Xtra Time Web Desk: Strange it may sound but the Indian squad has been reduced to only 13 members for the third and final ODI against Australia at Rajkot on Wednesday, September 27. Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur has already been rested as was reported by Xtra Time earlier. Axar Patel too has not recovered fully ahead of the inconsequential ODI. Captain Rohit Sharma in his pre match conference on Tuesday confirmed that all rounder Hardik Pandya who travelled with the team to Rajkot has also gone back home and will be not available for the final ODI.
India’s lineup will see the return of two big guns, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, which presents an excellent opportunity for batting practice against the formidable Australian bowling trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood.
Before India’s World Cup warm-up matches against England and the Netherlands, this 3rd ODI against Australia will serve as the final chance to assess player performance. The good news is that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in good form, Shreyas Iyer has shown promise with a century, KL Rahul has proven his fitness, and Suryakumar Yadav is finding his groove in ODIs.
One concern for India is the wicketkeeping role. KL Rahul, initially the designated keeper, handed over the gloves to Ishan Kishan in the previous match due to discomfort. However, India is likely to give Rahul another chance as the preferred wicketkeeper for the World Cup.
The probable batting order for India will have Ishan Kishan opening with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli at No. 3, Shreyas Iyer at No. 4, KL Rahul at No. 5, and Suryakumar Yadav at No. 6. The all-round skills of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will strengthen the team, although the decision between them and Washington Sundar remains to be made. There might be a temptation to include Sundar in place of Jadeja in the playing XI for the 3rd ODI.