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India’s ODI Squad Talking Points: Key Questions for India | Key questions India need to answer ahead of their ODI series against Australia

India’s new selection committee, led by Sunil Joshi and Harvinder Singh, recently picked the squads for all the three formats of India’s tour to Australia. The tour will begin with a 3-match ODI series on 27th November with the first two ODIs in Sydney and the third to be held in Canberra.

ODI Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (vc&wk), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Mayank Agarwal, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur

Here are the major talking points from India’s ODI squad.

Who will open the innings?

Rohit Sharma hasn’t been included in the white-ball squads for the Australia tour, after concerns over his hamstring. If there is one format where India will miss the opening batsman the most it is ODIs and understandably so. Though Rohit made a mark for himself in Tests last year and has 4 T20I centuries to his name, it is ODIs where he has been in invincible form over the past 2-3 years. Since the 2017 Champions Trophy, Rohit has scored 3984 runs in 70 innings at an average of 65.31. He has hit 19 centuries and 14 half-centuries, including 5 centuries at the Cricket World Cup 2019.

So who will fill the void that Rohit leaves at the top of the order? Shikhar Dhawan is a certainty considering that he has been consistent in the past half a decade for India, the experienced southpaw will be back at the top of the order. KL Rahul was the no. 5 in the series against Australia and New Zealand earlier this year and it’s unlikely that the KXIP skipper will be asked to open again. His teammate and longtime friend, Mayank Agarwal will be Dhawan’s partner but it will be interesting to see what approach and strategy the unpredictable team management adopts down under.

Also read: Virat Kohli to miss last three Tests

Who is the finisher and all-rounder?

In the absence of the flamboyant Rishabh Pant in India’s middle order, Hardik Pandya, another big-hitter, will be entrusted with the responsibility of finishing the innings. But with Pandya selected as a specialist batsman, India will have to include an all-rounder or a bowler at No. 7. Ravindra Jadeja may well get the nod as the only genuine all-rounder in the side, as sans Hardik, there is no pace-bowling all rounder.

Another alternative might be to promote Hardik at 5, and let KL Rahul open the batting and include Jadeja and Thakur at number 6 and 7 respectively. It can be said that the decision of the selectors to not include another all-rounder may well backfire.

The balance of the side can be a point of discussion when the ODI XI is selected with the lack of genuine all-rounders in the side. Plus, the inability of any of the Top 5 batsmen to bowl and chip with a few overs means that the bowlers will have to be on their game.

Written by Sarthak Karkhanis. Follow Sarthak on Twitter today.