India has suffered consecutive defeats to Australia in Perth and Adelaide, leaving them 2-0 down in the three-match ODI series. Challenging conditions saw the batters struggle, and all eyes are now on the third and final match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, October 25.
Virat Kohli’s form has been a major talking point, as the former India captain registered back-to-back ducks. He will be hoping to turn things around in what could be his final appearance on Australian soil. However, BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla has dismissed reports suggesting this may be his last international match.
Meanwhile, following the defeats, India are expected to make changes to the playing XI. Star spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who did not feature in the previous games, is likely to return, potentially replacing either Washington Sundar or Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Another consideration is whether the newly appointed captain Shubman Gill will take a break. Having played all five Tests in England, the West Indies series, and now the ongoing white-ball series against Australia, Gill could be rested ahead of the T20I series and the upcoming all-format series against South Africa at home. If he does step aside, Shreyas Iyer is expected to lead the team in the third ODI. However, given the back-to-back losses, Gill may choose to lead from the front and aim to guide India to a win in the series finale.
All eyes on RoKo
Regardless, the focus will be on the veteran duo of Rohit Sharma and Kohli. The opener played an important knock of 73 runs in the previous match and will be hoping to keep up with the momentum. Kohli, on the other hand, needs to find his form to keep his place in the playing XI.
India’s probable playing XI – Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
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