Australia’s stand-in ODI captain and regular T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh has emphasised the significance of the upcoming white-ball series against India as the perfect warm-up ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes. Scheduled from October 19 to November 8, the tour features three ODIs and five T20Is, finishing just 12 days before the first Ashes Test in Perth, giving Australia a valuable competitive edge.
Mitchell Marsh, stepping in for the injured Pat Cummins, highlighted the importance of facing the world No. 1 team. “We’ve got a great rivalry and great respect for them as a team. It’s literally perfect timing to be playing against India in the lead-up to an Ashes series. It’s going to be massive,” he told foxsports.com.au.
The series offers Australia a chance to fine-tune strategies, build momentum, and test combinations against a strong opponent before the marquee Test contest against England.
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The tour will also mark the return of India’s batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who haven’t played international cricket since earlier this year. The ODIs will be held in Melbourne on October 19, Adelaide on October 23, and Sydney on October 25, followed by the T20I series.
For Australia, this series is more than just preparation. It provides an opportunity to gain match practice, sharpen strategies, and assess form and fitness under competitive conditions. Playing against India, one of the most formidable sides globally, will challenge the Australians and help build confidence ahead of the Ashes, ensuring they head into the historic series well-prepared and battle-ready.
India ODI squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (VC), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal
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Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
India’s T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
Australia T20I squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
