As India prepares to lock horns with Australia in the the upcoming ODI series in Australia, here’s my analysis: predicted playing XI, bench options, strategic strengths, potential weak spots, and insights to provoke debate.
Predicted Playing XI
| ROLE | PLAYER | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|
| Opener | Rohit Sharma | Veteran, experience at top |
| Opener | Shubman Gill | Young, aggressive, form in white-ball |
| No. 3 | Virat Kohli | Stability and match finishing |
| No. 4 | Shreyas Iyer | Middle-order anchor, can accelerate |
| No. 5 | KL Rahul | Wicketkeeper-batter depth |
| All-rounder (pace) | Nitish Kumar | Offers batting and pace, fielding asset |
| All-rounder (spin) | Axar Patel / Washington Sundar | Spin control + lower order batting |
| Spinner | Kuldeep Yadav | The sole specialist spin threat |
| Pacer | Arshdeep Singh | Left-arm variation, powerplay threat |
| Pacer | Prasidh Krishna | Up-tempo pace option |
| Pacer | Mohammed Siraj | Seam, bounce, ability to finish |
From the rest of the pool, Harshit Rana could come in for Prasidh or Arshdeep in certain matches depending on conditions or rotations.
Bench Strength & Tactical Options
- Opener: Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Middle-order / Wicketkeeper: Dhruv Jurel
- Spinner / All-rounder: Washington Sundar
- Pacer: Harshit Rana
This bench provides cover across all departments: batting, keeping, spin, pace. It gives flexibility to rotate based on match conditions or to rest core players.
Batting & Bowling Balance
- India can bat up to No. 7, giving depth in batting while retaining six frontline bowling options.
- This balanced structure is essential in modern ODI cricket. The depth doesn’t come at the cost of bowling strength.
Key Strengths
- Top Order Firepower: Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Iyer, Rahul — a blend of experience, flair, and stability.
- Kuldeep’s Spin Threat: In middle overs, Kuldeep will be vital for India and can spin webs over Australia’s middle order.
- Bowling Depth: With Arshdeep, Siraj, Prasidh, and two all-rounders, India has multiple options to attack at different phases.
Potential Weak Links (and Proposed Fixes)
Wicket-taking mid-over bowlers
Beyond Kuldeep, there’s a dearth of big wicket-takers in the 10–35 over zone. The onus falls on pacers to strike early: 2–3 wickets in first 15 overs could be crucial. Without that, Australia may capitalize.
Fix / tactical tweak: Perhaps bring in more attacking spin or vary usage of all-rounder spin.
Finishing firepower
Towards the end of innings, Nitish Kumar or Axar Patel might be the only options left to close. That’s limited finishing depth.
Possible tweak: One idea is opening with Jaiswal and pushing Gill to No. 4, which moves Rahul to No. 6. But that comes at the cost of losing one bowling option in the playing XI. So it’s a trade-off.
Individual Predictions
- Kuldeep Yadav: Strong contender to finish as leading wicket-taker of the series.
- Top 5 Batter: One of Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Iyer or Rahul likely to top India’s run charts in the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is in India’s likely playing XI vs Australia in ODIs?
A: As per my prediction above, India’s XI would feature Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Iyer, Rahul, two all-rounders (Nitish Kumar + Axar/Sundar), Kuldeep Yadav, and three pacers (Arshdeep, Prasidh, Siraj).
Q: What are India’s weak areas in this squad?
A: The middle-over wicket-taking potential beyond Kuldeep is limited. Also, finishing options in the backend might be thin.
Q: Should India bring in a second specialist spinner or fast-bowling all-rounder?
A: A second specialist spinner would risk overloading spin, but a fast-bowling all-rounder could help address both wicket-taking and batting depth.
Q: Can Harshit Rana be in playing XI?
A: Ye, he is likely the 12th man / backup pacer and might rotate in for Prasidh or Arshdeep depending on conditions or to rest players.
Q: Who will be India’s top scorer / wicket-taker vs Australia?
A: Our prediction: Kuldeep will likely be leading wicket-taker. Among batters, one of the top 5 picks (Rohit / Gill / Kohli / Iyer / Rahul) will top the run charts.
Read Now: India vs Australia Head to Head in ODIs
