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Australia and India's cricket squads will both come out of hotel quarantine soon and start their ODI series at the SCG.
AUSTRALIA'S LIMITED-OVERS SERIES AGAINST INDIA
* ODIs on Nov 27 (SCG), Nov 29 (SCG) & Dec 2 (Manuka Oval)
* T20s on Dec 4 (Manuka Oval), Dec 6 (SCG) & Dec 8 (SCG)
KEY QUESTIONS
* Will Adam Zampa continue his remarkable run against Virat Kohli?
Zampa has dismissed India's talismanic skipper seven times in international cricket. The self-deprecating spinner is quick to play down the record but it is no doubt a source of some confidence. Zampa and Kohli bonded during the recent Indian Premier League season, when they were both on the books of Royal Challengers Bangalore.
* Which side handled quarantine better?
There has been nothing ideal about either teams' preparation for this series. India's entire squad and Australia's IPL stars including Aaron Finch and eight other members of their likely XI for the first ODI have been in hotel quarantine for the past fortnight. The tourists have at least been able to train as an entire squad. Australia have been split into two groups, with the non-quarantining players training under coach Justin Langer. Many Australian stars haven't seen their families since setting off for a tour of England in August.
* Will some stars be rested from games?
Workload management has taken on additional meaning in the COVID-19 era, with quarantine and biosecurity protocols heightening the importance of players' downtime. Both teams face a tricky task as they plot out coming months, with four Tests to follow the white-ball action. Australia and India will both want to ensure their fast bowlers - the majority of which start the summer after IPL stints - are mentally refreshed and physically ready for the Test series. Don't be surprised to see both squads' reserve pacemen in action at some point.
* Who opens alongside Shikhar Dhawan?
Rohit Sharma, who trails only Kohli on the ODI batting rankings, leaves a major void at the top of India's order. Wicketkeeper KL Rahul has opened in the past and performed that job during the recent IPL, when he finished the league's top-scorer. However, he scored a career-best 112 while batting in the middle order during India's most recent one-dayer. Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill loom as two other obvious options.
* Will Cameron Green debut during the coming week?
The 21-year-old allrounder has made a big impression on national selectors during the past 12 months. That is no small feat given he has played the majority of that stretch as a specialist batsman because of a back stress fracture. Green is bowling at express pace once again. It will be hard to squeeze the West Australian into the hosts' XI but, equally, selectors will be tempted to give the young gun a taste of international cricket before he joins the Test squad.
Australia's potential XI: Aaron Finch (capt), David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
India's potential XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli (capt), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.
