IND vs AUS Who Will Win Match 5: India, the number-one ranked team will take on five-time champions, Australia. It is touted to be a showdown between the two potential finalists. India is one of the only two teams to have won 4 games against Australia in the World Cup. Australia though has a superior 8-4 win-loss record against India. They won the semifinal encounter in 2015 but India got one better in 2019. It has been even-sevens this year too with both teams winning 3-games apiece.
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IND vs AUS Who Will Win Match 5 of ICC World Cup 2023?
India’s last-minute injury concerns:
The Indian team appeared to be settling into a nice rhythm with their first-choice playing XI firing on all cylinders. They won the Asia Cup after a 5-year trophy drought in multi-nation tournaments. India won the 3-match series against Australia with a game to play. It seemed as if India knew who their XI for the first game in the World Cup be.
But Shubman Gill’s bout with dengue has thrown open India’s plans. The star opener is a doubtful starter for this marquee game. How the team copes up with this last-minute change will play an important role in the game.
Australia’s star-studded playing XI:
The most successful team of the World Cup is one of the strong contenders for this edition of the tournament too. Australia has a galaxy of stars with every member of their starting XI/XII capable of winning the game on their own. The opening pair of David Warner and Mitchell Marsh is arguably the most destructive in the tournament. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne lend solidity to the middle order. Glenn Maxwell at number 5 is their MVP.
Mitchell Starc will spearhead the bowling attack. His left-arm pace has been too hot to handle for India on many occasions. He will hold the key for Australia, especially with the new ball. Adam Zampa is another bowler who has historically troubled Indian batters. He was in fact the POTM in the series decider between the two sides at Chennai earlier this year.
The pitch-side story:
A total of 23 ODIs have been played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium so far. The team batting first has won the game on 14 occasions while 8 times the side chasing has prevailed. One of the games did not produce a result. India hasn’t had the greatest of numbers at Chepauk in ODIs. They have won 7 and lost 6. India has lost both of their recent games played at this venue.
The X-factors:
Shreyas Iyer is India’s best player of spin. He played well within himself in the final ODI at Rajkot against the Australian spinners. But he will look to express himself more in the opening game against Australia. The Australian team will look to bounce Iyer out. He might adopt a counterattacking game to catch them off-guard.
Glenn Maxwell put in a solid performance picking up 4-wickets with the ball. On the Chepauk surface, his role becomes even more crucial. It will be interesting to see if he is able to produce an encore.
Ravichandran Ashwin was on top of his game in Indore. He spun a web around the Aussie batters. If Ashwin gets going it will be a thrilling battle between him and the batters. The oneupmanship will be there for everyone to see. It promises to be an exciting encounter. Over to the game to begin!
