At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the Indian Cricket Team chose to field first after winning the toss. However, the Australian team faced setbacks with David Warner being deemed unfit and Alex Carey returning to Australia due to illness.
The focus now shifts to Virat Kohli, who scored a superb century in the fourth Test match of BGT. As Rohit Sharma is unavailable for the 1st ODI, Kohli will have to bat responsibly.
The Australian team had a commendable powerplay as they managed to score 59 runs while only losing one wicket. Despite losing Travis Head in the second over, the visitors remained composed. Smith and Marsh batted with ease and took advantage of any loose deliveries, with Mitchell Marsh appearing to be in excellent form.
After 10 overs, the Australian team’s score stood at 59-1. During the 11th over, bowled by Hardik Pandya, Mitchell Marsh was struck on the pads by the ball. The ball then headed towards deep mid-wicket, where Virat Kohli, who was initially at short cover, sprinted to try and prevent two runs. He managed to reach the ball before the mid-wicket fielder, with Australia’s score being 62-1 at that point, in 10.3 overs.
The Australian team’s target would be to achieve a score of more than 280 runs since India has several all-rounders in their team. Steve Smith, the captain, would be under the spotlight, eager to prove himself after a forgettable BGT 2023, where he failed to score a single half-century.
Leading the side in the T20I format and in ODIs would be a significant challenge for skipper Hardik Pandya. To confuse the batters with his variations, Hardik should use Shardul Thakur in short spells since the right-arm pacer possesses all the necessary skills. After crushing Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the ODI series, the Men in Blue would be eager to maintain their winning streak.
