Australia and India are set to renew their cricketing rivalry on Sunday in Perth as the first ODI of a three-match series gets underway. Australia, who have been historically dominant on their home soil, will look to maintain their stronghold, while India, buoyed by a strong squad, will hope to halt Australia's winning momentum.

Australia's record at home has been formidable in recent years. The last time India managed to clinch an ODI series on Australian soil was in the 2018-19, where they won 2-1 in a gripping three-match series. Since then, Australia have consistently leveraged their home advantage, with an aggressive brand of cricket that has played a key role in unsettling visiting teams.

India’s tour this time signals a transition. Shubman Gill begins his journey as India’s ODI captain, marking a generational shift in Indian cricket. Gill recently replaced Rohit Sharma as India's ODI captain. Gill, who has already showcased maturity in the Test format as captain, will now shoulder the responsibility of leading a side that includes some of the game’s most recognised names.

The return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli brings much-needed stability and star power to the Indian line-up. Both veterans are playing their first ODI since the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Notably, they have stepped away from both T20I and Test formats. Meanwhile, their experience in ODIs remains invaluable. 

India’s pace attack also carries an edge heading into this series. Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna will lead the attack. India come into the series with momentum on their side, having put in a consistent performance during the recent Champions Trophy. And that confidence will be vital in breaking Australia’s recent dominance at home.

Australia, on the other hand, are in the midst of a transition phase of their own following the retirements of Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Stoinis from ODIs. Moreover, Pat Cummins is unavailable, as he is still recovering from a back injury. Cameron Green has been ruled out of the series, and Adam Zampa, Alex Carey and Josh Inglis are unavailable for the first game. For Australia, a lot will depend on skipper Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Matt Short and Matt Renshaw.

Head-to-head

Matches - 152

AUS won - 84

IND won - 58

No result - 10

Australia Probable XI: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Matt Short, Matt Renshaw, Josh Philippe (wk), Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matt Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood

India probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (capt), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Nitish Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh