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India and Australia will battle it out for ICC Cricket World Cup Super League points, pride and momentum in the final ODI of the three-match series. Australia have already won the series having cruised to victory in the first two ODIs.
But Virat Kohli and India will be determined not to let them complete a whitewash, as it could be a serious blow to the confidence of the Men in Blue ahead of the Test series.
Both teams will likely make a fair few changes for this encounter as they look to keep players fresh for the long and gruelling tour. Ahead of the third ODI, we take a look at some of the key battles that could decide the contest.
1. Aaron Finch vs Jasprit Bumrah
It has not been a fun series for Jasprit Bumrah so far, with the star India pacer going for 152 runs in his 20 overs and getting just two wickets. He will desperately be aiming to get back to form in the third ODI on Wednesday.
With no David Warner in the Australia line-up, it will be Aaron Finch who Bumrah will go up against once more. The Australia captain has scored a hundred and a fifty in this series, and will be looking to keep his fine run of form going as we head into the T20Is.
Finch has struggled against Bumrah in the past but has managed to score against him with relative ease in the first two ODIs. However, Bumrah did force a mistake off of Finch in the first ODI to get his wicket. So we could be in for a fine battle between the two world class players on Wednesday.
2. Virat Kohli vs Josh Hazlewood
Virat Kohli has been fairly decent with the bat in this series. However, his scores of 21 and 89 pale in comparison to the likes of Steve Smith, Aaron Finch and David Warner. Kohli will no doubt be looking to end the series with a flourish and give his side some momentum heading into the T20Is.
Josh Hazlewood has gotten the better of Virat Kohli on both occasions in this series so far, and will be looking to make it 3-0 against the Indian skipper on Wednesday. If he can get him out in the third ODI as well, it will be quite a boost for the Australia pacer going into the Test series.
3. Shikhar Dhawan vs Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc has been absolutely pelted so far in this series, going for 65 runs in the first game and 82 in the second. Shikhar Dhawan has found it fairly easy to deal with Australia's star pace bowler, and he could dent Starc's confidence further by smashing him to all corners of the ground again on Wednesday.
Starc is no doubt one of the best bowlers in ODI cricket and it would be a big surprise if he had three bad games in a row. He will be raring to bounce back and solidify his place in the team for the Test series, as his performances in the last two games will have put some doubts in coach Justin Langer's mind.
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