An under-fire India will take on the dominant Australia for the fourth time in the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series, at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday. Hosts Australia have already wrapped up the series by winning the first three matches, and India will have nothing but their bruised pride to play for when the two teams take field. It has been a disappointing outing for India, who have managed to put up a stern fight in all three games only to let the little moments slip by. Their batting has looked solid, with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, and even Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni contributing. Live Cricket Scorecard: India vs Australia 2015-16, 4th ODI at Canberra
Sadly, India’s age-old Achilles heel has continued to disappoint, with their bowlers failing to close out the hosts despite being in good positions in all three games. It is here that India will need to make their major changes. Umesh Yadav has been good in bursts but has been expensive at crucial moments in the last couple of matches. Barinder Sran has proven himself a wily customer with both new ball and old, but his length has sometimes been a bit on the shorter side. Ishant Sharma has been good without ever looking threatening. READ: India’s haplessness jeopardising the impending end of MS Dhoni’s career
However, it has been the spinners that have let India down the most. Much was expected of Ravichandran Ashwin, but the flat pitches at Perth and Brisbane blunted his usual efficiency. Ravindra Jadeja too looked innocuous in the first two ODIs, but his spell in the third match at Melbourne nearly turned the game in India’s favour. One feels had Ashwin played at the MCG in place of Gurkeerat Singh or Rishi Dhawan, India might just have pulled things back enough to stay alive in the series. As things stand, India’s bowling attack remains a work in progress and it is hard to say who will play and who will miss out; that said an attack comprising Ishant, Umesh, Sran, Jadeja, and Ashwin seems likely. READ: India’s pace-bowling inconsistencies, as underlined in India vs Australia 2015-16 series, cause for great alarm
Australia, on the other hand, have their batsmen to thank for their series win. The bowlers conceded record totals at both Perth and Brisbane only for George Bailey, Steven Smith, Shaun Marsh, and Aaron Finch to bail them out. Glenn Maxwell proved himself capable of playing a responsible innings in the 3rd ODI at MCG with a match-winning 96. David Warner is likely to return for the fourth ODI, which means Marsh might have to miss out despite looking good in the chances he has got. READ: Virat Kohli: A role model for upcoming cricketers around the world
Without the services of Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, Australia’s bowling attack looks quite ordinary indeed. Barring John Hastings and to a lesser degree James Faulkner, none of the bowlers from either side have managed to do anything of note. Scott Boland, Joel Paris, and Kane Richardson have been ineffective, while Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh have been used sparingly. The bowlers will need to step up if Australia are looking for a 5-0 whitewash.
The match promises to be another close encounter with both teams looking evenly matched despite what the score line suggests. India will be smarting from three consecutive close losses and will doubtless come out all guns blazing. A win now could shift the momentum in time for the Twenty20 International (T20I) series that follows. With ICC World T20 2016 just ‘round the corner, that series may be the one India would be happier winning. Another thriller could be waiting for us all at Canberra.
Squads:
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Rishi Dhawan, Barinder Sran
Australia: Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith (c), Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Joel Paris, John Hastings, David Warner.
Time: 8:50 IST | 3:20 GMT
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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