India have won the series 2-0 against Australia. One last ODI remains for the hosts to sweep the series. Visitors will work on breaking their losing streak, for the previous ODI was their 5th consecutive defeat in the one-day format. The final ODI of the series will be played at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium on September 27, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. IST.
The pitch at the stadium favors batters the most, especially in the first innings. The average score is known to touch the mark of 311. Interestingly, the highest score of 340 was backed by India against the Aussies, defending the board for a victory too. The lowest score of 270 was by South Africa for another successful victory.
Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium will have a temperature of around 33 degrees Celsius with a 20% chance of precipitation.
Any side that wins the toss will elect to bat first unless they tend to test their batting line-up to the extreme. All three matches played on the pitch have been won by the team elected to bat first. So, opting to bowl first will put much pressure on the batting line-up. The stadium favors batters and not bowlers.
In the second ODI, Australia missed the contributions of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Glenn Maxwell. India lacked Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Bumrah, Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav, but other players compensated for their absence. The odds on cricket betting platforms are again near equal for hosts and visitors. There is a chance that India may see all of them return to the lineup only to face the problem of abundance once again.
The Aussies are likely to continue experimenting with the Playing 11. The second ODI between India and Australia was a rain-curtailed event, with Suryakumar Yadav shining in the death overs. India’s own Mr. 360 Degrees bagged an unbeaten 72 runs off 37 balls. That is close to a strike rate of 200. Shubham Gill and Shreyas Iyer each scored a century after the team was down with an early wicket in the first powerplay.
Skipper/Keeper himself brought up a fighting half-century at a strike rate of 136.84. What helped Steve Smith stay strong was seeing David Warner continue his batting form with a half-century. The revised target was indeed doable if Warner had spent a few more overs on the field. Sean Abbott picking up 4-4s and 5-6s to bring up 54 runs off 36 balls is a positive take away for the hosts.
Number 8 batters bringing a quick-fire half-century makes a lot of difference for a side that is looking for a Dhoni-style finisher. Sean Abbott also left an impact with his bowling spell. He was the one to send Iyer back to the dugout at a moment when he could have taken the match to a 400+ score.
Third ODI is imperative mostly for Australia, for the side wants to bounce back before it enters the ICC ODI World Cup 2023.
