India vs Australia 2019: India's Predicted XI for the 3rd ODI

After a disappointing T20I series against Australia, India are back and alive in the ODI series with two consecutive wins at Hyderabad and Nagpur. The hosts currently lead the five-match ODI series 2-0 and will look to seal it in the third game at Dhoni’s home ground in Ranchi.

However, the form of Shikhar Dhawan and Ambati Rayudu has been a worry for Team India. With less than three months to go for the mega event in England, India might be tempted to make a change or two to assess players like Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will most likely come back into the XI after being rested for the first two One Day Internationals. Vijay Shankar proved his mettle with both bat and ball on Tuesday at Nagpur and will keep his place in the team for the Ranchi ODI.

On that note, here we take a look at India's Predicted XI for the third ODI.

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Openers: Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 1

Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 0 in the second ODI and has failed to make a sizeable contribution in the limited-overs series so far. In his last eight innings in the limited-overs format, Rohit Sharma has scored only one fifty and was dismissed for single-digit scores on four occasions. However, his ODI record in the past couple of years has been outstanding and it is only a matter of time before he comes good.

Going into the third ODI, Shikhar Dhawan’s form has been a concern for Team India. After a brilliant Asia Cup in UAE, Dhawan has scored only 376 runs in 15 innings at an average of 26.85. He was able to go past 50 only on two occasions and his last five scores in ODIs read 28,13, 6, 0, and 21. However, Dhawan has a great record in English conditions and the team management would hope the Delhi batsman finds form soon.

Middle order: Virat Kohli, Vijay Shankar, and Rishabh Pant

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 1

Virat Kohli will keep his No. 3 position in the batting order unless they make a huge call to rope in Rahul at No. 3, and in that case, Kohli will bat at No. 4. But, it is a highly unlikely change, given the way Kohli has been performing well in that position. The Indian captain scored his 40th ODI hundred at Nagpur and was named Man of the Match.

Vijay Shankar is expected to bat at No.4 after he played a crucial knock in the second ODI. After a good 90 in the final ODI against New Zealand, Ambati Rayudu has failed to make an impression in the first two ODIs at No.4. Vijay has impressed so far in his limited chances and Kohli would want him to continue his good form.

Rishabh Pant might come back into the team and is expected to take the No. 5 slot in the batting lineup. After missing out on the ODI series against Australia and New Zealand, Rishabh Pant will be itching to make his mark in the One Day Internationals to stake his claim for a place in the World Cup squad. Pant has had a phenomenal 2018 with the bat and showed a lot of maturity in the Test series against Australia.

Wicket Keeper & All-rounders: MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, and Ravindra Jadeja

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 1

MS Dhoni will continue to keep wickets for India in the third ODI. Since the turn of the year, Dhoni has been in great form in ODIs. The 37-year-old has scored 301 runs at an average of 100.33 and a strike rate of 80.05. He played a match-winning knock in the first ODI at Hyderabad and vital to India’s success in the 2019 World Cup.

Kedar Jadhav will slot in at No. 7. Ever since his return to the team after a hamstring injury, Jadhav has been a vital player for Team India in the lower order. He has also proved useful with the ball and picked up quite a few important wickets with his unorthodox off-spin bowling. In Pandya’s absence, Jadhav’s presence allows India to play an extra batsman.

Hardik Pandya’s injury paved way for Ravindra Jadeja’s inclusion in the squad and also in the playing XI. However, he has not disappointed so far. He bowled with precision and restricted the flow of runs in the middle overs. He conceded only 33 runs in the first game and 48 runs in the second. Also, one cannot forget his brilliance in the field and the run-out of Peter Handscomb on Tuesday is a testament to his abilities.

Bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 1

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is expected to make his comeback into the team after being rested for the first two games in the ODI series. He will most likely replace Mohammed Shami in the XI and share the new ball with Bumrah. Shami has been playing a lot of cricket over the past few months and deserves a break ahead of the IPL and the World Cup.

Kuldeep Yadav has been an integral part of the ODI team for quite some time. A genuine wicket-taker, the 24-year-old has picked up 82 wickets in just 41 ODIs so far. He has also picked up five wickets in the ODI series so far and made life difficult for the Australian batsmen in the middle overs.

Arguably the best fast bowler in limited-overs cricket at the moment, Jasprit Bumrah has troubled the Australian batsmen with both the old and new ball. He was consistent with his line and length in the power-play overs and proved accurate in the death overs. Bumrah is in the form of his life right now and vital to India’s success at the World Cup.