Rohit Sharma and David Warner are both expected to return for the remaining two ODIs of the India-Australia series.
Hardik Pandya will lead India in the absence of Rohit Sharma in the first ODI against Steve Smith-led Australia. Image: Sportzpics for BCCI
Mumbai: Hardik Pandya won the toss in his first assignment as India’s ODI captain and decided to field against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. Pandya is appearing as the stand-in skipper for India with Rohit Sharma missing the opener of the three-match series.
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Regular skipper Rohit Sharma will return for the final two matches of the series. As per local media, Rohit Sharma is absent due to a family wedding.
India have fielded four seamers including Pandya alongside spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja in the starting XI.
Australia, meanwhile, are without David Warner and Alex Carey for the first ODI. Warner is still not fully fit after suffering a hairline fracture of the elbow during the Test series. The leftie was also ruled out of the second Test with a concussion.
An unwell wicketkeeper Carey is also missing from the Australian playing XI in Mumbai. Josh Inglis will take the gloves in his absence.
With Warner missing, Mitchell Marsh opened the batting alongside Travis Head. The 29-year-old Head perished in the second over after scoring just five runs.
India come into the ODI series after winning the four-Test series 2-1. But both teams can now shift their focus to 50-over matches with ODI World Cup in India in October and November.
India XI: Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya (capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami.
Australia XI: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (capt), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.
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