The 13th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup is all set to take place in India starting from October 5. Before the main tournament, there were warm-up matches where each of the 10 participating teams had the chance to play 2 matches. Now, with the warm-up matches concluded, the focus shifts to the main event, which kicks off on Thursday.
In the opening match of this prestigious tournament, the defending champions, England, will square off against last time’s runner-up, New Zealand (ENG vs NZ). But the question on every cricket enthusiast’s mind is: When and against whom will Team India embark on their journey in this World Cup that they are hosting?
Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, is entering the main competition without any warm-up game under their belt. Their scheduled warm-up match against defending champions England was canceled due to rain, and the second warm-up match against the Netherlands also suffered the same fate.
So, the Indian team will commence their campaign in the 2023 ODI World Cup by facing the five-time champion, Australia (IND vs AUS). This opening match between India and Australia will take place at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with the action set to begin at 2:00 pm Indian time.
In the league stage, all the teams, including India, will play a total of 9 matches. Looking at their historical clashes in the ODI World Cup, India and Australia have met 12 times, with Australia emerging victorious in 8 of those encounters, while Team India has triumphed in 4.
When we zoom out and consider their overall ODI record, these two cricketing giants have faced each other in 149 matches. India has secured victory in 56 of them, while Australia has bested India in 86 matches. The outcome of 10 matches remains undecided.
When it comes to matches played on Indian soil, the statistics are closer, with India winning 32 out of the 70 ODI matches against Australia at home, while Australia has won 33. Five matches ended without a result. The stage is set, and cricket fans worldwide eagerly await the clash between India and Australia in this highly anticipated World Cup.
