India boasts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three match ODI series against Australia, before the final match is set to commence at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on September 27. The two consecutive victories against the Aussies were built on the back of exceptional performances by the Indian batters and bowlers alike.
Notably, Team India had given a rest to some of their top players for the first two ODIs against the Australians, including the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, and Kuldeep Yadav. Also, Jasprit Bumrah didn’t play the second match of the series at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, to take a small break from national duty.
All these cricketers are expected to make their way to the Indian setup for the upcoming match against the Aussies on September 27, just before the ODI World Cup 2023 commences at home. With that, SportsTiger looks at India’s probable playing XI for the third ODI against Australia.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c) & Ishan Kishan
Rohit Sharma, the captain of Team India, will make his return to the team after guiding them to their first Asia Cup trophy in five years. The 36-year-old has adopted an attacking approach in recent years in the 50 overs cricket to provide fast starts to the Indians in the powerplay, which he would like to duplicate in the third ODI against Australia.
Ishan Kishan has been the go-to cricketer for the Indian team management to fill in the opening and middle-order slots, if other players are injured or rested, in ODI cricket recently. The 25-year-old has been able to fulfil the responsibility of batting in different positions in an impressive manner, scoring vital runs for Team India in the process.
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Middle Order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk)
The Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli is going to play for India for the first time, after lifting the Asia Cup 2023 trophy in Sri Lanka earlier this month. The 34-year-old has regained his form in the limited overs cricket in the past one year, which is a great sign for the team management as the ODI World Cup 2023 draws nearer.
Shreyas Iyer, who was playing in his third ODI this month, after making his way to the team from a back injury, scored a hundred against Australia at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, to remind everyone about his credentials as a middle order batter. KL Rahul donned the responsibility of captaining the Indian team in the first two ODIs of the series exceptionally well, delivering runs with the bat and marshalling his troops well in the field.
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All- Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin
Hardik Pandya is making his return to the Indian cricket team, after playing a key role in securing the Asia Cup 2023 win for India earlier this month. He scored an important fifty against Pakistan in one of the matches of the tournament, before castling Babar Azam in the other match, showcasing his all-round abilities to the max.
Ravindra Jadeja has been known as a silent performer for India with the bat, ball, and in the field in the limited overs cricket, which has been the case in the recently concluded Asia Cup and the ongoing ODI series against Australia. Ravichandran Ashwin made his big comeback to the 50 overs setup of India, making an instant impact to potentially change the complexion of the ODI World Cup 2023 squad, if Axar Patel isn’t fit in time to take his place.
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Bowlers: Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Shami picked up a five wicket haul in the first ODI of the series against Australia to let the Indian team management know the value of having him in the playing XI consistently. Jasprit Bumrah is arguably the most valuable bowler for India in all-formats of the game, which is why he is one of the first players on the team sheet.
Mohammed Siraj was included in the Indian squad for the first two ODIs against Australia, but he was given a rest following his exceptional bowling spell to help skittle out Sri Lanka for 50 in the Asia Cup 2023 final. With just one match remaining before the ODI World Cup 2023 starts, the 29-year-old is likely to make his way into the playing XI for Team India on September 27.
