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India and Australia will take a break from their limited-overs series to play in the 2023 World Cup, with the teams meeting each other in their first match of the group stage. This is a rare situation where these teams played each other in one-day games before the tournament and have an idea of what the other will do tactically.
Fans and bettors looking to catch the action can do so on Willow TV and online at willow.tv. The match is also available to stream on ESPN+.
India vs. Australia
Date: Sunday, October 8
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: Willow TV
Live stream: willow.tv, ESPN+
Odds, picks & predictions
India: -170
Australia: +135
Moneyline pick: India -170
Even though opening batsman Shubman Gill might not play in this match due to an illness, India has the upper hand in this contest. Australia’s openers have been inconsistent, and the finishing power did not click in the ODIs ahead of the World Cup. Australia’s bowling is a strength but India has handled pace well.
The return of Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul to the middle order has stabilized the Indian lineup, which is crucial against this Australian pace attack. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli don’t click at the top, Iyer and Rahul can rebuild the innings.
India’s spinners have had success against Australia in the ODI series and should be able to continue that trend Sunday. We should see multiple spin options in the lineup, and that could slow down Australia enough to limit the damage the bottom of that batting order can do. Given the recent overall success India has had against Australia, take the hosts to open their 2023 World Cup account with a win.