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, India squad changes must include shuffling the bowling line-up.
The visitors displayed flashes of brilliance at times but were undone by poor execution, particularly with the ball in the middle overs during the second ODI at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
With the SCG pitch expected to aid pacers as well as the spinners, a couple of key squad changes to squad could help India avoid a whitewash.
The middle overs have been India’s biggest problem throughout the series. While the new-ball pair of Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj built pressure with tight lines and timely breakthroughs, the follow-up bowlers lacked penetration, control, and discipline, allowing Australia’s relatively inexperienced middle order to rebuild easily and accelerate later.
India’s third seamer, Harshit Rana, known for hitting the deck hard, failed to replicate the consistency and extract bounce from fuller lengths like Australia’s tall pacers. Harshit, fast-tracked to the Indian team, struggled to maintain line and length, often bowling 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 (8.00) in the series. His average of 43.00 further underlined his inconsistency.
In contrast, Prasidh Krishna’s height and seam movement could be vital in Australian conditions. The Karnataka pacer had a standout IPL 2025 season, bagging 25 wickets and earning the Purple Cap, courtesy of his control and hitting hard lengths. Furthermore, he recently impressed in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, snaring 14 wickets in three Tests. With confidence and good form on his side, Prasidh could provide India with the control and bite they’ve been missing.
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Since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach in 2024, India have preferred batting depth, often slotting an all-rounder at No. 8 across formats over a specialist bowler. The strategy paid off in turning pitches back home and in the UAE during the Asia Cup 2025, but hasn’t translated well on Australian soil.
With the lack of help for finger spinners and Aussie leg-spinner Adam Zampa claiming a four-fer in his first outing in the series, India could turn to Kuldeep Yadav, a genuine wicket-taker and rare chinaman option, at SCG. This venue also offers some help for the spinners.
The left-arm wrist spinner, who topped the wickets charts (17) in the Asia Cup 2025, 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, Washington Sundar is expected to make way. Batting at No. 8, he has managed just 22 runs in two matches at an average of 11.00 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.
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