SYDNEY — India will aim to salvage pride and prevent a rare clean sweep when they face Australia in the third and final One Day International at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. The hosts have already clinched the series 2-0 following a tense two-wicket win in Adelaide.
With just one day between games, India have little time to recover and regroup before the final contest. The team has not been whitewashed in a bilateral ODI series since their 2022 tour of South Africa. Rohit Sharma’s fighting 73 and Shreyas Iyer’s composed 61 in Adelaide provided some stability, but captain Shubman Gill’s side continues to struggle with inconsistency—most notably Virat Kohli, who has endured consecutive ducks for the first time in his ODI career.
Saturday’s match could also mark the final ODI appearance in Australia for Rohit and Kohli, both of whom will look to finish the series on a high note. After fielding the same XI in the opening two games, India may opt for fresh faces in Sydney. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, and pacer Prasidh Krishna are all strong contenders for selection, offering new energy to a side that has missed the balance provided by injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
India, the world’s top-ranked ODI team, enter the match on the back of two straight defeats following an impressive eight-game winning streak. Gill, who recently took over captaincy duties, faces a key challenge in both selection and personal form after modest returns with the bat. India’s last ODI win at the SCG came in 2016, while Australia have won the past three encounters at the venue.
Australia, buoyed by momentum and home advantage, will welcome the return of wicketkeeper Josh Inglis from a calf injury. Marnus Labuschagne has departed the squad to rejoin Queensland for domestic duties, while spinner Matthew Kuhnemann and all-rounder Jack Edwards have been added for the series finale. Adam Zampa, who starred in Adelaide with a four-wicket haul, and pacer Xavier Bartlett, who dismissed both Gill and Kohli, are expected to retain their spots.
Play begins at 9:00 a.m. IST, with live coverage on Star Sports Network and streaming on JioHotstar.
Squads
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
Australia: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa. (Source: IANS)
