Hardik Pandya, the interim captain of India’s cricket team, has announced the opening pair for the upcoming ODI match against Australia. The two cricketing giants are set to face off in a three-match ODI series that begins on Friday, March 17.
In preparation for the first ODI, Hardik Pandya has confirmed that Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan will open for the Indian cricket team. It is worth noting that Pandya is acting as captain in place of Rohit Sharma, who is absent due to personal reasons.
Hardik Pandya confirms Team India’s openers for the 1st ODI
During the recent three-match ODI series against New Zealand, Gill had a great performance, scoring a double-century and a century. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan, the young and promising player, had a disappointing series against the Kiwis, scoring consistently low runs. Regardless, both players are eager to score valuable runs and secure their positions on the team, especially with the 2023 ODI World Cup on the horizon.
India secured their place in the final match of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle after defeating Australia 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The victory was also aided by New Zealand’s last-ball victory against Sri Lanka in their own Test match, allowing India to easily advance to the red-ball ICC event finale.
The final match of the ICC World Test Championship between India and Australia is scheduled to begin on June 7 at The Oval. However, Hardik Pandya has decided to opt-out of the match, citing ethical concerns since he hasn’t played a significant role in India’s red-ball success.
“No. I am ethically very strong person. I haven’t done 10% to reach there. I am not even a part of 1%. So me coming there and taking someone’s place will ethically not go well. If I want to play Test cricket, I’ll go through the grind and earn my spot. Hence, for that reason I will not be available for the WTC final or future Test series until I feel that I have earned my spot,” Pandya said.
