Australia and India are set to reignite one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries in the opening ODI of the 2025 series at Perth Stadium on October 19. The match promises high-intensity action, with both teams fielding new combinations and leaderships, as Shubman Gill leads India in his first full series as ODI captain while Mitchell Marsh continues his leadership tenure for the hosts.​

Shubman Gill begins his captaincy journey for India in ODIs

India’s tour of Australia marks a crucial phase in their post-tournament transition, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returning after a long rest period. Gill’s leadership will be under the microscope as he aims to find the perfect balance between youth and experience. The squad includes attacking talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer alongside established anchors such as KL Rahul and Axar Patel. With Mohammed Siraj spearheading the pace attack along with Arshdeep SinghIndia appear well-equipped to exploit the fast Perth surface. The batting order looks solid but will need early application against Australia’s fiery opening bowlers.​

Australia, meanwhile, enter the contest looking to rebound from inconsistent ODI form, having lost three bilateral series earlier this year. They are missing several senior players but boast talented new faces like Cooper Connolly and Mitchell Owen. The trio of Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagneand Mitchell Marsh remains the backbone of their lineup, while pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will be key weapons on a surface tailored for them. Historically, Perth’s fast and bouncy track suits Australian quicks, but their poor record at this very venue — three losses in as many ODIs — may loom large in their minds.

AUS vs IND, 1st ODI: Match Details

• Date and Time: October 19; 09:00 am IST/ 03:30 am GMT/ 11:30 AM Local
• Venue: Perth Stadium, Perth

AUS vs IND, Head-to-Head Record:

Matches Played: 152 | Australia won: 84 | India: 58 | No results: 10

Perth Stadium Pitch Report:

The Optus Stadium pitch is known for its pace and bounce, making it one of the toughest surfaces for batters early on. In the three ODIs played here, teams batting second have won twice, with the average first-innings total being only around 183. Fast bowlers tend to dominate, claiming five times as many wickets as spinners. Batters must adapt quickly to the extra lift before launching into strokes. Once settled, however, stroke-makers can cash in later in the innings. Toss will be crucial, as teams prefer chasing under lights when the surface eases out.​ The weather forecast for Sunday looks favourable for cricket with partly cloudy skies and pleasant temperatures. A score around 260 could prove highly competitive given this venue’s track history.

Squads:

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

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

AUS vs IND, 1st ODI: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Australia wins the toss and bowls first
• India powerplay score: 80-90
• India total score: 350-360

Case 2:

• India wins the toss and bowls first
• Australia powerplay score: 70-80
• Australia total score: 330-340

Match result: Team batting second will win the game.