There could not have been a better ending to the three-match ODI series between heavyweights India and Australia. The three-match series was billed as a showdown between two fierce rivals and it has lived up to that. Both teams have been able to showcase why they are best in the business in the present times.
What happened so far...
In the first ODI at Wankhede, Australia simply overpowered Team India, winning the match by 10 wickets. Aaron Finch and David Warner scored unbeaten centuries as they chased down a total of 255 with the utmost ease. The defeat not only hurt the Indian team badly, but it also made them re-think their strategy and what augurs best for the team.
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In Rajkot, India stopped their contentious experimentation with their top three and it did wonders for them. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan scored, Virat Kohli returned to his favourite no. 3 spot and scored. But the biggest plus for the team was K.L. Rahul's adaptability, which meant that the Karnataka batsman also found success at his new No.5 spot. Yes, he also kept with Rishabh Pant on the sidelines thanks to concussion protocol.
Team News: India have concerns. Openers Shikhar Dhawan took a bad hit on the rib cage and Rohit Sharma had a nasty fall while fielding. But both are expected to feature. No word on Pant's return, while the Aussies may well bring in Josh Hazlewood. He's a known performer in crunch matches.
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Here's everything you need to know about the match:
Match: India vs Australia, 3rd ODI
Date: January 19 (Sunday)
Time: 1:30 PM IST, Toss at 1:00 PM IST
Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Live Streaming: Live streaming of the India vs Australia ODI series will be available online. You will have to download the Hotstar app to watch live streaming. Payment details are available when you subscribe. The match can also be streamed live on the Jio TV app.
TV Telecast: The series can also be watched LIVE on the following TV channels in India and Indian subcontinent: Star Sports 1/HD, Star Sports 2/HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi/HD, Star Sports Select 1/HD, Star Sports SELECT 1/HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil.
State broadcaster Doordarshan will also telecast the match live in India.
You can also follow ball-by-ball live commentary HERE.
For fans Down Under, every game of the tour can be watched on Fox Cricket with no ad-breaks during play in HD (Foxtel channel 501).
SuperSport will telecast the series in South Africa.
Weather forecast: No rain expected.
What to expect: A batting paradise, but dew will have its say in the second session. Expect strokemakers to shine. The last two India-Australia ODIs at this venue produced aggregates of 709 and 647 runs.
Match prediction: India to clinch a nail-baiter.
Likely XIs:
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Manish Pandey, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
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Australia: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Alex Carey (wk), Ashton Turner, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
Squads:
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, K L Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami and Srikar Bharat (wk).
Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Patrick Cummins, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschange, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner and Adam Zampa.
