Select Your Indian team for 1st ODI vs Australia

Should Shikhar Dhawan open with Mayank Agarwal or Shubman Gill?
Should India continue with K L Rahul in the middle order?
Pick your Indian team for the first ODI against Australia in Sydney on November 27.

IMAGE: K L Rahul's move to the middle order worked well in New Zealand earlier this year.
He scored 88 not out from 64 balls and 112 from 113 balls at No 5 in the three-match series in February. Photograph: Hannah Peters/Getty Images

The three match ODI series against Australia will mark India's return to international cricket after a long hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indian Premier League would have served as a nice warm-up for India's cricketers. They will be eager to prove their mettle at the highest level when they take on the Aussies in the series opener at the SCG on Friday, November 27.

India have been hampered by the big loss of batting mainstay Rohit Sharma, who was injured during the IPL, and will miss both the ODI and T20 series. But his absence provides an excellent opportunity for K L Rahul to step up and underline his credentials.

The Karnataka right-hander replaces Rohit as the vice-captain for the limited overs series and will be expected to contribute majorly with the bat in the three-match ODI and T20 series.

Rahul, who will also don the gloves behind the wickets, is expected to bat in the middle order in the ODIs, like he did in New Zealand earlier this year, despite his superb run with the bat at the top of the order for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020.

It will be interesting to see who opens the batting for India in the first ODI. Head Coach Ravi Shastri and Captain Virat Kohli will go with the experience of Shikhar Dhawan who got back among the runs in the IPL, while the choice of the other opener could be between Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill.

Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer form a strong middle order, with the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja expected to provide the fireworks at the end.

India boasts of a strong bowling line-up, especially in the pace department.

Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are in top form going into the ODIs and it will be interesting to see whether Navdeep Saini or Shardul Thakur partners the duo as the third pace bowler.

Yuzvendra Chahal, who excelled in the IPL, will lead the spin department ahead of Kuldeep Yadav, who seems to have fallen out of favour.

Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI in the first ODI? Pick your team by clicking on the boxes below:

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