Rain threatens to dampen the excitement ahead of the India-Australia ODI series opener in Perth on Sunday, with Australia’s bureau of meteorology predicting showers, most likely in the morning and afternoon.
Winds are expected to be northwest to northeasterly at 15 to 25 km/hour, tending northwest to southwesterly at 25 to 35 km/hour in the middle of the day before easing in the evening.
The forecast also indicates largely cloudy conditions, with the probability of rain pegged at 90 per cent.
With the match scheduled to start at 11:30 am local time, a downpour could delay proceedings and affect the rhythm of play.
The contest at Optus stadium also marks the much-awaited return of Indian stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Australia have made a change to their ODI squad ahead of the series. Marnus Labuschagne has been drafted in to replace injured all-rounder Cameron Green.
Selectors decided to withdraw Green as a precautionary measure to manage his side soreness before the upcoming Ashes series.
Cricket Australia confirmed Green will undergo a short rehabilitation period and is expected to return for round three of the Sheffield Shield, continuing his preparations for the Ashes.
Labuschagne, who was not part of the original squad, earned his recall following a strong domestic performance, having scored 159 for Queensland in a Sheffield Shield match on Thursday — his fourth century of the domestic season.
India and Australia last faced each other in an ODI during the Champions Trophy semifinal in March, which was won by India.
Prior to that, the two sides met in the 2023 World Cup final, where Australia emerged victorious. Encounters between these teams remain among the most eagerly anticipated in the cricketing calendar.
Cricket Australia has announced that more than 1,75,000 tickets have already been sold for the bilateral series.
On Friday, India’s Nitish Kumar Reddy and Dhruv Jurel, along with Australia’s Mitchell Starc and Travis Head, posed for a special photo opportunity in front of a poster celebrating iconic moments from past white-ball battles between the two nations.
Australia currently hold the upper hand in the overall ODI head-to-head record, with 84 wins compared to India’s 57, while 10 matches have ended without a result.