It’s the start of a new era under Shubman Gill, but two former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will share the limelight.

The national selectors appointed Gill as the ODI captain last month, keeping in mind the 2027 World Cup, and there will be keen interest to look for signs if the two can continue till the showpiece event.

Both Rohit and Kohli will be playing international cricket after almost seven months and their presence has overshadowed all other storylines leading to the opener of the three-match series at the Perth Stadium.

Amid much speculation surrounding their future, it remains to be seen how they cope with the pressure and the guile of the Australian attack, which will be without Pat Cummins and Cameron Green. Gill tried to tackle all queries on the duo with poise and elegance as he stood addressing the media on the Matilda Bay waterfront.

Kohli could extract some motivation from the fact that this was the scene of his last Test century.

Shreyas Iyer in training, in a picture shared on X

But it will not just be about Rohit and Kohli. Shreyas Iyer, making a comeback to the team with the additional responsibility of being the vice-captain, will also be in focus. He has to prove that he can score runs with ease in this format too after being overlooked in the T20I side despite a good showing in the IPL.

How Gill lives up to his new role will also be evaluated. “I like it when I have the additional responsibility. The pressure brings out my best,” he said. “I enjoy that responsibility, though I feel when I go out to bat, I take the best decision when I think as a batsman.

“When I do that, then I put myself under extra pressure. As a batsman, I think what the team needs the most at that moment. So I try to take decisions as Shubman Gill the batsman rather than taking that additional responsibility of scoring all the runs or finishing the match.”

The drop-in pitch at the Perth Stadium has been a relatively low-scoring ODI venue. Australia were bundled out for 152 and 140 in their last two ODIs here. The home side, in fact, has also lost all three of their ODIs at the venue.

There is a forecast for intermittent showers during the day.