After the chastening loss of the T20I series, India will look to get their mojo back in the one-dayers. There won’t be much experimentation like in the T20Is as India would want to win the last big series before the World Cup.
The main point of interest will be who occupies the No. 4 position in the Indian batting line-up. Ambati Rayudu played a capital innings in the final one-day game in New Zealand and is the front runner for that.
He will have competition from
KL Rahul, who has shown a pleasing return to form in the just-concluded T20I series.
On the familiar pitches at home, Rahul looks a completely different batsman as he dominates the opposition bowlers almost at will.
The Australians will be buoyed by their T20I series win, their first big win in the subcontinent after a long time. Glenn Maxwell was simply superb as he smashed a century of the highest class.
It was evident that he had learnt from his dismissal in the first game and the way he hit a delivery over extra cover for a six showed that. It was similar to the delivery which he had got out to in the first game, when he tried to go over long-off hitting slightly against the turn, but this time he hit with the turn.
It showed another side to this mercurial cricketer, who has got so much batting talent but which he hasn’t always used thoughtfully. If he keeps batting like this, then Australia will not just give India a tough time in this series but make themselves serious contenders to win and retain the World Cup.