Rohit to miss 1st ODI against AUS as selectors bring back Jadeja, Axar

NEW DELHI: India captain Rohit Sharma will miss the first One-day International against Australia to be played in his hometown Mumbai on March 17 because of some family commitments, BCCI honorary secretary Jay Shah informed on Sunday.

Vice-captain Hardik Pandya, who led India in the last T20-I series against New Zealand, will lead the ODI side in Rohit's absence, Shah said in a release on Sunday.

The selectors also called up left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja after his brilliant bowling in the two Tests against Australia. Axar Patel and K.L Rahul, who were rested for the New Zealand ODIs, were also brought back as K.S Bharat and Shahbaz Ahmed were left out.

Mohd Shami and Mohd Siraj along with Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik and Jaydev Unadkat along with Hardik Pandya will comprise the pace bowling component while Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel and Jadeja are the spinners in the side.

The in-form Shubman Gill, who struck a double hundred in the series against Bangladesh, along with Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav have also found their place in the crucial series as India prepare for this year's ODI World Cup at home.

The second and third ODIs of the series will be played at Visakhapatnam (March 19) and Chennai (March 2').

India's ODI squad against Australia: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, K L Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (Vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Jaydev Unadkat.