Perth, 19 October (H.S.): As India prepares to face Australia in the first ODI of their three-match series on Sunday, all eyes are on the dawn of a new era with Shubman Gill taking the captaincy for the first time. The highly anticipated clash at Optus Stadium will also mark the celebrated return of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the Indian side for the first time since March 2025 .

While the team welcomes back its seasoned veterans, it will be without the services of key players Jasprit Bumrah, who is being rested, and the injured Hardik Pandya. This opens the door for young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy to make his mark, stepping into the crucial role vacated by Pandya .

The predicted lineup suggests a powerful and experienced top order, with Captain Gill expected to open alongside Rohit Sharma, followed by Virat Kohli at his customary number three position. Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper KL Rahul are slated to solidify the middle order at numbers four and five, respectively.

Axar Patel is expected to feature as the second all-rounder, while Harshit Rana's inclusion at number seven would add depth to both the batting and pace attack . Mohammed Siraj will spearhead the bowling, with Kuldeep Yadav as the sole specialist spinner .

The final spot in the pace battery is a point of contention, with a tough choice to be made between the left-arm swing of Arshdeep Singh and the raw pace of Prasidh Krishna .

India's Predicted XI for 1st ODI vs Australia:

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh/Prasidh Krishna.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar