Titans collide in Chennai as India eye a victorious start to their World Cup campaign

India will open up their World Cup 2023 campaign against Australia at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, a clash that already has the fans buzzing well before the match. 

As Chennai gears up for India vs Australia, the Men in Blue will also be prepared to embark upon a remarkable marathon in the form of the World Cup that will last for a month and a half. However, the hope of starting the tournament with a full-blown side has been dashed as Shubman Gill has been diagnosed with dengue and is doubtful for the curtain-raiser.

With Gill not being a part of the equation, dynamic left-hander Ishan Kishan could be in line to play his first ODI World Cup game, while on the bowling front, it is intriguing to see how the Indian team look to fit local hero Ravichandran Ashwin into the XI. 

Barring Gill, however, the rest of the Indian batting unit looks in fine fettle with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer all in decent form. They will also be hoping for Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav, if he plays, to take up the finishing mantle against Australia, who boast of a very potent bowling unit.

Being a five-time champion in the antiquity of the fray, Australia are blessed with some powerful strikers in their line-up, in addition to the fact that they will be brimming with confidence. The team has a deep batting unit that can make the most out of any situation and particularly on the batting-friendly surfaces, the Aussies can prove to be unstoppable.

Knowing the surface of Chennai, the likes of Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and David Warner will be raring to take the yard while Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell can prove to be the game-changers with their varied skill-sets.

Venue Watch:

Surprisingly, the surface was a paradise for the fast bowlers in its heydays, but after its initial wear and tear and particularly ever since India started banking on spin a lot more, Chepauk has witnessed a major change in the ilk of the track. Among the top 10 wicket-takers who have graced the venue, Kapil Dev is the solitary fast bowler, with Anil Kumble on top of the list with 48 scalps. The ground has hosted 34 games out of which 17 were won batting first while 16 were won chasing. It isn’t particularly one of those featherbeds that would make batters swoon in awe but a living cast of nightmares that prove to spit nightmares in every possible way with every alternative delivery. The average first innings score here is 224 while the average score batting second slumps down to 205.

Head to Head:

Matches played: 149

India – 56

Australia - 83

Match Details:

Match – India vs Australia

Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Date: 8th October, 2023

Time: 2:00 PM

World Cup face-offs:

Matches played: 8

India – 4

Australia – 8

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.

Australia: Pat Cummins (C), David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (WK), Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.