It was only earlier in the year that Australia and India were involved in a feisty Test series, where Virat Kohli and his men emerged victorious. Australia will hope to take revenge when their team visit India for a seven-match ODI and three T20 matches, which should be a belter of a contest, starting next month.
India are presently in Sri Lanka, where they have given rest to some of their key pacers, but they need to play with their best players against the strong-looking Australian side. The Aussies have announced their squad and it is a team packed with stars, with most of them having proved themselves in the IPL, which will come in handy.
They look a well-balanced side and a team capable of beating India if they get their act going. Though the Test series might have been played in turners, it is going to be different in the ODI series, with pitches expected to be more batting-friendly. Australia will look to flourish under such conditions.
Steve Smith will lead Australia in both the formats. The Australian players, who have been picked for the India series, have plenty of experience, playing in India. With the likes of David Warner, Smith, Glenn Maxwell and bowlers such as Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter Nile, Jos Hazlewood, they have plenty of firepower in both the batting and bowling department to trouble India.
However, they will miss the services of Mitchell Starc, who has not been risked for India. He will look to get back to full fitness ahead and prepare for the Ashes.
"We have recently reviewed the progress of Mitchell's right foot injury and the healing process has been slower than we would have liked. Consequently, in order to ensure his best possible preparation for the Ashes, he will be unavailable for the tour of India and will continue his rehab in Australia with an aim to have him play for New South Wales in the domestic one-day cup," Fox Sports quoted team physiotherapist David Beakley as saying.
Coming to the T20 side, it more or less remains the same, but Jason Behrendorff, Daniel Christian will travel to India for the shorter format, while Hazlewood will not feature.
India have always been a strong team at home, irrespective of the format, and are ranked number three (ODI) and fifth (T20). They have played good cricket for the last couple of months or more, but this Australian side will not be an easy nut to crack. This could India's biggest test under the new-formed partnership of head coach Ravi Shastri and captain Kohli.
Australia's ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa
T20 squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Jason Behrendorff, Dan Christian, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Tim Paine, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa
