IND vs AUS Perth ODI: Shubman Gill’s XI Revealed, Kuldeep Yadav Key, 3 Pacers Confirmed

Sports News: India is gearing up for the first ODI against Australia in Perth on October 19. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are back in international cricket, but Shubman Gill will lead the team as captain. Practice sessions are underway, and India’s playing XI, featuring three pacers and two spinners, is nearly finalised.

Gill, Rohit Will Bring the Heat in Perth ODI

In the batting order, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma will open in the first ODI. This could mean Yashasvi Jaiswal may sit out the first match. Gill and Rohit are expected to provide India a fast start. Rohit last played the Champions Trophy final, scoring a match-winning 76 runs. He is likely to bat in his usual aggressive style in the first 10 overs, as seen in net sessions.

Waiting for the Virat Avatar

At Perth nets, Virat Kohli’s batting indicates that he will once again play a big innings at No. 3. Rohit will play his first international match since the Champions Trophy final, with his No. 3 spot confirmed. On Australia’s bouncy pitches, Kohli could be impactful. In ODIs, he has scored 14,181 runs in 290 innings across 302 matches. He needs just 54 more runs to surpass Kumar Sangakkara and become the second-highest run-scorer in ODI history.

Middle-Order Puzzle

Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, the highest run-scorer in the Champions Trophy, could bat at No. 4. He has scored 2,845 runs in 65 innings over 70 ODIs, with a highest of 128. KL Rahul may play as the wicketkeeper at No. 5. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy could bat at No. 6, capable of both stabilizing the innings if early wickets fall and scoring quickly in the death overs. He also handles spin and pace bowling well, bowling medium pace when needed.

Kuldeep’s Powerful Entry

Kuldeep Yadav, in excellent form, is India’s No. 1 spinner and can partner Axar Patel in the spin department, with Axar also capable of aggressive batting. Kuldeep recently starred in the West Indies Test series, winning Player of the Match in the second Test with eight wickets. Pacers Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh are likely in the playing XI, with Siraj expected to be the impact player on Perth’s pitch. Harshit Rana could make a surprise debut in the first ODI.

Probable Playing XI

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana