1st India- Australia ODI to be played tomorrow

NEW DELH: The seven-match One-day International series between India and Australia is being opened tomorrow.

The winners of the Champions Trophy and the world champions Australia are hopeful that they will be succeeded in defeating India on their home ground.

Both teams are preparing for the first One-day International in full swing.

The return of two of India's most explosive batsmen poses a threat to Australia's efforts to build on impressive recent form.

Riding on the one-day form that has seen them win 11 of their past 12 one-day games, world champions Australia have arrived determined to avenge their loss at home in last year's tri-series to Mahendra Dhoni's India side.

With the seven-match limited-overs series that begins Sunday in the western city of Vadodara, Australia captain Ricky Ponting is confident of reproducing the form that saw his team win six of seven matches against England this year and then defend its Champions Trophy title.

Ponting's team, however, is missing some key players: vice-captain Michael Clarke (back), in-form batsman Callum Ferguson, wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (finger) and seasoned pace bowler Nathan Bracken (knee).

Tim Paine, standing in for Haddin as wicketkeeper after Australia lost the Ashes Test series in England, has displayed good form with the bat, while all-rounder Shane Watson's successive centuries in the Champions Trophy provided a big boost.

India was knocked out of the preliminary round in the Champions Trophy, but Ponting felt Dhoni's side would be a different proposition on its home turf.

India's struggling batting order has been strengthened by the return of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh from injuries, even though pace ace Zaheer Khan is yet to regain match-fitness.

Sehwag recovered from shoulder injury that sidelined the hard-hitting opener from the Twenty20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, while Yuvraj injured a finger during practice at the Champions Trophy.