The absence of Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul has jolted India team’s combination, a day before the first ODI match against Australia on January 12. The news was a long time coming with how severe the public backlash was, after the duo made disgusting statements on the talk show, Koffee With Karan 6. However, the captain Virat Kohli seemed unperturbed by the news and said that the team had suitable replacements in their ranks.

With no other replacements announced for the banned duo of Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, the situation has come as a blessing in disguise for the Indian captain. For now, Kohli will have fewer options to ponder upon to fit in the playing XI. Banned Hardik Pandya Ignores Waiting Fans Outside SCG, Under-Fire All-Rounder Walks Past Them Ahead of 1st IND vs AUS ODI in Sydney: Watch Video.

Still, the team combination will be a little dicey for Virat Kohli, who will have to fill the middle order and the all-rounder’s spots with a lot of thought. Who will be missing out among Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, or Ravindra Jadeja, will be an exciting watch. Ravindra Jadeja to Replace Hardik Pandya in India's Playing XI for 1st ODI Against Australia, Hints Virat Kohli.


India’s Likely XI for 1st ODI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, and Khaleel Yadav.

India will be playing the first match of the 3-match ODI series against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Will the Indian team continue its dominant show on the tour Down Under, or will the Aussies have a trick or two to stop India’s juggernaut. Stay tuned with us for the latest updates about India vs Australia ODI Series 2019.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 11, 2019 08:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).