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After India's debilitating 10-wicket loss in the second ODI against Australia, on March 19, the win in their opening match win on March 17 is sure to be a distant memory. However, Rohit Sharma's team will want to get rid of the blues and seal the series heading into the final match at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, March 22.
The batters were ripped apart by Mitchell Starc and the bowlers by Mitchell Marsh. If the former bagged a fifer in the second ODI, then the latter has hit half-centuries and 11 sixes across both games.
The batting quartet of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav have been subpar, but Surya especially has been the butt of major criticism. He was Golden Duck by Mitchell Starc in both matches to very similar deliveries.
Starc has made the most of the flat pitches in India. His deliveries have either straightened in the off-middle line or cut back sharply towards the leg-middle after a fair amount of deviation in the air. In Mumbai, there was help off the surface but in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, the ball did more in the air than off the surface.
International cricket will return to Chepauk after a very long time, and the new pitch will most likely play an important role in this match. Usually, Chepauk produces a track that is effective for slow bowlers and run-scoring in the middle overs might be difficult.
Will Suryakumar Yadav be dropped or prove doubters wrong?
He is a bright spark in T20I cricket, but Suryakumar's movement across the crease has caused some identical first-ball dismissals in the ODIs. Shreyas Iyer's injury provided the batter with a chance to stake a claim for an ODI World Cup berth but till now, he has only shown why he should not be selected.
"Of course, we have seen and he knows that he needs to do well in the slightly-longer format of the game as well. Things are there in his mind as well. Guys with potential will have enough run so that they don't feel like 'okay I wasn't given enough chances in that particular slot," skipper Rohit had said after the last game.
"Surya got out in the last two games and in the series before that as well. He needs that consistent run, like back-to-back games, 7, 8 and 10 games like that. So that he feels more comfortable," he added.
The next run of ODIs will only be in June-July and there is a possibility that Iyer could be fit by then to reclaim his place and Surya might find it difficult to get his share of chances.
India's bowling prowess
India might look to bowl first on the Chepauk track, and this will help both Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. The duo have bowled just 47 overs — 36 and 11 — across the two games, which is not even half of the 100 allocated overs.
In the second ODI, Shardul was replaced by Axar Patel, but the all-rounder might return for the third match. But the key question is if Jaydev Unadkat will return to the team for the first time in 10 years. His left-arm variation can be used as a third specialist seamer, or if both spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel will get another game alongside Ravindra Jadeja.
India squad:
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan, Jaydev Unadkat, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik.
Australia squad:
Steve Smith (captain), Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar, David Warner, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis.
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(With PTI Inputs)
