IT IS TIME! The doors to the Colosseum are now OPEN. India and Australia are locked in a Gladiator duel, and we need you to bring your blue accessories to flood Chepauk in a sea of BLUE.

The INDvAUS game is guaranteed to be an entertaining banquet of cricket - the 150th ODI meeting between the teams, the 13th clash in ODI World Cups and the first head-to-head matchup between the cricket titans in a World Cup game since October 9, 1987.

India, for starters, enters this fixture with form - 15 wins and five losses in 21 ODI games in 2023, an Asia Cup victory and a morale-boosting 2-1 ODI series win in the build-up to the multi-nation extravaganza. The top-ranked team across all formats at this point, Rohit Sharma and Co., will look to start the tournament with a bang and ensure this stat trend continues: Both of India's World Cup-winning campaigns (1983, 2011) have featured a win over Australia in the earlier rounds.

Australia, on the other hand, arrives with a well-rounded contingent led by Pat Cummins. However, the worrying form of late - bilateral series defeats to South Africa (2-3) and India (1-2), coupled with injury setbacks including Travis Head’s latest departure to the treatment room, has given rise to a mysterious cloud around the Aussies. But beware, they are big tournament megastars and are guaranteed to ring in some surprises when you least expect it.

What: India vs Australia, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

When: Sunday, October 8, 2023

Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

What to expect: A record-breaking day for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli’s aura subduing the Australian bowling attack, some engaging on-field banter between both sets of players, and an assured full house.

What you need to do: Carry an extra set of BLUE attire and everything that will keep you hydrated, recharged and ever-ready to support and BELIEVE in India’s victory.

India vs Australia: Numbers Talk

Head-to-head record (ODIs)

Played: 149

India won: 56

Australia won: 83

NR: 10

Tied: 0

Highest run-scorer

India: Sachin Tendulkar - 3077 Runs

Australia: Ricky Ponting - 2164 Runs

Highest wicket-taker

India: Kapil Dev - 45 Wickets

Australia: Brett Lee - 55 Wickets

Squads

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Suryakumar Yadav

Australia: Pat Cummins (captain), Steve Smith, Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc