Last Chance of Redemption for Australia
The touring Australians have one last chance of salvaging some pride on their winless tour of India as they square up for the third and final ODI at Margao on Sunday.
The short tour has been a wretched one for the Aussies who were blanked two nil in the two match test series, that result was followed by a narrow loss in the second ODI at Vishakhapatnam after the first match of the series was rained off.
Rain is expected at the venue of the third match as well and if that is the case then the formidable Aussies who are the World Champions in the 50 overs format would have to return home empty handed.
Some of the Australian cricketers were scared with the rain that poured onto the venue a day before the match. They felt that they had never seen it come down like that and were saddened with the prospect of missing out on an opportunity of squaring the
series and returning home with some pride.
Another depressing thing for them is that the drainage system at the venue is not the greatest, which means that at best there would be a delayed start to the proceedings if the rain stops.
The new look ODI side fielded one of the most inexperienced Aussie attack in recent years and understandably they were under the pump when the Indian batsmen launched a counter attack in their pursuit of 290 runs target.
The Australians are likely to make a couple of changes to the team if the match takes place with batsman Callum Ferguson who has recovered from an injury all set to return.
The right hander was impressive in the recently concluded Champions League from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Australia-c844.
Other than him the Aussie tour selection committee is also keen on drafting in explosive opening batsman David Warner who has been one of the finds for them in the shortest format of the game this year.
He is yet to make his mark in the 50 overs format and if the match is shortened he would have the license to lay into the Indian attack and set the ball rolling for the under pressure visitors.
The Indians on the other hand are a confident unit under their captain MS Dhoni who has had to do little himself other than lead his team with his usual tactical brilliance.
The only change expected in the line-up is Munaf Patel replacing the young seamer Vinay Kumar who was taken to the cleaners by a rampaging Cameron White in the last over of the Australian innings in the second ODI.
White smashed three sixes as he took 23 runs off the last over bowled by the right armer.
Other than that the team has a settled look with the batting in imperious form, once again Dhoni would be relying on the likes of Kohli, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Murali-Vijay-c78035, Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina for big runs in the middle-order.
Many critics in India feel that Kohli has cemented a spot in the World Cup squad after his assured hundred in Vizak.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ashish-Nehra-c46293.
Australia (probable): 1 Shaun Marsh / David Warner, 2 Tim Paine (wk), 3 Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 (capt), 4 Callum Ferguson, 5 Cameron White, 6 Steven Smith, 7 James Hopes, 8 John Hastings, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Clint McKay,
11 Mitchell Starc.
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