India v Australia 2019: Australia's predicted playing XI for fifth ODI

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4
India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4

Australia, courtesy of their outstanding comebacks at Ranchi and Mohali, have now leveled the ODI series against India. With the series evenly poised at 2-2, the final ODI is set to commence on 13 March at Virat Kohli's home ground, Delhi.

The Australian unit included Ashton Turner in their playing XI at Mohali - a decision which had puzzled a lot of fans. Turner had been out of form heading into the game, but an unbeaten 84 of 45 from him knocked the stuffing out of the home side.

The Australian pace bowlers also did a fine job, restricting the opposition to 358 in 50 overs. At one moment, it seemed like India would reach 400 but a few boundary-less overs at the death resulted in the team's failure to cross the 360-run mark.

The Aussies chased it down, with Turner's innings along with the 192-run stand between Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb proving vital.

With all the attention now on Delhi, here's what Australia's playing XI can be for the match at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.


Openers - Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 2
India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 2

Bhuvneshwar Kumar cleaned up Aaron Finch in the very first over of the Australian innings. The Indian pacer would love to maintain his dominant record in the next one-dayer. However, Finch will be vying to improve his technique and play an innings like the one he played at Ranchi.

Usman Khawaja has been the best batsman for Australia in the series. He is the 2nd highest run-scorer in the ODI tour, just seven runs behind Virat Kohli. With a century and two half-centuries already to his name, Khawaja would love to continue his form in the final game and register one of the best comebacks ever in ODI history away from home.

Middle Order - Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb and Ashton Turner

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4
India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4

Marcus Stoinis might be ruled out of the decider owing to his thumb fracture, which means Shaun Marsh will retain his place despite his poor performances in the last couple of matches. Marsh is one of the most experienced players in this Australian side.

Peter Handscomb played a fantastic innings at Mohali. He solidified his place for the upcoming ICC World Cup with this knock. He will slot in at number four or five, depending on the circumstances.

Ashton Turner repaid the faith that Justin Langer had in him by playing a swashbuckling innings under pressure. Turner had performed extremely well for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League but failed to repeat the same performances at the international level until last night.

He is expected to play the finisher's role once again.

All-rounder - Glenn Maxwell

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4
India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4

Glenn Maxwell has been the best all-rounder among both the sides in this series. He has scored 114 runs at a strike rate of 100+, along with a couple of handy performances with the ball in the middle overs. With Maxwell not being a part of the upcoming IPL, he might be planning to give a perfect farewell to the Indian fans by playing a flamboyant innings.

Co-incidentally, Delhi, the home ground of Maxwell's last IPL franchise, will host this match.


Wicket-keeper - Alex Carey

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4
India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4

Alex Carey has chipped in with two important innings in the series thus far, one which ended up in a winning cause while the other on the wrong side of the result. Though Carey could not finish the previous match, he showcased his finishing abilities by playing a quick-fire knock.

He will come in at five-down, giving much-needed depth to the Australian batting line-up.

Bowlers - Pat Cummins, Jhye Richardson, Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4
India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4

Pat Cummins picked up his first five-wicket haul in the previous encounter and led the Australian bowling department from the front in the death overs. His form will be very important for Aaron Finch's side in the final match.

Jhye Richardson has been among the wickets this series, and he should retain his place. He might want to work on his control a little bit, as he went for 85 runs in nine overs in the previous fixture.

Adam Zampa has scalped eight wickets in this series already and he's perhaps the first name to be on the team sheet.

For the final spot, there could have been a toss-up between Lyon and Jason Behrendorff depending on the nature of the pitch. But given the slower nature of this pitch, Australia's seasoned Test match spinner is set to play.

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