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Ashton Turner is a strong chance to debut today, while D’Arcy Short will get what could be his last opportunity to audition for a World Cup spot when Australia start their five-match ODI series in India.
With in-form batsman Shaun Marsh unavailable for the first ODI due to the birth of his child and Peter Handscomb looking set to keep, that means both Turner and Short will likely slot into the Australian top six today.
Turner has played five T20Is across the past two years without making any impact and has earned his unlikely ODI call-up due to impressive form in the BBL, with 630 runs at 31 in the last two seasons.
The 26-year-old is a classic ‘gut-feel’ pick by the selectors considering that, in the past five years, he has scored just the solitary half-century in List A cricket.
I do think Turner has the ability, power and range of strokes to eventually become a good 50-over batsman. But it is remarkable he is in the ODI squad months out from the World Cup given how little he has achieved in this format.
Short, on the other hand, has won his World Cup audition on the back of commanding performances in the State 50-over competition. In the past two JLT Cups, Short has pounded 536 runs at 77 with a lightning strike rate of 135.
It is his ability to get after bowlers in the Power Play which will most appeal to Australia, who are well aware they’ll need to set and chase some big totals to defend their World Cup trophy.
Short has been a fixture of the Australian T20 side over the past year, making 592 runs at 32 with a strike rate of 121. But he is largely untested in ODI cricket, having played only four matches and batted in his favoured position as an opener in only two of those games.
Short is often criticised for his play against spin, but he has clearly improved against the slow bowlers over the past year. While he undoubtedly remains a work in progress in that regard, it is his ability to counter elite quicks that will decide whether he gets a World Cup gig.
Most ODI teams bowl pace throughout the 10-over Power Play, and Short is clearly more comfortable playing spin once he is well into his innings. While he has monstered quicks in the JLT Cup, it is another thing altogether to consistently clatter star international pacemen.
Today he will have to tackle the world’s best white ball fast bowler in Jasprit Bumrah, as well as canny swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Succeeding against that pair in India is arguably the biggest challenge that exists for an ODI opening batsman. So if Short can thrive it may be the tipping point in his international career.
If he struggles, though, the selectors may well put a line through his name and audition other World Cup contenders in the upcoming five-match ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE.
Australia’s best XI for first ODI against India in Hyderabad
1. Aaron Finch (c)
2. D’Arcy Short
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Peter Handscomb (wk)
5. Marcus Stoinis
6. Ashton Turner
7. Glenn Maxwell
8. Nathan Coulter-Nile
9. Jhye Richardson
10. Adam Zampa
11. Nathan Lyon
Reserves
12. Pat Cummins
13. Jason Behrendorff
14. Andrew Tye
15. Alex Carey
16. Shaun Marsh (unavailable for first ODI)