Another run fest on the cards as India eye consolation win in third ODI v Oz
India players celebrate the wicket of Australia skipper Aaron Finch during the second ODI at Sydney on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
A couple of hours after the Indian team returned to their hotel following an optional training session, Canberra was hit by a thunderstorm. However, it came and went within 10 minutes. It put an end to the Australian training session, but more importantly, it was symbolic of how quickly this series has come and gone.
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The Indian camp can sit back and swell on all the negatives that transpired in the first two games or approach this third ODI as an opportunity to kick start a winning run.
The Manuka Oval here will bring some happy memories for Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli. Both scored centuries here in 2016, as India fell short of Australia's mammoth 348, by 25 runs.
The pitch for today's match is set to be another batting paradise and another run fest is on the cards. However, on the eve of the match yesterday, Australian captain Aaron Finch insisted: "If you bowl well early with that extra pace and bounce on the wicket, you can do some damage."
India will be desperate for Jasprit Bumrah to strike with the new ball. India may also consider resting Bumrah as it's a dead rubber, but he's the kind of bowler who likes plenty of overs under his belt and this match offers him a good chance to find his rhythm. If that's the case, then either Mohammed Shami or Navdeep Saini may have to make way for Shardul Thakur or T Natarajan.
Most of the Indian bowlers had a stint in the nets trying to execute different plans. Such has been the nature of the series that even one good spell with the ball could be enough to tilt the match in India's favour.
One other aspect India need to improve on is their fielding. The Manuka Oval is the second-largest playing field in Australia and Finch rightly mentioned that "you pick up twos and threes more often [here] than on some smaller grounds."
If India are to keep the home side in check, they need to cut down the twos and threes with some accurate throwing from the outfield. For Australia, Sean Abbott is set to replace the rested Pat Cummins while Matthew Wade is likely to replace the injured David Warner.
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