India vs Australia 2020-21: Statistical preview and analysis ahead of ODIs

India and Australia lock horns in a three-match One-Day International series starting Friday. The matches would be played in Sydney and Canberra, with a limited crowd, due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. Here are what the stats and numbers say.

In what is undoubtedly the renewal of one of the fiercest rivalries in cricket, India face off against Australia in a three-match One-day International (ODI) series, starting Friday, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). It would be the first international series for Team India in the prevailing pandemic era, while Australia play their third in the same.

The rivalry between the teams is mostly famous for banters the players engage in. However, the competition between the two is equally thrilling with the bat and the ball, as we present the statistical preview and analysis ahead of the upcoming ODI series.

Virat Kohli: The leader- The win-loss ratio for Indian skipper Virat Kohli against Australia in the format is the second-best, of 1.833, having led in a minimum of 10 ODIs. As of now, former Windies skipper Clive Lloyd holds the record with 2.833, having won 21 and lost nine.

Mitchell Starc and Mohammed Shami: The destroyers- The Australian seamer is one of the finest ones produced by the nation in modern times, as he would be one of the most looked-out bowlers in the series. To date, he has claimed the most wickets against the side in Australia, among current players. Starc, so far, has 12 wickets to his name. As for India, it is fellow seamer among the recent players who has the most, which happens to be half of Starc. Shami, along with spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja, has claimed six.

Kohli and Steve Smith: The run machines- Among batsmen, the battle for the runs undoubtedly has to be between Kohli and Smith. As of now, in ODIs between the two side in Australia, Smith possesses the best average of 66.71. He has scored 467 runs in seven innings, including a couple of centuries and a half-century. As for India, Kohli possesses the best average, of 44.92, having scored 629 runs in 15 innings, including three centuries and a couple of half-centuries.

An unwanted record reckons Kohli! Kohli has been phenomenal in the past few years, having scored at least a century in a calendar year, since 2009. Nonetheless, he has failed to do so in 2020, so far. Although he has not got enough game time, in six ODIs, he has scored 258 runs, including three half-centuries. In case he fails to score one, this would be only the second time in his career, after 2008, that he did not achieve a ton in a calendar year.

SCG has been Kohli's nemesis- In what could be considered one of the rarest of lows for Kohli, he averages just nine at SCG in ODIs, the venue for the opening two ODIs. It happens to be his lowest at a venue, along with Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua. Meanwhile, Marcus Stoinis averages 61.66 among batsmen having played at least five games, which is the best among the current lot.

David Warner: SCG's hero- Among the highest run-scorer at SCG, it is Australia's lethal opener David Warner, who has scored 801 runs in 14 innings against India, at an average of 57.21, including three centuries and five half-centuries. It also included a 122-run knock against India at the venue.