After securing a 2-1 series victory in the Test series, Team India will now square off against Australia in the 3-match ODI series. The Wankhede Cricket Stadium in Mumbai will host the first ODI today (March 17).
Regular captain Rohit Sharma is unavailable for this game due to family commitments. Vice-captain Hardik Pandya is leading the side in his absence. He won the toss and opted to field first.
Team India chose to go with four-seam bowling options along with two spinners. In-form Kuldeep Yadav got the nod ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal, while Shardul Thakur was preferred over Washington Sundar for the bowling all-rounder slot in the lower order.
Here are the playing XIs:
India XI: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya(c), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami
Australia XI: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
Fans took note of the developments during the toss of the 1st ODI and then expressed their views by sharing memes on Twitter.
Here is a collection of the best memes:
"I got some time to prepare and work on my skillsets and my fitness"- Team India captain Hardik Pandya
Speaking at the toss, Hardik Pandya revealed that he utilized the break time well to rejuvenate himself and is raring to get back onto the field for Team India.
He pointed out the dew factor and needing the exposure of chasing as the reasons behind the decision to bowl first. Pandya said:
"Looks like a good track, dew might be a factor later on. I feel we've been batting quite well in the first innings but it's time for us to test ourselves for the second innings and see how well we chase. I got some time to prepare and work on my skillsets and my fitness. For me, breaks are like gold dust, it gives me a chance to go and improve myself."
"It's a great honour for me to lead India in ODIs as well. Playing for the country, every game, every format is important. With an ODI World Cup here, it makes the ODI games more important. At the same time, I think a lot of people are playing ODI cricket for years. It's kind of learning new things and putting ourselves in different situations."
Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news