IND v AUS Prediction: Who will win the India v Australia 3rd ODI?

People who aren’t ardent followers of cricket won't be able to differentiate between India’s twin losses at the Sydney Cricket Ground at the hands of Australia. Apart from the hosts scripting new records and an improved batting performance by India in the second ODI, there wasn’t much to separate the opening two fixtures of India’s 2020-21 tour Down Under.

Improvement in the batting department was overshadowed by a shoddier bowling display, as Australia registered their highest-ever ODI total against India. In the process, they handed Virat Kohli’s side their third successive series loss across formats.

The dead rubber will be played on Wednesday (December 2) at the Manuka Oval in Canberra - the venue for the first two T20Is.

In the 0-3 ODI series whitewash to New Zealand earlier this year, the quickest the Indian bowlers could break the opening partnership was on 85 runs. The performance deteriorated post the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, as captain Aaron Finch and David Warner have racked up opening stands of 156 and 142 in the two games.

So in addition to being a bowler short, India’s problems lie in the existing bowlers failing to make early inroads. As has been the trend in the two ODIs so far, the openers have laid the perfect foundation for the likes of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell to help the Aussies register only the second instance of the top 5 of a side all scoring more than 50 runs in an ODI.

To delve deeper into the woes, both the matches made it seem like India’s bowlers were trying too hard and too many different things. The first ball Navdeep Saini bowled was short at Warner’s body which the southpaw swivelled away for a six over square leg.

Jasprit Bumrah started his third spell with a slow, short ball outside off to Steve Smith with Adam Gilchrist, on air, left saying, “That is a horrible delivery”. The yorkers, which both Bumrah and Mohammed Shami nailed to perfection in IPL 2020, were nowhere to be seen. Additionally, all of them erred in line and length as the Aussie batters kept motoring throughout the 50 overs.

Former India cricketers Ashish Nehra and Gautam Gambhir have criticised Virat Kohli’s captaincy, and the Indian skipper has made some questionable moves. Bumrah was taken out of the attack after bowling just two overs in the powerplay, and Navdeep Saini given the last over (he conceded 15 runs) despite Shami left with one.

On the batting front, Virat Kohli led from the front as India fared better than in the opening game. That said, there still remains a gulf between the two sides. While the Aussies were regularly rotating the strike, manoeuvring the gaps, and hitting the occasional maximum, India’s top scorers – Virat Kohli and KL Rahul – consumed a lot of dot balls.

Had the bowlers been more frugal, India might have had levelled the series. However, it augurs well for the visitors that Hardik Pandya – who is still recuperating from his back injury – bowled four overs and dismissed Smith for 104.

Australia, however, have other concerns to address. While David Warner has been ruled out of the final ODI and the ensuing 3-match T20I series with a groin injury, Pat Cummins has been rested for the dead rubber.

Someone of the ilk of Marnus Labuschagne will partner Aaron Finch at the top of the order, and the Aussies have a plethora of options in their bowling arsenal to replace Cummins. Nonetheless, Australia will go into tomorrow’s contest in a bid to rest some of the veterans, try out certain fringe players, and sustain the momentum before the shortest format starts on Friday (December 4).

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IND v AUS 2020: India v Australia match prediction

India look a more settled side with Hardik Pandya able to send down a few overs, but one shouldn’t forget that the Baroda all-rounder isn’t fully fit yet. Australia still look the stronger side on paper, and with the 61 and 55-run victories in their kitty, the Aaron Finch-led side will go into the third ODI as favourites.

Nevertheless, it will be a good opportunity for India to try out the likes of T Natarajan, Manish Pandey and Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the 3-match T20I series. They will me aiming to get the much-needed balance of the side right.

Unless India post a mammoth total batting first and their bowlers penetrate early on (or maybe a new hero suddenly emerges with a match-winning effort), Australia are primed to whitewash India in an ODI bilateral series at home for the first time in the history of the game.

Prediction: Australia to win.

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