India vs Australia 1st ODI: Perth pitch report, key stadium stats

The Shubman Gill-led Indian side begins their white-ball tour of Australia with the opening ODI at Perth on Sunday. Australian captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to field first, putting India in to bat under bright conditions at the Optus Stadium.

 

India handed a maiden ODI cap to young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who joins the lineup for his first international 50-over appearance. With Gill at the helm, the visitors will aim to set the tone early in the three-match series against a confident Australian outfit.

India vs Australia first ODI playing 11:  India's playing 11 vs Australia: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh  Australia playing 11 vs India:  Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh(c), Matthew Short, Josh Philippe(w), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood 

In their last two meetings in this format, Australia beat India to lift the ICC World Cup 2023, while India beat Australia to knock them out in the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (India were eventual winners). So the stakes cannot be higher. 

 

The clash is also important as Shubman Gill will be leading the Men in Blue for the first time since replacing Rohit Sharma as full-time ODI skipper earlier this month. This means that, for the first time in a decade, the two Indian batting stalwarts—Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli—will both be playing in the team purely as players. With the series just three matches long, every game becomes decisive. So before the two cricketing giants clash in the first ODI, let’s take a look at how the Perth Stadium wicket is expected to behave for the match and also some key stats of the venue. 

India vs Australia 1st ODI: Perth Cricket Stadium pitch report

Optus Stadium in Perth has hosted only three ODIs, with teams chasing winning twice. The surface is known to favour fast bowlers, offering sharp pace and bounce that can trouble batters early on. With an average first-innings score of 183 and the highest chase being 153, batters will need patience and proper shot selection before attempting aggressive strokes on this challenging wicket.

India vs Australia: Head-to-head stats in ODIs in Perth

The first ODI between India and Australia on Sunday will be the first time these two teams will clash in an ODI match at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Notably, while India are playing their first ODI at this venue. Australia despite playing three match before today, have never won an ODI game at the Optus Stadium. Which means whoever wins today will secure thier first ODI win at Perth Stadium.

Recent ODI match at Perth Stadium

The last men’s ODI at Perth Stadium was played on November 10, 2024, between Australia and Pakistan. Australia batted first but were bundled out for just 140. In reply, Pakistan chased down the total with eight wickets to spare in just 26.5 overs.

Perth Stadium key ODI stats

The Perth Stadium has hosted six One-Day Internationals so far (including men’s and women’s), with teams bowling first enjoying a clear advantage, having won five of those matches. Only once has a side managed to secure victory while batting first. The average first-innings score at the venue stands at 172, while teams chasing have averaged 171—reflecting a fairly balanced surface that tends to favour bowlers early on before easing out.

 

The highest total recorded at the ground is 259 all out in 47.4 overs by England against Australia, which also happens to be the lowest total successfully defended at the venue. Meanwhile, the lowest team total registered is 140 by Australia against Pakistan. The highest successful chase came when New Zealand Women reached 185 for six against Australia Women, highlighting that while chasing has been easier, run-making at Perth still demands patience and disciplined batting.