Former Australia captain Aaron Finch believes the upcoming ODI series between India and Australia will be a close affair, but made a surprising prediction as to the result of Shubman Gill‘s first ODI series as skipper. India on Saturday announced a full-strength 15-member squad for the three-match series beginning October 19 in Perth. The series will mark a new chapter in Indian cricket, with selectors handing the ODI captaincy to 26-year-old Gill, replacing Rohit Sharma as part of a long-term leadership transition ahead of the 2027 World Cup. Rohit and Virat Kohli, both included in the squad, will lend valuable experience to Gill, who is also India’s Test captain. Shreyas Iyer has been appointed vice-captain for the series, which moves to Adelaide and Melbourne after the opener. Speaking to ICC Digital from Colombo, where he is part of the commentary panel for the ICC Women’s World Cup, Finch shared his early prediction for the series outcome. “It will be a great series. It always is against India and I think having Virat back in there brings out the best in him against Australia,” Finch said. The former opener, who was part of Australia’s 2015 World Cup-winning team, said he expected the contest to be tight but leaned towards his former side. “It’s always a great battle when you look at it on paper as it’s very evenly matched, but I’d say Australia (win the series) 2-1. Not confidently though as India are a great side and it will just be a great series to watch.” Finch also weighed in on India’s new leadership era, expressing confidence in Gill’s abilities. “Shubman has already shown what a good leader he is in T20 cricket and Test cricket, so I’m sure this will be no different,” he noted.
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He added that having Rohit and Kohli around will help the young captain settle quickly. “I think just having those guys there will be a real calmness for him as well, because it’s the ability to bounce ideas, both on and off the field, on how you want the team to function going forward,” Finch said. The ODI series will be followed by a five-match T20I leg, where Suryakumar Yadav will lead India after the Asia Cup win.
