Daijiworld Media Network

Pune, Oct 13 : A warm welcome to one and all for the first match of the 7-match ODI series. Australia are without their captain Michael Clarke and will be hoping for a turnaround in their fortunes. India, on the other hand, have won their last 8 ODIs and with a set opening combination they will be looking to give their best.

This is the first time that an ODI is being played at this venue. Australia have a great record in ODIs in India. Apart from a 0-1 loss in 2010, the visitors won the last two bilateral series 4-2

Australia lost the one-off T20I despite putting up a very good score on the board and their bowlers need to pull up their socks to be successful against an aggressive Indian batting line-up. The Indian bowlers too were found wanting and skipper Dhoni stressed on the importance to hit the right areas. It will be interesting to see the team compositions of both the sides.

Pitch Report: There are a few cracks on the surface and it looks like a bat-first pitch. The new ball will be coming onto the bat nicely but as the innings progresses, there might be some uneven bounce. On the whole, the captain winning the toss would look to bat first and any score above 240-250 will be challenging.

Australia have won the toss and have opted to bat

Bailey: 'We will bat first. There is a little bit more grass on this one than we normally see in Pune. It is a big game and it is very important to start the series on a positive note. Maxwell is in for Clarke.'

Dhoni: 'We were looking to bowl first because of the dew factor. We just need to keep our heads calm and build some partnerships. The bowling just needs to improve a bit but on the whole, we have done well. We are looking like a very good fielding side in the world now. That crucial run-out in the middle could turn things around. We are going in with an unchanged squad that played the T20 game.'

Teams:

Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, George Bailey(c), Adam Voges, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin(w), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Clint McKay, Xavier Doherty

India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Ishant Sharma

Match Preview :

With the headlines dominated by the news of Sachin Tendulkar's retirement from the game, the pre-match hype around the ODI series between India and Australia has been minimal. If Tendulkar's retirement was big, the return of Yuvraj Singh into international action promised India of better days in future. The 31 year old southpaw showed signs of returning to his heydays with a brutal assault on the hapless Australian bowlers in the one-off T20I at Rajkot. The scene now shifts to the 50 over format of the game as the two teams battle for the No.1 rank over the next few weeks across the length and breadth of the country, culminating in Bangalore on November 2nd.

India have a firm grip over the No. 1 ranking thanks to their recent performances but a bad slip-up against Australia ( a 5-2 result in favour of Australia) will see the two teams exchanging positions. The team looks more or less settled, and the return of Yuvraj Singh will only strengthen the enviable middle-order. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have gelled well as an opening combination since the Champions Trophy, and although they are yet to match the achievements of some of their more illustrious predecessors, they have given the much needed stability at the top of the order. With a power packed and settled middle order, India do not have too many questions over their batting.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, the spin twins have struggled for impact in the early season. While Jadeja did show some signs of returning to his frugal best during the one-off T20I at Rajkot, Ashwin was a huge disappointment, sending down two expensive overs. Ishant Sharma has been another bowler under the cloud, more often then not flattering to deceive. The two Kumars, Bhuvneshwar and Vinay took 3 wickets each in the T20I and should be automatic starters at Pune.

On the other hand, Australia are beset with problems of their own. Hamstrung by the absence of regular skipper, Michael Clarke, the visitors will rely heavily on their batsmen to make an impact against the hosts. Aaron Finch, while scoring heavily in the T20Is has struggled to recreate that kind of form in the ODI format. The acting captain, George Bailey is the fulcrum in the middle order and he will need the rest of the batting order to give him support. In Clarke's absence, Phillip Hughes, largely considered as the best amongst the emerging bats from Australia will get a chance to prove his credentials. Shane Watson will be expected to play a big role, while Australia will also hope for Glenn Maxwell to continue his recent T20 form.

With many Australians having represented various Indian T20 league franchises, the familiarity with the local conditions will offset any natural advantage that India posses. The likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Faulkner, who despite being on their first trip to India with the national team have been exposed to the Indian conditions thanks to their stints with Mumbai and Rajasthan respectively in T20 games. Xavier Doherty is the lead spinner while Glenn Maxwell and Adam Voges can chip in their bit as well.

Weather Conditions: A warm day is expected as the Maharasthra Cricket Association stadium gears up to host its first ever ODI match. The pitch is expected to be placid and a high scoring game is on the anvil although the Indian skipper expects the wicket to be two-paced.

Quotes:

You take MS Dhoni out (of the Indian team) and that probably answers your question - Australia's acting coach, Steve Rixon laments the loss of Micheal Clarke.

One also has to take into consideration the dew factor. Fast bowlers were unable to bowl yorkers while spinners found it difficult to extract turn and bounce - MS Dhoni is not too concerned about the profligacy of his bowlers.