New Delhi, October 24 (Udaipur Kiran) – After losing the second ODI in Adelaide by two wickets, India has already conceded the three-match series to Australia. The third and final ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday now stands as a formality for the hosts, while India will look to salvage pride and avoid a 3-0 clean sweep.
Despite a spirited effort in the second ODI, India lagged behind for most of the game. While the rain-affected Perth opener could be seen as an exception, the team appeared unbalanced in Adelaide. Early dismissals of captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli left the side struggling. Notably, Kohli recorded consecutive ducks for the first time in his illustrious ODI career.
Australia’s pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood has consistently troubled India’s top order across both matches. Rohit Sharma’s comeback has been mixed — though he played a fluent 73-run knock in Adelaide. The debate is now heating up over whether Yashasvi Jaiswal should be brought in to revamp the batting lineup.
The absence of Hardik Pandya has clearly disturbed India’s balance, and Gill’s decision to retain the same combination in both games failed to yield results. As captain, Gill’s start has been challenging — scoring just 10 and 9 runs so far. If India loses again, it will mark only the sixth time in their ODI history that they have been whitewashed in a bilateral series.
Australia, meanwhile, is brimming with confidence. Emerging players such as Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen, and Matthew Renshaw have stepped up impressively, filling the void left by retired stars Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell. Renshaw has been particularly consistent — scoring an unbeaten 21 in Perth and 30 in Adelaide — anchoring crucial partnerships, including a 55-run stand with Short when Australia was struggling at 54/2.
With the series already secured, Australia may rest frontline pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, possibly giving opportunities to Nathan Ellis and Jack Edwards.
India, on the other hand, is expected to make a few changes. Kuldeep Yadav could be brought in to strengthen the spin attack, while pacer Prasidh Krishna may replace Harshit Rana. Yashasvi Jaiswal is also in contention for a place in the playing XI.
Probable XIs:
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Travis Head, Matt Short, Matthew Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Mitchell Starc/Jack Edwards, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis/Josh Hazlewood.
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana/Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
