Why is Mohammed Shami not playing today's IND vs AUS 3rd ODI in Rajkot?

Speedster Mohammed Shami will not feature for Team India in their third and final ODI against Australia at Rajkot on Wednesday, September 27. Having played in the first two games, the 33-year-old has been rested for the series finale.

Shami single-handedly won India the opening game, returning figures of 5/51 in ten overs to help restrict Australia to 276 on a batting wicket in Mohali. It was also his second five-wicket haul and best bowling figures in ODIs, which won him the Player of the Match award.

The pacer also bowled tight lines and lengths until his last couple of overs in the second game at Indore, finishing with figures of 1/39 in six overs as the Men in Blue won by 99 runs to secure the series.

While KL Rahul led the side in the first two ODIs, regular skipper Rohit Sharma returns for the final game. Also coming back to the side are former captain Virat Kohli, spinner Kuldeep Yadav, and pace spearheads Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Opener Shubman Gill and all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur have also been rested along with Shami. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel will miss his fourth consecutive ODI as he recovers from his quadriceps injury, and wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan is out due to illness.

Meanwhile, Washington Sundar gets his first game of the series, replacing fellow off-spinning all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin.

For the struggling Aussies, regular skipper Pat Cummins returns to the side along with Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Starc, and Glenn Maxwell. Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in the last game for both teams before the ODI World Cup.

Team India aim to whitewash Australia for the first time in a bilateral ODI Series

India has been dominant in the ODI series thus far.

Team India will look to complete a historic whitewash over arch-rivals Australia for the first time in a bilateral ODI series with a win in Rajkot.

While Australia lead 82-56 in overall ODI matchups against India, the Men in Blue have turned the tide and made it a more even contest in recent meetings. Yet, the Aussies have won the last two ODI series between the sides, including a 2-1 win in India earlier this year.

Although India have emerged victorious in six bilateral 50-over series against the Men in Yellow (excluding the ongoing rubber), they have never whitewashed the five-time World Champions. They did win a home series 1-0 in 2010/2011, but that was a three-match series with the other two games washed out due to rain.

The two teams will face off in their respective World Cup opener at Chennai on October 8.