India vs Australia: Match Preview– ICC World Cup 2023, Match 5
Introduction
India will take on Australia in the 5th match of the 2023 ICC World Cup on October 8th, 2023 at 2:00 pm IST/ 8:30 am IST. The match will be held in Chennai at MA Chidambaram Stadium. India and Australia are among the top contenders to win this tournament, and the match is sure to be a thrilling one.
India vs Australia Cricket World Cup Match Details
| Date | Match | Time | Venue |
| October 08, 2023, Sunday | India vs Australia | 2:00 IST / 8:30 GMT | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
It’s a Sunday special at #CWC23 as the hosts India take on the mighty Australia in Chennai 🔥
— ICC Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) October 8, 2023
Who’s picking up the win today? 👀 pic.twitter.com/RGCsCh6bnh
India vs Australia ICC World Cup Match Preview
India
India is coming into the World Cup on the back of a good run of form. They won the Asia Cup in September 2023, defeating Sri Lanka in the final and also won a three-match ODI series against Australia in September 2023.
Shubman Gill’s absence from the Indian team is the biggest worry heading into this match. He’s scored over 1000 runs in the ODIs so far this year, but it looks like he’s been hit by dengue, as he tested positive for it. So, it looks like Rohit Sharma will be batting with Ishan Mishra or KL Rahul.
India has a strong batting lineup led by Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul. They also have a good bowling attack, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj leading the way.
The other players are almost a part of the set-up. India is hosting the world cup for the 1st time in its history and there are high expectations for the team to win the tournament. A victory over Australia will be a great way to get the team off to a winning start. This is a long tournament and the team is likely to face some or all of the other teams in the tournament as time goes on.
India Squad
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav
Australia
In their last ODI series against India in September, Australia lost 2-1, but won the last ODI of the series. Going back to the same ground where they beat India by two wickets just over half a year ago should give Australia plenty of confidence going into this series.
Australia, who have won the World Cup five times, also have a well-established set of senior players. Skipper Steve Smith, wicketkeeper-batsman David Warner, and off-spinner Josh Hazelwood, who played in the most recent World Cup, as well as paceman Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
There are also a few injury worries. The selectors have already lost Ashton Agar to injury, which has already hurt their spin options. This means that Adam Zampa will need to stay fit and play every game. The only other spin option is Glenn Maxwell. Australia’s pace attack remains their best strength
They are also well-versed in the conditions in India owing to their involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL). This is one of the reasons why they are one of the favourites. The team won the last World Cup when they were co-hosted in 2015. They have everything to win their 6th World Cup.
Australia Squad
Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc
Key Players
India: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
Australia: David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood
Match Prediction
This match is expected to be a very close contest. Both teams have strengths and weaknesses, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. India has the home advantage, but Australia is a very experienced team.
Overall, India is the slight favorite to win this match. They have a more balanced team, and they are playing in home conditions. However, Australia is a very dangerous team, and they should not be underestimated.