Australia's victory-run in the Twenty20 Internationals seems a long way behind them, as India, leading 2-0 in the one-day internationals, are keen to wrap up the series in the third game in Ranchi.
Overview
India v Australia
3rd ODI
Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium, Ranchi
Friday, 8 March, 1:30pm local time, 8:00am GMT
The final over of the second ODI in Nagpur, bowled by Vijay Shankar when Australia needed 11 runs to win with two wickets in hand, yielded just two runs and both the remaining Australian wickets as Shankar held his nerve in a thrilling finish.
That victory, coupled with India's six-wicket win in the first game in Hyderabad means that Australia have to win everything from here to win the five-match series.
It isn't that Australia have not fought hard in these games. In Hyderabad, they had India 99/4 in a chase of 237 before Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni led the rescue, and in Nagpur, despite losing wickets through the middle overs, Marcus Stoinis' measured 52 kept them in the hunt in pursuit of India's 250.
In both these games, India have been able to handle pressure better than their Australian counterparts and that has been the difference between the sides.
Not all has been without concern for the hosts. Their openers have added 4 and 0 in the two games so far, with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma each bagging a duck. It was Virat Kohli's magnificent 116 on a slow Nagpur surface and a 141-run Jadhav-Dhoni stand in Hyderabad that helped India recover from poor starts.
The bowling, on the other hand, has been flawless. While there has been some assistance from the pitches, the application shown by Kuldeep Yadav (3/54) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/29) in the second ODI and Mohammed Shami (2/44) in the first has helped India restrict Australia to totals below 250.
A little fix at the top of the order and some runs from Ambati Rayudu, who has had a quiet series so far, will help India put on their 'A' game. The return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was rested for the first two matches, should also help.
For Australia, the series has been less than satisfactory. They could only put up 236 in Hyderabad after being 133/4 at one stage and couldn't manage to time the run chase in Nagpur, chasing what was only a par total on that surface.
They'll want more from their batsmen. The second ODI was an improvement on how they batted in Hyderabad, where Aaron Finch got a duck and both Stoinis and Peter Handscomb couldn't convert starts. More consistency with the bat will improve Australia's chance of a comeback.
Key players
Virat Kohli (India): Kohli's century in Nagpur proved to be the difference and with the Indian captain in good touch, any blemishes at the top of the order could be arrested in time.
Marcus Stoinis (Australia): Stoinis took the game deep in Nagpur and kept Australia in the hunt until the final over. A little more application from the all-rounder, with both bat and ball, may help Australia register their first win in the series.
Conditions
Friday is expected to be sunny with temperatures ranging between 28 and 14°C. The series hasn't thrown up big scores so far. The last ODI played at the venue saw New Zealand successfully defend 260 against India in October 2016.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, Lokesh Rahul, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1088015
Overview
India v Australia
3rd ODI
Jharkhand State Cricket Association Stadium, Ranchi
Friday, 8 March, 1:30pm local time, 8:00am GMT
The final over of the second ODI in Nagpur, bowled by Vijay Shankar when Australia needed 11 runs to win with two wickets in hand, yielded just two runs and both the remaining Australian wickets as Shankar held his nerve in a thrilling finish.
That victory, coupled with India's six-wicket win in the first game in Hyderabad means that Australia have to win everything from here to win the five-match series.
It isn't that Australia have not fought hard in these games. In Hyderabad, they had India 99/4 in a chase of 237 before Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni led the rescue, and in Nagpur, despite losing wickets through the middle overs, Marcus Stoinis' measured 52 kept them in the hunt in pursuit of India's 250.
In both these games, India have been able to handle pressure better than their Australian counterparts and that has been the difference between the sides.
Not all has been without concern for the hosts. Their openers have added 4 and 0 in the two games so far, with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma each bagging a duck. It was Virat Kohli's magnificent 116 on a slow Nagpur surface and a 141-run Jadhav-Dhoni stand in Hyderabad that helped India recover from poor starts.
The bowling, on the other hand, has been flawless. While there has been some assistance from the pitches, the application shown by Kuldeep Yadav (3/54) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/29) in the second ODI and Mohammed Shami (2/44) in the first has helped India restrict Australia to totals below 250.
A little fix at the top of the order and some runs from Ambati Rayudu, who has had a quiet series so far, will help India put on their 'A' game. The return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was rested for the first two matches, should also help.
For Australia, the series has been less than satisfactory. They could only put up 236 in Hyderabad after being 133/4 at one stage and couldn't manage to time the run chase in Nagpur, chasing what was only a par total on that surface.
They'll want more from their batsmen. The second ODI was an improvement on how they batted in Hyderabad, where Aaron Finch got a duck and both Stoinis and Peter Handscomb couldn't convert starts. More consistency with the bat will improve Australia's chance of a comeback.
Key players
Virat Kohli (India): Kohli's century in Nagpur proved to be the difference and with the Indian captain in good touch, any blemishes at the top of the order could be arrested in time.
Marcus Stoinis (Australia): Stoinis took the game deep in Nagpur and kept Australia in the hunt until the final over. A little more application from the all-rounder, with both bat and ball, may help Australia register their first win in the series.
Conditions
Friday is expected to be sunny with temperatures ranging between 28 and 14°C. The series hasn't thrown up big scores so far. The last ODI played at the venue saw New Zealand successfully defend 260 against India in October 2016.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, Lokesh Rahul, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1088015
