AUS vs PAK 1st ODI Preview: Key Players And Stats, Live Streaming, Pitch Report, Probable XIs

Australia to host Pakistan in 3-game ODI series from November 4 [Source: @karwan_e_faiz, @SalmanAsif2007/X.com]

The much-awaited ODI series between Australia and Pakistan will commence in the coming week. The first ODI will go on floors on November 4, Monday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) from 9.00 AM IST onward. While Aussies will look to overpower on home conditions, Pakistan are on a mission to revive competitiveness in white-ball format under a new captain.

AUS vs PAK 1st ODI: Match Details And Live Streaming

AUS vs PAK 1st ODI: Australia to step in with fresh faces

With the Border Gavaskar Series on the horizon, Australia have rested a couple of senior players for this series. Pat Cummins will continue to lead the side, with Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, and youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk accounting for batting responsibilities. Sean Abbot, Josh Hazlewood, and Marcus Stoinis, meanwhile, will lead the pace attack. Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh will miss out on this series due to paternity leave.

That being said, Australia are coming off a 5-game ODI series victory against England in away conditions and hence their confidence will be sky high. While Cummins has been missing from the 50-over format since the 2023 ODI World Cup victory, his finesse with the ball cannot be undermined. Overall, Australia are a well settled unit to take on an inexperienced Pakistan side and will start as favourites to win.

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AUS vs PAK 1st ODI: Steep challenges await a new Pakistan

Pakistan's squad has undergone massive changes, with Mohammad Rizwan taking over as captain. This will be his first assignment with a blend of experience and youth energy. While Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have returned to the setup, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, and Faisal Akram have received a call-up based on their flair in domestic cricket.

Pakistan's recent form white-ball formats is shambolic. However, they are coming off an inspiring Test series win against England at home which surely will boost their confidence. Their extensive pace attack will play a key role in Australian conditions, especially at the MCG where the ball will produce significant seam and swing movements. 

AUS vs PAK 1st ODI: MCG to offer traditional wicket

MCG pitch will be good for seam bowling. Pacers will be effective with the new ball, but once the dust settles, batters can score runs in the middle overs. Spinners won't get any help whatsoever as cloudy conditions will retain the moisture. The average first innings score is 220, with anything above 250 being a par-score.

AUS vs PAK 1st ODI: Key Players And Stats

• Mohammad Rizwan in 2023: 1023 runs in 11 games, Average: 63.93, SR: 93.76
• Shaheen Afridi in 2023: 42 wickets in 21 games, Average: 24.04, SR: 25.8
• Adam Zampa in 2024: 8 wickets in last 4 games, Average: 28.88
• Mitchell Starc in 2024: 5 wickets in last 4 games, Average: 46.00, SR: 37.6

AUS vs PAK 1st ODI: Confirmed Playing XI

Australia: Matthew Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c&wk), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain

AUS vs PAK 1st ODI: Winner Prediction

On the basis of home condition advantage and overall squad balance, Australia are clear favourites to win this game and go 1-0 in the three-game series.

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