Former Australia batter Mark Waugh has revealed his preferred Australia playing XI for their World Cup opener against hosts India on October 8. With Travis Head set to miss the first half of the World Cup due to a broken finger, Waugh has picked allrounder Mitchell Marsh as David Warner’s opening partner. He has then picked Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne for the next two batting spots.

At number five, he has gone with Glenn Maxwell followed by wicketkeeper Alex Carey and allrounder Marcus Stoinis. For the bowling attack, Waugh has picked three pacers – Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood – and one spinner – Adam Zampa.

Mark Waugh’s preferred Australia XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

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Mark Waugh’s selection is a bit unconventional, as he has picked allrounder Mitchell Marsh to open the batting with David Warner. However, Marsh has been in good form in recent months, and he has the ability to score quickly and provide Australia with a good start.

Smith and Labuschagne are two of the best batsmen in the world, and they will be key to Australia’s success in the World Cup. Maxwell is a dangerous hitter who can take the game away from the opposition on his day. Carey is a solid wicketkeeper and batsman, and Stoinis is a versatile player who can bat, bowl, and field. The bowling attack of Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, and Zampa is one of the best in the world.

Australia’s ODI form has been a concern in recent months. They are on the verge of losing six games in a row in ODIs for the first time in five years. Before coming to India, they lost three ODIs in a row against South Africa. It was followed by two losses against India.

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Australia are one of the most successful teams in the history of the World Cup, having won the tournament five times. However, they have not won the World Cup since 2007. Australia have a talented team, but they will need to turn things around quickly if they want to win the World Cup again. They will need to find a way to score more runs and take more wickets.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.