Preparations for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup are reaching their climax now, with Australia travelling to India for a rapid-fire three-match series before the main event gets underway.
Coming off a disappointing series loss against South Africa, the Aussies will be keen to bounce back and we have you covered with a full preview and betting tips for Game 1, set to be played in Mohali on Friday at 6:00pm (AEST).
Check out our best bets for the 1st India vs Australia ODI below and good luck if following!
India vs Australia 1st ODI Preview & Betting Tips
Mohali Stadium, Friday 22nd September, 6:00pm (AEST)
India
India have made a massive statement in the lead up to this World Cup, destroying Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Final to emerge as dominant champions.
Despite playing on Sri Lanka’s home turf, India lost just one game for the whole tournament before dismantling the hosts by 10 wickets, led by a rampant Mohammed Siraj who took 6-21 as the home side fell for just 50. India excelled throughout the tournament with both ball and bat – Siraj (10 wickets) and Kuldeep Yadav (9 wickets) were outstanding on the bowling front while just about every batsman made some kind of contribution, with Shubham Gill, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli all hitting tons and performing well.
As such, this cricketing powerhouse is well placed to push for another piece of silverware, especially given that the World Cup will be played on Indian soil.
India have opted to mix things up for this three-game series, leaving stars Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel out of the squad for the first two games. A mix of youth and experience will take to the park in the series opener, with KL Rahul to captain the side.
India Predicted XI: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
Australia
Australia were looking primed for the World Cup after they raced to a 2-0 lead in the recent ODI series against South Africa, but a miraculous comeback saw the Proteas claim the series 3-2 and cast doubt over Australia’s credentials. It was the batting side of the equation that let Australia down, with the visitors failing to top 252 in the final three games, bowled out on each occasion. The middle order specifically really let the men in green and gold down – Marcus Stoinis and Tim David failed to get going and none of the big names converted starts in triple figure scores. Given that trend, the return of Steve Smith from injury for this series is extremely timely. He should slot into the number three position to add some solidity to the top order, replacing Travis Head who is out for the medium term with a wrist injury. The other changes should see Australia select its best bowling attack for at least one or two of these games, welcoming Mitchell Starc back into the fold in order to ensure the strike weapon is well prepared for a gruelling international tournament.
Australia Predicted XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, Adam Zampa
Prediction
If both teams were at full strength, I would expect India to come out on top in this contest, however it appears as if the hosts will field a weaker team for this opening game. With that in mind, and the fact that Australia will be eager to bounce back from the loss to South Africa, I’m actually going to back in the visiting side who should have too much top end talent in this one.
Player Prop Quick Tips
Batsman Matchbet 3: Steve Smith -4.5 ($1.83 @ Ladbrokes) – This matchup pits star performer Smith against rising Indian talent Tilak Varma, and I expect the former to come out on top. Smith averages 45 in ODIs and 57 against India, while Varma has just one match to his name and will be unfamiliar with negotiating Australia’s seasoned bowling attack.
