After whitewashing Sri Lanka in the three-match T20I series, Team India are now looking forward to an even tougher and competitive series as they get set to host Australia for a three-match ODI series. The first of the three ODIs that kick-off the India vs Australia 2020 series will be played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. Keeping in mind the importance of the series, both teams have named a full-strength squad which has a number of matchwinners from both sides.
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Both teams are playing some top quality cricket at the moment. While India have yet not lost a series in this home series which started in September 2019, Australia have recently whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 in their home Test series. This India vs Australia 2020 series is looked as a very important dress-rehearsal for both teams keeping in mind the World T20 to be held in Australia later this year in October. Interestingly, India have played three ODIs after the World Cup, while this will be Australia’s first ODI series after the mega event.
Both teams have played ODIs consistently over the years since 2000. Infact, the two teams have not played an ODI match against each other only for four years since the turn of the century. Since 2013, the numbers take a visible rise. Since the start of 2013, the two teams have met each other 28 times. Both teams have won 13 games each, with two games washed out. In this period, the two teams have competed in three series each – home and away – and both teams have won three each. In the last two series played between both teams, India won in Australia 2-1 in 2018, while Australia came to India and beat them 3-2 in 2019. Interestingly, they’ve both won one World Cup match each against each other in this period.
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The batsmen from both teams have ruled the roost whenever the two teams have met since 2013. With matches in Mumbai (January 14) Rajkot (January 17) and Bengaluru (January 19), this India vs Australia 2020 series is also expected to be the same. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have scored over 58 percent of India’s runs since 2013. Australia also have given it back to India in their own way. In the 28 matches played, Australia have scored over 300 runs 14 times compared to India’s 11.
The first innings in the two ODIs that have been played at these venues since 2013 reads something like this: 438 and 280 in Mumbai, 325 and 270 in Rajkot, 383 and 334 in Bengaluru. These are hints enough to guess that this India vs Australia series too will be played on the same lines with the pitch expected to be perfect for batting.
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Meanwhile, here are some interesting stats ahead of the first ODI.
1) Since 2013, Virat Kohli (1463), Rohit Sharma (1844) and Shikhar Dhawan (975) have scored the most runs among Indian batsmen.
2) In the 28 matches played since 2013, Australia have scored over 300 runs 14 times compared to India’s 11.
3) Rohit has 70 sixes overall against Australia in ODIs, the highest by any Indian batsmen.
4) There have been eight scores above 350 and on three occasions, totals above 350 have been chased down between the two teams since 2013.
5) Kohli has 8 ODI hundreds against Australia, while Rohit has 7. Sachin Tendulkar with 9 ODI hundreds is still leading the table for most hundreds scored by an Indian batsman against the Aussies.
6) India and Australia have met in nine bilateral series in India, with Australia winning five and India four. Overall India has won 50 games against Aussies while they have won 77.
Squads
Australia
Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (vc), Pat Cummins (vc), Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
India
Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Kedar Jadhav, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav
Here is the Dream XI Predicted team for the match.
