After a rare series defeat in the preceding T20I series, India will aim to start on a winning note in the 50-over format when they take on Australia in the first ODI at Hyderabad on Saturday.
The five-match ODI series will serve as the final international engagement for India before the start of the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and as such, there is plenty riding on it for the Men in Blue.
As the two teams gets ready for the first ODI, we take a look at the key talking points.
FINCH FEELING THE HEAT
There was plenty to celebrate for Australia in their 2-0 dismantling of India in the T20 series but question marks remain over skipper Aaron Finch’s horrendous form.
It has been a difficult few months for Finch with his form fading since he was handed a Test debut against Pakistan in October. The right-hander was subsequently dropped from the Australia Test squad but his poor displays has extended to the limited-overs formats.
In the last 10 ODIs, Finch has only managed 225 runs at an average of just 22.50. The Melbourne man was extremely subdued in the ODI series against India on home soil at the start of the year and has now failed to fire in India as well with a combined total of eight runs in the two T20 clashes.
Coach Justin Langer has come out publicly to back the under-fire skipper but having a under performing player in such a vital role just months ahead of the World Cup does not bode well for Australia.
The walls are closing in on skipper Aaron Finch.
KL RAHUL AND CO BATTLE IT OUT FOR WORLD CUP SPOTS
With just five ODIs to play before the start of the World Cup, the rush for places in the India squad has intensified. The five-match series will be a make or break one for several players in the squad, none more so than KL Rahul.
The right-hander seemed to be out of the running for a World Cup berth following some extremely poor displays over the course of 2018 but he has got himself back into the reckoning with two half-centuries in the T20 series. If Rahul can carry over his form to the ODI series, he could put himself ahead of Ambati Rayudu to take the No4 spot in the batting order.
Apart from Rahul, it is also a final opportunity for Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar and Siddarth Kaul to seal their places. Pant struggled in the T20 series and the 21-year-old will need to get it right in the ODIs if he wants to sneak into the squad as a specialist batsman.
Shankar meanwhile has shown glimpse of his all-round potential but is yet to truly convince the selectors. For Kaul, it is an unexpected opportunity to take one of the pacers’ slots with left-armed Khaleel Ahmed ignored for the series.
The clock is ticking fast for these players and it remains to be seen if they sink or swim under the huge pressure.
Final audition for KL Rahul before the World Cup.
INDIA TO PLAY KULDEEP TRUMP CARD
Having chosen to rest Kuldeep Yadav for the preceding T20 series, India will be looking to unleash him on the Aussies in the ODI clashes.
The young wrist-spinner has been an exceptional wicket-taking threat for India in the limited-overs formats with his partnership with Yuzvendra Chahal developing into one of the most formidable ones in international cricket.
The 24-year-old has been in scorching form in recent times and captured 10 wickets in four matches in India’s ODI series win in New Zealand.
Skipper Virat Kohli and the team management have been very careful in their handling of Kuldeep so far and have tried to limit his exposure in the run up the World Cup. Maintaining the ‘mystery’ in Kuldeep’s wrist-spin ahead of cricket’s global showpiece looks to be the most likely reason for cutting down his appearances.
However, with the final stretch before the World Cup now underway, Kuldeep will probably get maximum game time and should be a menace for Australia’s batsman with his subtle variations.
Kuldeep should be a handful for the Aussies in the ODI series.