Australia Win Toss, Bat First in Final ODI as India Aim to Salvage Pride

Sydney, Oct 25: Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday. Having already sealed the three-match series with victories in Perth and Adelaide, the hosts will look to complete a 3-0 clean sweep, while India aim to salvage pride with a consolation win.

India made two changes to their lineup, bringing in left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav and seamer Prasidh Krishna in place of Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy. An update from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of the toss confirmed that Reddy was unavailable for selection after suffering a left quadriceps injury during the second ODI in Adelaide. The medical team is monitoring his recovery as he remains part of India’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series in Australia.

Speaking at the toss, India’s stand-in captain Shubman Gill said he would have preferred to bowl first. “We would have bowled first, had a target, and then tried to chase it down. I think we got what we wanted. We had enough runs in the last game, but we missed a few chances,” Gill said. “That happens in cricket — you have to take your chances. The game was even until around the 40th over, but they played well in the end. Hopefully, this will be a good game for us.”

Australia made one change, with Nathan Ellis returning to the side in place of Xavier Bartlett. Captain Mitchell Marsh said the conditions were ideal for batting. “It looks like a really nice wicket and a beautiful day here at the SCG,” Marsh said. “The way the young guys stepped up in the last game is a great sign for our team. Today’s a great opportunity to go 3-0 up. Cooper (Connolly) is a calm character and played terrifically in Adelaide.”

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (capt), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (capt), Travis Head, Matthew Short, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Nathan Ellis, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Team Maverick.