IND v AUS 2020, 1st ODI: Australia's predicted playing XI

Middle order: Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk)

Can Labuschagne turn an impressive start into a dominant ODI career?

Steve Smith walks into the XI for Australia, with an erratic IPL 2020 season being a minor blip on his recent record. Accompanying him at No. 4 should be Marnus Labuschagne.

The duo form a formidable partnership in Test matches, and would look to replicate something similar in the shorter format - Labuschagne has more than shown his capability to do so. They should force out competitors such as Moises Henriques, who has been in and around the setup for a while but has not been able to put a foot in the door.

The biggest conundrum for Australia would be for the wicketkeeper's spot. While Alex Carey looks set to retain the spot after an under-pressure hundred against England in the final ODI, Matthew Wade was roped in as his replacement in the final T20 against England. Unimpressive performances in his limited IPL 2020 opportunities do not bode well for him as well.

However, given the amount of faith the Aussie camp place in their former vice-captain, Carey is unlikely to be benched.