 3-0 in New Zealand in February but the world's No. 2 ODI team will not be short on confidence against Aaron Finch's Australia, who won 2-1 against England in September.
Australia will be bolstered by the return of David Warner and Steve Smith. Smith had missed the 50-over matches against England due to concussion.
Smith and opener David Warner were also absent in the aftermath of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal when India won ODI and Test series on their last visit but both batsmen will be in the Australia team this time.
For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine