India’s struggle with the toss in ODIs shows no signs of easing. In the first ODI of the three-match series at Optus Stadium, Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first, extending India’s streak to 16 consecutive toss losses. The last time India had won a toss in this format was in the semifinals of the CWC 2023 against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium.Despite the toss setback, India will look to focus on the return of their stars, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and aim for a series win under the new leadership of Shubman Gill. Gill, leading the side in his first ODI assignment as captain, spoke about staying mentally ready and backing his team combination, which includes three fast bowlers, three all-rounders, and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Australia, led by Mitch Marsh in the absence of regular captain Pat Cummins, hope to make the most of the toss advantage. Marsh highlighted the mix of youth and experience in his line-up and expressed confidence in getting off to a strong start.India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep SinghAustralia (Playing XI): Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh(c), Matthew Short, Josh Philippe(w), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh HazlewoodThe rivalry between the two sides has been tight in recent years. Since 2020, Australia have won seven ODIs against India, while India have edged ahead with eight victories. India’s last bilateral series win in Australia came with a 2-1 result, achieved after losing the series opener but bouncing back in the final two games.
