'No Ashwin, Ishan & Surya': Sunil Gavaskar's India XI For IND vs AUS ODI World Cup 2023 Match

Ind vs Aus ODI World Cup 2023: Ravichandran Ashwin has played only four ODIs in the last six years but has been included in India's final ODI World Cup 2023 squad as injured Axar Patel's replacement.

Sunil Gavaskar's lineup does not feature star players Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav. ( Image Source :PTI )

India vs Australia in ODI World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team will commence its journey in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 with a high-octane match against Australia in Chennai on Sunday, October 8, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Ex-India opener Sunil Gavaskar, one of the most respected voices in international cricket, has revealed his India playing XI for IND vs AUS ODI World Cup 2023 match. Notably, Gavaskar's lineup does not feature star players Ravichandran Ashwin, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav.

Notably, Chennai is the home ground of veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has played only four ODIs in the last six years but has been included in India's final ODI World Cup 2023 squad as injured Axar Patel's replacement. Of the four ODIs, two came last week during India vs Australia three-match ODI series. Ashwin's inclusion raised quite a few eyebrows.

Speaking on the Star Sports show, Gavaskar said," In any team, the top three batters are quite important. A good start from the openers helps the others that follow to play freely. The contribution from the opening pair is going to be crucial."

"You may pick three fast bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah. If they want to go with two seamers since they already have Hardik Pandya, then an extra spinner can be included. You can have Ashwin in the eleven," the cricketer-turned-commentator added.

Sunil Gavaskar's India XI for WC match against Australia: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami.

Irfan Pathan, who was also part of the discussion, suggested that India must play five proper bowlers.

"I agree with the top seven. But I want the Indian team to go with the proper five bowlers," Pathan said. "You have Hardik as the sixth bowler, but you should go with bowlers with wicket-taking abilities. The pitches you will get now, there's a possibility of dew, so then you need to have solid bowling throughout the World Cup."

"So go with the main bowlers, be it three fast bowlers that include Siraj, Shami, and Bumrah. If you want someone to team up with Kuldeep Yadav, then go with a proper bowler in Jadeja if it's on a turning track. Go with proper bowlers who only think about wickets. Your top-7 batters can take care of the runs," he added.