AUS vs IND, 1st ODI Preview: Kohli, Rohit return as Gill leads new-look side against Australia

Even amid the focus on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s return to the Indian side, Shubman Gill’s first outing as a full-time One-Day International captain adds another layer of interest to the series opener against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday.

The old guard returns

Kohli and Rohit are set to play their first ODI since the Champions Trophy final in March. The last time the two played under a different captain was nine years ago, against New Zealand. In their absence, India played a full home and away cycle with new combinations across formats, adjusting to a younger core.

Both have been training intensively for this comeback — Rohit looked noticeably leaner during the nets session in Bengaluru, while Kohli has been working privately in London to regain full match rhythm.

Their challenge will be to find form quickly after a long gap since the Indian Premier League (IPL), their last competitive appearance. For the pair, facing Australia again — a side that has brought out their best over the years — offers a familiar and testing return.

Rohit, meanwhile, slots back in purely as a senior player, with no captaincy duties for the first time in years.

Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar indicated that the management would review roles after this series.

“They are part of the squad at the moment… Once they start playing, then you assess,” Agarkar said during an event.

Gill’s first test

The future, however, belongs to Gill. The 26-year-old will lead a largely settled unit but one that still looks to Rohit and Kohli for direction. Gill has already matched senior standards as a batter in overseas conditions; now comes the leadership test.

India’s 75 per cent win record under Rohit in ODIs provides a high benchmark, and the Mitchell Marsh-led Australia — even without Pat Cummins — will be a challenging first opponent.

Team combinations

The Gill–Rohit opening pair is expected to continue, with Yashasvi Jaiswal as backup. Kohli should bat at No. 3, followed by Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, who will keep wickets. Nitish Kumar Reddy could debut as all-rounder in Hardik Pandya’s absence.

Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna are in contention to partner Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, while Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will handle spin.

Australia will rely on Cooper Connolly, Marnus Labuschagne, and Matthew Renshaw to support Marsh and Travis Head.

Pitch watch

The Optus Stadium has offered little joy to batters in recent ODIs, with Australia dismissed for 152 and 140 in its last two outings at the venue. In fact, the host has lost all three of its ODIs at this ground. The drop-in surface usually keeps both pacers and spinners interested, but with forecast for rain, the conditions could play a bigger role than the pitch itself.

THE SQUADS

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc.

India: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Match starts at 9 a.m. IST.

Published on Oct 18, 2025