Rohit Sharma vs Pat Cummins and the other key battles as India take on Australia in Chennai

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  • Rohit Sharma's battle against Pat Cummins will be key.

    Fierce rivals India and Australia lock horns once again as the teams get ready to battle at Chennai for the first of the five-match ODI series on Sunday.

    Steve Smith’s men come into the match after a fiercely contested Test series against in Bangladesh which ended 1-1. Virat Kohli’s men on the other hand recently completed a 5-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in the islander’s own backyard after clean-sweeping the Test series as well.

    The two sides had met earlier this year when the Aussies toured India for a four-match Test series.

    In a series marred by tensions both on and off the field, India just about edged the visitors 2-1.

    The tourists, the reigning World Cup champions in the 50-over format, will be keen to make amends for their loss in the Tests.

    As both sides prepare to go head-to-head in the fierce heat of Chennai with thunderstorms forecasted for the day, we look at the three potential key battles.

    Rohit Sharma Vs Pat Cummins

    The 30-year-old vice-captain of the Indian team has been the scourge of Aussie bowlers for some while now. In 23 matches against the visitors, Sharma has scored 1,297 runs including five centuries and three half-centuries at an average of over 68.

    What is even more remarkable is that since 2013, the right-handed opening batsman has scored over 1,100 runs at an average of 110 against the same opposition. All his five centuries against the Aussies have arrived in that period.

    It is safe to say that Sharma loves batting against the Australians with his 209 off just 158 deliveries against them as Bangalore in 2013 standing out among all his knocks.

    He will be up against Pat Cummins who is expected to lead the Aussie pace attack.

    The 24-year-old express pacer from Sydney has had his problems with injury and fitness since making his international debut in 2011. However, of late, Cummins seems to have overcome his injury woes and has become a consistent part of the side.

    The right-arm quick bowled with venom and lethalness during the Test series in India earlier this year to show his effectiveness on subcontinent pitches.

    Pat Cummins will lead the Australia pace attack.

    Pat Cummins will lead the Australia pace attack.

    He bowled admirably well on the slow tracks of Bangladesh in the recently concluded tour and it will be interesting to see how he responds to his new found role.

    Virat Kohli Vs Adam Zampa

    Virat Kohli has gone from strength to strength in ODI cricket in recent times. He comes into the match at Chennai off the back of consecutive hundreds against Sri Lanka in the final two ODIs.

    He has had a golden 2017 so far where he has hit four centuries in 18 matches with over a 1,000 runs at an average of a mind-boggling 92.45.

    The master of chasing, he has excellent technique against both pacers and spinners alike. After recently equalling Australian great Ricky Ponting with 30 centuries in the 50-over format, Kohli will be looking to go one-further in the series.

    Steve Smith is expected to opt for wrist-spinner Adam Zampa as the lone spinner in the bowling attack for Sunday.

    The 25-year-old, who has experience of subcontinent conditions after his stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will have his task cut out against Kohli.

    It will be interesting to see how the Indians approach Zampa.

    It will be interesting to see how the Indians approach Zampa.

    With an array of variations including the googly and the quicker one, Zampa could turn out to be Australia’s trump card as the Indians will clearly look to attack him.

    With 36 wickets in the 24 ODIs he has played so far, Zampa has become a limited-overs specialist and how this battle pans out could well decide the course the series takes.

    Steve Smith Vs Kuldeep Yadav

    The Aussie skipper has been continuing to pile-up the runs in international cricket, especially in Tests.

    One of the greatest batsmen of the current generation, Smith has excelled on Indian pitches and was a thorn in the side of the hosts during the Test series earlier.

    The 28-year-old, with his unique unorthodox batting-style, hit three maximums in four Tests as he asserted his dominance over India spin-twins Ravichandran Ashwin.

    He would have got a good look at India’s young wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav who made his Test debut in the same series.

    Since that debut series, the 22-year-old left-arm chinaman bowler has made quick inroads in the limited-overs format.

    Yadav against Smith will be one of most intriguing battles of the series.

    Yadav against Smith will be one of most intriguing battles of the series.

    Having bamboozled the West Indies’ batsmen earlier this year with his unique action, Yadav has picked up 11 wickets in the seven matches he has played in the format at a miserly economy-rate of just 3.97.

    With the troubles of Australia’s batsman against wrist-spin well known, it will fall to Smith to impose himself on the Indian youngster so as to not allow him to settle.

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