India vs Australia: Focus shifts to ODIs as MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan hit the nets at SCG

The 'red ball boys' are still savouring the sweet aftertaste of a maiden Test series win in Australia but for the 'white ball specialists', including veteran MS Dhoni, it was business as usual as they hit the straps at SCG on Wednesday.

With the 2019 ODI World Cup on the horizon, focus has firmly shifted to white-ball cricket with the arrival of limited-overs’ specialists here on Tuesday.

India have a long white-ball season lined up ahead of the marquee tournament in England this summer, with three ODIs in Australia and another five ODIs in New Zealand along with a three-match T20I series there as well. 

Australia then visit India for a return leg of five ODIs and two T20Is, before the 2019 Indian Premier League season gets underway on March 23.

MS Dhoni, along with other white-ball specialists including Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Dinesh Karthik and Khaleel Ahmed, have joined up with the Indian team.

On Wednesday, four members of the newly arrived bunch trained at the SCG. Dhoni, Dhawan, Jadhav and Rayudu went through the paces ahead of the first ODI in Sydney on Saturday.

The preparations will kick off in earnest from Thursday when the full squad holds it first training session together since the home series against West Indies in November.

The quartet primarily took throwdowns as no specialist bowlers from the squad were present for this optional session. 

While Dhawan and Rayudu prepared with both the right and left arm throwdown specialists, Dhoni worked in the indoor nets with assistant coach Sanjay Bangar. ?

Jadhav alternated between the two nets' options.