What could be India's first-choice playing XI for the first ODI

The ODI series between India and Australia will commence on 12th January at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This match will prove to be a thrilling encounter between two competitive sides looking to outdo each other in the international arena. It will also be interesting as will tell us which side will have the advantage over the other in the rest of the series.

Having won their first ever Test series in Australia, the Indian team will be confident, and Virat Kohli will expect no less than another series victory from his side. The Indian side has a problem of plenty, and hence it will be interesting to see about who will be picked in the team on Saturday.

Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma

Shikhar Dhawan has established as one of the most senior players in the ODI set-up for India. His capability to score a lot of runs in the powerplay overs has paid rich dividends for India in the past.

Despite being in poor form, Dhawan is set to get the green signal ahead of the struggling KL Rahul for the first ODI. In the last four years, Dhawan has scored 342 runs in eight matches at an average of 42.75 in Australia.

Rohit Sharma is one of the most dominating batsmen in the limited overs format. His calm temperament at the start of his innings and ability to accelerate towards the end makes him a special player to watch out for the fans.

Since 2015, Rohit Sharma has scored 613 runs in seven matches at an average of 102.16 against the mighty Aussies in their backyard. Having played decently in the recently concluded Test series Down Under, Rohit Sharma will look to start the series with a big score in the first ODI.

Middle-order: Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav

Virat Kohli is perhaps in the best form at the moment. He has been scoring tons of runs in sub-continental conditions as well as in overseas conditions. For Virat, Australia is a happy hunting ground and hence would look to increase his tally of runs scored there. Since 2012, Kohli has scored 476 runs in 12 matches at an average of 43.27.

Having captained the Indian team in their first ever test series victory in Australia recently, Kohli will look to give his best and win the ODI series.

Ambati Rayudu has cemented his place as the No.4 batsman for India with a string of impressive performances in the last couple of ODI series. A technically sound batsman, his grit and determination will be crucial in Australia to hold the Indian innings and provide an excellent platform for the big hitters in the death overs.

Having played in Australia previously, he will be familiar with the conditions and hence will settle down pretty quickly.

Kedar Jadhav is slowly establishing himself as a middle-order batsman in the team. He has got fierce competition from the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Manish Pandey for the No. 5 position in the side. The one thing which separates him from them is his ability to bowl a couple of overs in the middle. Also, his capability to take the game away from the opposition makes him a dangerous player.

The ODI series in Australia will be an opportunity for Kedar Jadhav to cement his place in the side for the World Cup.

Wicketkeeper: MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni is the most experienced player in the Indian team at the moment. Having been rested from the T20 side against the West Indies in the recently concluded series, Dhoni will look to give a perfect reply to his critics by making a match-winning contribution in the first ODI "Down Under."

Despite being out of form, he could still prove to be a game-changer for India particularly in the death overs due to his enormous strength. Also, this will be an opportunity for him to convey to the selectors that he is still the best man behind the wickets for India.

All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja

Hardik Pandya has established himself as one of the most talented all-rounders in modern day cricket. He is an excellent slogger in the death overs and is capable of bowling his full quota of overs in the match. Having missed the Test and T20 series due to injury, Pandya will look to put his best foot forward.

Pandya is an automatic choice in the XI and India need to give him as many games as possible before the World Cup.

Ravindra Jadeja was in superb form for India in the recent Test series in Australia. His performances both with the bat and the ball helped India to win their first ever Test series Down Under. Hence, he should be considered to play ahead of Chahal on the basis of his excellent form, familiarity with the conditions and ability to contribute with the bat in the death overs.

Chahal on his part hasn't done anything wrong not to get picked in the first ODI. Hence, it will be an interesting decision regarding who gets selected in the side.

Spinner: Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav has established himself as the front-line spinner for India in the limited-overs format. He is also the go-to man in crises for the team due to excellent contribution with the ball in the middle overs. Further, he has got subtle variations in his armoury which are quite difficult to read even for the best batsmen in the business.

In the recently-concluded T20 series in Australia, he was economical, the Australian batsmen were unable to read his variations and hence were unable to get the better of him. Further, in the last Test match of the series at Sydney, Yadav picked up a five-wicket haul in Australia's first innings and hence helped India to be in an advantageous position.

Hence, it is widely expected from Kuldeep Yadav to continue is good form and help India win the ODI series.

Fast Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has established himself as a specialist limited overs bowler in the Indian team. Having been unlucky not to feature in the line-up in the Test series, Kumar will raring to have a go at the Australian batsmen right from the first ball.

With Jasprit Bumrah rested for the series, Kumar will spearhead the pace attack and look to provide break-throughs with the new ball.

Mohammed Shami has been picked in the ODI series due to his spectacular performances in the recently-concluded Test series in Australia. Despite having played the first two ODIs against the West Indies at home and picked up three wickets, Shami was dropped from the team and didn't feature in the remaining matches.

This ODI series "Down Under" will be an excellent opportunity for Shami to establish himself as the third seamer in the side for the World Cup.