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ANIAustralia captain Mitchell Marsh leads his team in the final ODI against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, aiming for a historic series whitewash Australia is aiming to close out its one-day international (ODI) campaign with a historic whitewash over India at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Captain Mitchell Marsh opted to bat first, confident in his top order’s form throughout the series. A win would give Australia its first-ever bilateral ODI whitewash over India, underscoring its recent dominance in the format.Marsh emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum ahead of next year’s ICC Champions Trophy. “We’ve been playing with intent and composure,” Marsh said before the toss. “The boys have adapted well under different conditions, and we’re looking to finish strong.”The home side’s batting lineup remains largely unchanged, with David Warner and Travis Head opening. Marnus Labuschagne continues at number three, followed by Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green, offering both stability and explosive hitting in the middle order.Also read: Hitman 3.0: With a composed 73 in second ODI, Rohit Sharma signalled a return to old formulaSquad updates ahead of the finaleAustralia made one change to its playing XI, replacing seamer Xavier Bartlett with Nathan Ellis to manage workload and provide bowling depth. Ellis, known for his control at the death, brings experience from the domestic Big Bash League. India countered by recalling left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav and pacer Prasidh Krishna, aiming to exploit Sydney’s pitch, which traditionally offers assistance to both seam and spin.Live EventsRohit Sharma, leading India, expressed confidence despite the 0–2 deficit. “We’ve played good cricket in patches,” Sharma said. “The focus is to execute better with the ball and build partnerships in the middle overs.”India’s unprecedented toss streakIndia’s poor luck at the toss continued, marking its 18th consecutive loss in men’s ODIs. The probability of such a streak is roughly 0.00038 percent, according to cricket statisticians. Analysts suggest the ongoing sequence has indirectly influenced match strategies, as India has repeatedly been forced to chase under varying conditions.Despite setbacks, India’s team management views the series as an opportunity to test younger players and refine squad balance ahead of upcoming tours. With performances from emerging talents like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rinku Singh under scrutiny, the finale serves as a crucial test for India’s depth.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onAustralia vs India ODI seriesSydney Cricket GroundMitchell MarshRohit SharmaODI whitewash (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onAustralia vs India ODI seriesSydney Cricket GroundMitchell MarshRohit SharmaODI whitewash(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Explore More Stories123
