Marnus Labuschagne, initially left out, secured his spot with an impressive domestic run of four centuries in his last five innings, including two in the 50-over format, and will join the squad after completing the Sheffield Shield round this weekend.

Coach Andrew McDonald is expected to discuss captaincy plans with Pat Cummins and Steve Smith around October 25, as team preparations for the Ashes and summer cricket intensify.

Indian cricket legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to make what could be their last appearance in Australia, as they have recently stepped back from T20 and Test formats.

Pat Cummins revealed his all-time combined ODI XI of Indian and Australian players, featuring eight Australians and three Indians, in a recent interview, underscoring the strength of both teams.

Cricket experts Hayden and Hayden have expressed concerns about Australia’s top-order stability, criticizing the current openers and questioning Labuschagne's suitability as an opener, emphasizing he should be primarily a No. 3 batsman.

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden highlighted the lack of safe options at the top and criticized the openers, suggesting that Labuschagne's recent batting average makes him unsuitable for opening duties.

Steve Smith, who retired from 50-over cricket in March 2025 after Australia’s failure to reach the ICC Champions Trophy final, has returned to Australia and is training privately, with plans to potentially captain the Test team if Cummins remains unavailable.

India's ODI squad for Australia includes key players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer, reflecting a strong and experienced team for the series.

Australia's cricket team is facing injury setbacks ahead of the Ashes series, with star all-rounder Cameron Green ruled out of the upcoming one-day international series due to a low-grade side strain, raising concerns about his availability for the Perth Ashes opener on November 21.

Green, who recently returned to bowling after back surgery, only bowled four overs in his last match and was not cleared to bowl on consecutive days, limiting his participation and emphasizing the importance of his recovery for Australia's Ashes campaign.

Green's absence highlights ongoing challenges in establishing a consistent Australian batting lineup, especially at the top, with selectors considering options like Labuschagne opening alongside Khawaja or shifting Khawaja back to No. 3.

The Australian combined XI for the series includes legendary openers Sachin Tendulkar and David Warner, with a lineup featuring Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, Shane Watson, and Michael Bevan, along with MS Dhoni as wicketkeeper, Shane Warne as spinner, and pace bowlers Brett Lee, Zaheer Khan, and Glenn McGrath.

Selection dilemmas persist at the top of the batting order, with players like NSW opener Sam Konstas making a late bid to retain his Test spot after a strong Shield performance, while others like Jake Weatherald are also vying for top-order positions.