The AUS vs IND 3rd ODI will be held at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday (October 25).
After back-to-back defeats in Perth and Adelaide, India are on the brink of an ODI series whitewash. For the AUS vs IND 3rd ODI in Sydney, the India squad changes must include the benched players, and the captain, Shubman Gill, should consider shuffling the bowling lineup.
The visitors displayed flashes of brilliance at times. Still, they were undone by poor execution, particularly with the ball in the middle overs during the second ODI at Adelaide Oval. With the SCG pitch expected to aid pacers as well as the spinners, a couple of key India squad changes could help avoid a whitewash.
The slog overs have been India’s area of concern throughout the AUS vs IND series. While the new-ball pair of Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj builds pressure with tight lines and timely breakthroughs, the follow-up bowlers lack penetration, control, and discipline. This allows Australia’s relatively inexperienced middle order to rebuild easily and accelerate.
India’s third seamer, Harshit Rana, known for hitting the deck hard, has failed to replicate the consistency and extract bounce from fuller lengths like Australia’s tall pacers. Harshit, fast-tracked to the India squad, has struggled to maintain line and length and often bowls to the batters’ strengths. In two matches, the right-arm pacer claimed two wickets from 12 overs, conceding runs at a hefty economy rate of 7.16, the highest for any Indian and second only to Australian all-rounder Mitch Owen (eight) in the series. His average of 43 further underlines his inconsistency in the AUS vs IND ODIs.
In contrast, Prasidh Krishna’s height and seam movement could be vital in Australian conditions. The Karnataka pacer had a standout IPL 2025 season. He bagged 25 wickets and earned the Purple Cap, courtesy of his control and hitting hard lengths. Furthermore, he recently impressed in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, snaring 14 wickets in three Tests. With confidence and good form on his side, Prasidh could be one of the names in the India squad changes.
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Since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach in 2024, India squad changes have witnessed batting depth over a specialist bowler, often slotting an all-rounder at No.8 across formats. The strategy paid off in turning pitches back home and in the UAE during the Asia Cup 2025, but hasn’t translated well in AUS vs IND games.
With the lack of help for finger spinners and Aussie leg-spinner Adam Zampa claiming a four-fer in his first outing in the AUS vs IND series, the visitors should turn to Kuldeep Yadav. The left-arm wrist spinner, who topped the wickets charts (17) in the Asia Cup, can exploit the extra bounce at the SCG. He could be India’s attacking option in the middle overs, given the lack of experience in Australia’s middle-order.
Meanwhile, India squad changes should see Washington Sundar out. Batting at No.8, he has managed just 22 runs in two matches at an average of 11 and a strike rate of 91.66. With the ball, Sundar is India’s joint-highest wicket-taker in the series alongside Arshdeep, but has bowled only nine overs across two matches, the lowest among India’s frontline bowlers after Nitish Kumar Reddy (5.1 overs). His limited usage and lack of impact with the bat indicate that the captain hasn’t fully trusted him in these conditions.
After the AUS vs IND 3rd ODI, the two teams will engage in a five-match T20I series starting on October 29 in Canberra.
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