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Less than 24 hours remain for Team India’s campaign in the 2023 ICC World Cup to get underway. The Men in Blue, who are hoping to end their decade-long wait for an ICC title in the tournament that they host entirely in October and November, face five-time champions Australia in their opening game in Chennai on Sunday.
World Cup 2023: News | Schedule | Results | Points table
The two sides have had contrasting runs in recent one-dayers. While India won the Asia Cup for a record-extending eighth time in style, the Aussies lost five ODIs in a row heading into the mega event, two of them against a depleted Indian side.
All of that however, will count for little when the two sides take to the field come Sunday, with both teams putting their recent results behind them and starting afresh.
Rohit Sharma and Co also enter the tournament hoping to improve their head-to-head record against Australia in cricket’s showpiece event. India and Australia have squared off 12 times in ICC World Cups since their first meeting in Trent Bridge back in 1983. Australia lead the Men in Blue eight wins to four, and the latter will hope to trim the gap on Sunday in Chennai.
IND vs AUS: Starc vs Indian top-order and other key battles in World Cup clash
Ahead of the blockbuster clash, India skipper Rohit hinted at playing three spinners in the XI on a Chepauk surface that could be conducive for the slower bowlers. The 36-year-old said the presence of seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who also happens to be his deputy, allowed the Men in Blue the luxury of fielding an extra spinner in their XI.
“Yeah, I mean that’s the luxury we have where we can afford to play three spinners because I don’t really consider Hardik Pandya as just a seamer. He’s a proper fast bowler, who can crank up good speed. So that gives us an advantage,” Rohit said in the pre-match press conference in Chennai on Saturday.
India’s likely XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill/Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Australia, on the other hand, have leg-spinner Adam Zampa as their only frontline spinner and will have to rely on services from all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and part-timers Marnus Labuschagne and Matthew Short. Their strength however, lies in their pace department, with the likes of Mitchell Starc having played a key role in their 2-1 series win in March this year.
Australia’s likely XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc
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