Vaunted teams look to lay down the gauntlet in the 'unofficial opener'

The two finalists from the last edition may have cut the ribbon and six others may have all recorded their opening statements but after the initial clanking of the pulleys, it is anticipated that the first gears of the 2023 World Cup will be thrummed into life on Sunday with a blockbuster booking in Chennai. The top-ranked ODI side versus the five-time winners, two teams joined at the hip with the base expectation of winning the whole thing.

Australia are World Cup royalty, having won a title in each of the continents that has hosted this event. Given their pedigree, form leading into these events (1 win in their last 6 ODIs this time) bears little or no practical relevance to their top billing. Through the last decade, India too have started as favourites in each of these ICC events but haven't actually put a title-winning run together. Rohit Sharma will bear the burden of this streak as well as the pressures of winning at home, like how each of the last three World Cup hosts have managed.

If the sense of occasion has somehow escaped India because they've travelled to two diametric ends of the country in the last week without so much as sending a ball down, it will register on Sunday. There is scope for some early tone-setting pyrotechnics during which there is hope that the 50-over format will re-enter the public consciousness amid the celebratory mood of the '100 Medals' achievement at the Asian Games.

Both teams come into the fixture having gently sparred in a three-match series with unrepresentative teams in only somewhat representative conditions. For this real deal, the two first-time World Cup captains will admit the difference between their sides is wafer thin. Rohit may have the better set of spinners, but Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell can prove to be more than a handful. Australia have the left-arm point of difference in Mitchell Starc but it's Siraj and Bumrah that boast the superior PowerPlay potency.

Even minor disturbances to their overall plans would seem in sync. Australia are missing daredevil bat Travis Head while India's rising star Shubman Gill is a doubtful starter. If this on-paper closeness translates on the field, then it could just come down to which team can cope better with the possibility of losing.

When:India vs Australia, October 8, 2023, 14:00 IST

Where:MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

What to expect:A warm afternoon leading into a sultry evening. There is a 10% chance of a slight drizzle around the match start time, which even if it hits, is unlikely to cause any truncation to the game. These two sides played at this very venue