India are set to tour Australia next week for three ODIs and five T20Is, with the 50-over matches scheduled to take place from October 19. The series is huge for Indian fans, as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will mark their return to international cricket for the first time since they won the Champions Trophy in March 2025. Meanwhile, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh is also excited about the series against India, and he believes the timing of the contest is perfect, given that Australia will also face England in the Ashes soon after.
He is looking forward to clashes against India and also stated that he has a lot of respect for the men in blue. "We’ll have all the guys building towards the Ashes but everyone loves playing against India. We’ve got a great rivalry and great respect for them as a team. I think it’s literally perfect timing to be playing against India in the lead-up to an Ashes series. It’s going to be massive," Marsh said while speaking to Fox Sports.
More than ODIs, the T20I series will be a massive preparation in the lead-up to the World Cup for Australia. They had a disappointing campaign in the T20 World Cup last year in the West Indies and the USA and they will be keen on doing well next year when the mega event will be played in India and Sri Lanka.
Australia excited for Ro-Ko's return
T20Is may be important for Australia with the World Cup coming up. But Rohit and Kohli's return to international cricket has gripped the Australian cricket fans. As soon as it was confirmed last week that the superstar duo will be travelling down under for the ODI series, the three ODI matches have been sold out.
For the unversed, the first ODI will be played on October 19 in Perth while the next two matches are scheduled on October 23 and 25, respectively, in Adelaide and Sydney.
