India vs Australia 1st ODI Perth weather forecast: Will rain play spoilsport to Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli's comeback?

The return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first ODI against Australia might be spoiled by Perth weather as there are 70% chances of rain on Sunday (October 19). Having last played for India in the 50-over format during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, both Rohit and Kohli are returning to the Indian dressing room for the first time in seven months.

The India vs Australia ODI series also marks the beginning of the preparations of bit teams in the lead-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. The second and third ODIs will be played on October 23 and 25 respectively. The India vs Australia first ODI starts at 11:30 AM local time (9 AM IST).

According to Accuweather.com, rain is expected on Sunday morning with a 70% chances of precipitation ahead of the 11:30 AM (Australian time) start. The rain further increases by 35% as the game progresses, thus forcing multiple interruptions. Morning showers means, it will also affect the toss time. A delayed start to the game can't be ruled out.

If the rain and overcast conditions come into play, both captains will be looking to field first after winning the toss. To add more to that, overcast conditions will help seamers in swinging the ball, thus adding misery to the batter as the pitches in Perth offers variable bounce.

IND vs AUS 1st ODI Perth pitch report

The Optus stadium has hosted just three ODIs so far, where teams batting second have won on two occasions. The pitch is traditionally considered to be a paradise for fast bowlers, with the average first innings score being 183, while the highest target chased is 153. Hence, batters will have to come to terms with the pace and bounce of the pitch before playing extravagant shots.