Aaron Finch-led team Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. After losing the two-match T20I series against Australia team India are now looking to win the ODI series ahead of the 2019 ICC World Cup to boost their confidence. Virat Kohli said he was ready to drop down to the no. 4 spot if Ravi Shastri and the team management ask that of him. Should that materialise, India could consider trying KL Rahul - who Kohli rates very highly - at No.3 in favour of Ambati Rayudu who was to originally bat at No.4. That, though, would be disservice to Rayudu, who has come closest to solving India's long and dreary struggles to find the ideal batsman at two drop. Aaron Finch confirmed the inclusion of Alex Carey in the final XI as the wicketkeeper. Shaun Marsh, who flew in along with Kane Richardson's replacement, Andrew Tye, is unavailable for selection for the first ODI. However, D'Arcy Short, who was with the team as cover for Marsh, is also heading back home now that Marsh has joined the side. India and Australia are playing their first ODI at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. India’s squad for ODIs: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohamed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja Australia’s squad for ODIs: Aaron Finch (C), Alex Carey (WK), Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Ashton Turner, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile<doc-sep>After a disappointing loss in the recently concluded T20I series, India will look to make a strong comeback as the five-match ODI series kicks off in Hyderabad on March 2. In what will be India's final assignment before the World Cup, the Men in Blue will also want to settle on the lineup. The two-match T20I series was dominated by Glenn Maxwell who recorded scores of 56 and 113* to help the Aussies clinch their first T20I bilateral series win over India in more than a decade. Following his third T20I century, 'The Big Show' expressed his desire to bat higher up the order in the ODIs. However, coach Justin Langer has kept his cards close to his chest. Also read | India will continue to 'fine-tune' squad as WC dress rehearsal begins Langer also backed Aaron Finch to come good despite him managing just 0 and 8 in the two T20I games. Finch hasn't been struggling for form in recent times and managed just 26 runs in the three-match ODI series at home against India in January. Despite the 2-0 scoreline, India have a few positives to take away from the T20I series. High among those is the return to form of opener KL Rahul who was the second-highest run-getter with scores of 50 and 47. Rahul's return coupled with the indifferent form of Shikhar Dhawan makes a strong case for the Mangalore lad to be included in the World Cup bound squad. Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah also looked in good form after making a return to the squad following breaks from international cricket. Even MS Dhoni seemed to have found his mojo back in the 2nd T20I after a frustrating outing in the first game. KL Rahul, Vijay Shankar, Rishabh Pant and Siddarth Kaul will all be vying for the two available slots in the World Cup bound squad and the ODI series offers them with one final opportunity to impress. Squads: India (1st and 2nd ODI): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, Lokesh Rahul, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Kuldeep Yadav, Siddarth Kaul, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja. Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, D Arcy Short, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye. Possible Playing XI: India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Australia: Aaron Finch (c), D'Arcy Short, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa and Jason Behrendorff. Players to watch out for: KL Rahul The stylish batsman made an impressive comeback to the Indian squad following an enforced absence due to comments made on a TV show. Rahul said he spent his time away fine-tuning his technique under Rahul Dravid when playing for India A and the results were there to be seen in the T20I series. He looked his dominant best and will be eager to continue that form in the ODI format. Glenn Maxwell The Big Show was unstoppable in the T20Is and even scored runs off India’s premier bowler Jasprit Bumrah in the second match. Maxwell who is known for his big-hitting style has struggled for consistency in the past and he will be hoping that isn't the case this time around especially with the World Cup just around the corner. Recent form: (all formats - most recent first) India: L L L W L Australia: W W W W L Betting Odds: (Bet365) India: 1/2 Australia: 13/8 Other popular bets can be viewed on Oddschecker.com. Timing: The India vs Australia 1st ODI will be beamed live on the Star Sports network from 1.30 PM on March 2. Online users can catch the action live on Hotstar.<doc-sep>
After suffering their maiden T20I bilateral series defeat against Australia, India will hope for improved performance in the ODIs. The five-match ODI series will be India's final outing before the 2019 World Cup. Even though the players will be in action in the Indian Premier League, it will be in a different format and also under different circumstances. With that in focus, the Indian think tank will use the series as the final testing ground. Meanwhile, India faced an injury scare on the eve of the match. Former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was hit on the forearm during a throwdown, and was asked to abort training session as a precautionary measure. If he is unavailable for selection, Rishabh Pant will don the gloves. This will be India's 132nd ODI match against the Aussies. Despite India's recent domination in the fixture, they still trail the Aussies 47-74 in the head-to-head record. There were 10 no results too. In the last ten meetings, India have won seven times, which included their maiden ODI series win Down Under. All You Need To Know About The Match Match: 1st ODI match between India and Australia Date: March 2 (Saturday) Time: 1:30 PM IST Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad Likely XI India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), KL Rahul/Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni/Rishabh Pant (wk), Vijay Shankar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Turner, Alex Carey (wk), Adam Zampa, Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson For in-depth, objective and more importantly balanced journalism, Click here to subscribe to Outlook Magazine