After a month-long action in whites, Team India now has a different job in hand in colours as they will began tune-up for the World Cup defence from the tri-series and will lock horns with in-form Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Where to watch tri-series online live streaming
The Australia vs India match is scheduled for a 03:20 GMT (08:50 IST) start, with live streaming option HERE for India viewers. Star Sports network will telecast the match in India. Live score updates are available HERE, HERE and HERE. In Australia, Nine Network will telecast the match live, with live streaming option HERE. The match is also available live online HERE. Sky Sports will broadcast the game in the United Kingdom with live streaming option HERE.
Seeing the recent performances, both home and away, this is the format India is most comfortable playing in but Australia are no dupes and it would be a mammoth task for the ‘Blue Brigade’ to get past them in their first match of the series.
Australia, meanwhile, have already tasted success in the series by handing a thumping defeat to England a couple of days ago. And, after the Test series success, the hosts would be looking to keep the winning momentum going in the recent series.
The touring party has already been jolted as all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Ishant Sharma are ruled out of the Melbourne ODI. Jadeja is recovering from a left shoulder injury while Ishant is having a troubled knee.
It could be a blessing in disguise for the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side as now the India skipper can try different combinations before the World Cup. Axar Patel could be given a chance to know the conditions, while Stuart Binny is also one such option.
“In this series the most important thing for us will be to get the combination right for the World Cup,” Dhoni said. “At the same time we will ensure that we don’t push the players who have minor niggles so they don’t end up being major injuries.”
“We will give them the extra time because we want every player to be at least 80 to 90 per cent fit going into a game,” he added.
Things are fine in batting department, but the real concern is India’s bowling, which let the team down in the Test series. Except Ishant and Ravichandran Ashwin no one looked promising, Mohammed Shami in patches, but a lot of work is requires.
“The execution of yorkers and bouncers becomes very crucial and that’s what we have been working on in the last few days,” Dhoni said. “The bowlers are doing pretty well with the yorkers and if they can replicate in the match, we will be very happy with it.”
Squads: Australia: Michael Clarke (c), George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner and Shane Watson.
India: MS Dhoni (C) (W), Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav.
