3 Australian Players Who Could Pose a Huge Threat to India Ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs ft. Josh Hazlewood

Team India will face Australia in a three-match ODI series starting in Perth on Saturday, October 19. The Men in Blue will aim to take revenge for their 1-2 loss when they last toured Australia for an ODI series in 2020-21. On the other hand, Australia will look to bounce back after losing their last ODI series 1-2 against South Africa at home earlier this year. The Aussies will also seek revenge for the four-wicket loss they suffered against India in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai.

However, the hosts will miss some key players. Regular captain Pat Cummins is injured, while Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith have retired from ODIs. As a result, skipper Mitchell Marsh will lead the side and hope to perform well for the reigning 50-over World Champions. He will have strong support from opener Travis Head and pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Adam Zampa, Alex Carey, and Josh Inglis will not play the first ODI but will join the team for the last two matches. Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne will aim to prove himself after returning to the ODI squad, replacing Cameron Green, who was ruled out due to injury.

In this article, we look at the key Australian players who could challenge Team India in the upcoming ODI series.

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1. Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s stand-in captain for the ODI series against India, will look to lead from the front in Pat Cummins’ absence. The all-rounder has been in fine form with the bat. He scored 88 and 100 in the first and third ODIs against South Africa in August. Marsh also shined in the T20I series against New Zealand, hitting 85, 9*, and 103* as Australia won 2-0.

Marsh enjoys playing against India, scoring 473 runs in 11 innings at an average of 59.12, including one century and three fifties. With the ball, he has taken four wickets in six innings at an economy of 6.37. However, he hasn’t bowled since missing the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to a back injury.

2. Cooper Connolly

Young all-rounder Cooper Connolly could be Australia’s surprise weapon against India. The 22-year-old has impressed in both domestic and international cricket. He had a strong BBL season last year, scoring 351 runs in 10 innings with two fifties and picking up six wickets.

Connolly took a brilliant 5/22 against South Africa in his last ODI, helping Australia win by 276 runs. During the Australia A tour of India, he also performed well with the bat, scoring 70, 33, 50*, and 64 in four innings. His all-round ability makes him one to watch in this series.

3. Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood has always been a major threat to India across formats. The 34-year-old pacer’s accuracy and bounce make him deadly in home conditions. He has taken 17 wickets in 11 ODIs against India at an economy rate of 5.41, including 3/38 in the 2023 World Cup final and 2/60 in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

Hazlewood dismissed both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the Champions Trophy clash. Overall, he has 78 wickets against India in all formats. Interestingly, he has dismissed Kohli five times in ODIs, conceding only 58 runs off 98 balls. Kohli also struggled against him during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, falling outside off-stump multiple times.