India vs. Australia first ODI: Hosts to ‘get off to winning start’ in three-match series?

India return to One Day International action this month as they welcome Australia in a three-game series.

The encounter comes on the back of a previous three-match series, where India beat West Indies 2-1 last month.

Both sides have fixtures in the format against New Zealand and South Africa in the coming weeks, but both will be fully focused on the immediate task at hand.

SYDNEY,AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 4: Australian supporter enjoys with a glass of beer in the final Ashes Test cricket match at Sydney Cricket Ground,Australia on January 4, 2014

The first match gets underway on Tuesday, with the hosts available at 10/11 to get off to winning start.

It’s 11/10 for Australia to win game one of three, with a draw available at 6/1.

The visitors last played an ODI game last summer, losing out to England in the World Cup semi-final in July. They will, therefore, be out for a positive result, but face a tough test against an Indian side that currently occupy second place in the ODI world rankings.

Australia sit fourth, and will be looking to climb the leaderboard with victory on the road.

India find themselves in such a commanding position heading into the tie, and that’s mainly thanks to the performances of their batsmen. Captain Virat Kohli sits top of the ODI batting rankings, with this team-mate Rohit Sharma just behind him in second.

Kohli is currently 13/5to top score in the opening game against Australia, with Sharma available at 3/1.

The visitors do, however, boast several top talents of their own. David Warner will be keen to get his ODI year off to a flying start, and he’s 3/1 to top score for Australia.

But Steve Smith and Aaron Finch will also undoubtedly be in contention to score runs for the away side. The former is currently 11/4 to be the top batsman for the Aussies, with the latter available at 7/2.

But while India may be looking more dangerous in terms of batting, their opposition undoubtedly hold all the cards with regards to bowling. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc both find themselves in the top ten ODI bowling rankings, and they’ll be looking to continue their impressive displays on Tuesday.

Cummins can be backed at 3/1 to be his side’s top wicket taker, with Starc available at 7/2.

For the hosts, it’s Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal who will be looking to impress with the ball. Bumrah is currently 11/4 to be India’s top wicket taker, while Chahal can be backed at 10/3.

It’s currently 5/4 for a century to be scored in the first innings of the match.
The first game takes place at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium hosting the second meeting. The third and final fixture will be played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.