SWOT analysis of India's ODI squad for the Australian tour

Threats:

India defeated Australia 2-1 in their backyard after clinching the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January 2019. However, that was a relatively weaker Australian lineup, as the likes of David Warner and Steve Smith were still not allowed to play competitive cricket after the Sandpaper-gate. Both Smith and Warner have an excellent ODI record against India, scoring 937 in 15 innings and 838 runs in 18 innings respectively.

While the return of Hardik Pandya has certainly strengthened the ODI side, he last played an ODI back in the 2019 WC. Besides, he didn’t bowl a single over in the Indian Premier League after coming back from a back injury. He is a more than handy 6th bowling option, as he proved his worth in the World Cup, picking up wickets at crucial stages of the matches.

Even the likes of Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell, who had a poor run in the IPL, are in good form in ODIs. Often, these 5th or 6th bowling options tend to trick the top batsmen after a good spell by the premier bowlers. Pandya won’t be rushed into bowling certainly, but Kohli would look to try and get him back to bowling a few overs here and there once he starts regaining his fitness. Warner and Smith pose a dangerous threat at home, and India would be looking to counter them early on in the innings.