Australia bring an ageing squad and a few players short of fitness to the T20 World Cup but will have the same easygoing confidence
'You need a guy who can just stay there. India need that sheet anchor, be it T20 World Cup or ODI World Cup. Without Virat Kohli, the Indian team cannot go.'
He has since matured into a complete three-format player: 2,647 runs in 37 Tests at 41.35, 2,775 runs in 55 ODIs at a Bradmanesque 59.04, and 578 runs in 21 T20Is.
'There will be guys that get opportunities. We've obviously got a few guys missing for this series (for) a well-earned rest.'
Shubman Gill enjoyed a phenomenal run with the bat in England, piling up 754 runs at an average of 75.40 with four centuries.
The 32-year-old Cummins would be watching the action unfold from the sidelines due to a back injury.
The 33-year-old last played for New Zealand in 2018 and debuted for his adopted country in the home T20 series against Canada last month.
Eden Gardens will host the first game of the five match T20I series between India and England on Wednesday.
''South Africa have got some world class batters and obviously they've got some unbelievable bowlers there as well so it's going to be a good challenge and obviously it's a one-off Test match.'
Uncapped in T20Is, Fraser-McGurk was included in Australia's World Cup squad as a reserve player but never got a chance to shine on the global stage.
'How Rohit has taken the decision to change captain is between him and selection committee', Agarkar added.
With Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid at the helm, India bounced back from their heartbreak of losing in the final of 2023 ODI World Cup at home to Australia by winning the next two ICC events -- the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Dashing opener Ruturaj Gaikwad said India's "fearless and aggressive" approach helped them secure the five-match T20I series against Australia and hoped the triumph would give fans something to cheer about after India's heartbreaking loss in the ODI World Cup final.
The Australia series exposed India's frailties in the bowling department and the team has a lot of work to do before the ICC event.
McDonald said there was no concern around Marsh's lack of match practice over the last two months as Australia will play some practice games before their T20 World Cup opener against Oman on June 5.
They know what it takes to win the 50-over World Cup, having won five of them in 12 editions, but Australia skipper Pat Cummins says they are never "weighed down" by history and will stick to basics against South Africa in the second semi-final in Kolkata on Thursday.
Australian batting great Ricky Ponting feels Suryakumar Yadav has the ability to 'win' the ODI World Cup for India and the selectors should stick to him despite his woeful run in 50-overs cricket.
McMillan appointed White Ferns' batting, fielding coach ahead of World Cup
Australia will look to seal the three-match T20 series against South Africa with another win in Darwin on Tuesday.
India would be looking to sort out issues such as the opening blues, the middle-lower order conundrum and also the bowling strategies during the three-match T20 series against West Indies.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes in the next T20 World Cup, Hardik Pandya will continue as captain and will have a lot of fresh talent at his disposal.
A victory for India will be sweet revenge for their heartbreaking losses in the finals of the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship last year.
The report also indicated that Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are unlikely to get a call-up to the T20I squad as the team management might not upset the team's core combination.
India to face West Indies, South Africa in Women's T20 World Cup warm-up matches
India captain Rohit Sharma, who led the team to their second ICC T20 World Cup title last June, has been named skipper of the ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 2024.
Gill, who donned the opener's role during India's unbeaten run to the Asia Cup trophy, mustered up 127 runs in seven appearances.
Aus ODIs: Bumrah, Gill workload to be discussed, battle between Jaiswal and Abhishek
What began as a routine fielding effort in Sydney turned into a serious health scare for Shreyas Iyer, who suffered a ruptured spleen during the third ODI against Australia.
Australia gelled superbly during last year's triumph in the United Arab Emirates and 14 of that 15-man squad will bid for back-to-back titles
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, has urged the team to remain humble and avoid complacency following their IPL victory, while also addressing concerns around player injuries and workload management ahead of the new season.
'Australia skipper Marsh not ready to bowl for start of World Cup'
Rohit Sharma, who was dropped as India's ODI captain earlier this month, has worked diligently to improve his fitness ahead of the three-match ODI series in Australia.
India spinner Axar Patel has admitted that he was upset after missing out on the ODI World Cup at home due to an injury and it took him about a week to get over the disappointment and focus on recovery.
Steve Smith becomes the most expensive player in Pakistan Super League history after being signed by Sialkot Stallions for PKR 14 crore.
The 30-year-old De Kock, who has already retired from Test cricket, confirmed he will not play One-Day Internationals beyond the World Cup.
The collective brilliance of the Indian XI in the 2023 World Cup makes a compelling case for each player to be considered for inclusion in every World XI.
Quinton de Kock has reversed his retirement from ODI cricket and has been named in both the ODI and T20I squads for the Pakistan tour.
Bangladesh will take on Scotland in the tournament opener in an afternoon fixture followed by a clash between Asian teams Pakistan and Sri Lanka later in the day at Sharjah.
The Indian ODI squad will depart for Australia in two separate batches on October 15 from the national capital with logistics and ticket availability determining the final travel schedule.
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