Sydney Showdown: Will AUS Complete the Sweep or Can IND Fight Back?

Australia comes to the game in a good mood, coming off two decisive victories. They have been batting well, and their bowlers have struck at crucial moments. The home team aims to win all three matches with a full house at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Australia had a strong opening with Matt Short contributing greatly to the series with a vital 74 in Adelaide, and Mitchell Marsh added 46 in Perth. In the 2nd ODI, Matthew Short and Cooper Connolly gave strength in the middle overs. In addition, Cooper Connolly was swift in the field behind the stumps, consistently putting the Indian batsmen under pressure.

Bowling-wise, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have been tough to face. The initial wickets of Hazlewood and the pace of Starc slowed down the scoring. The spin in the middle overs by Adam Zampa came in handy in both the ODIs, and he broke India whenever India tried to rebuild.

The story of India has been one of missed opportunities. Their top order has struggled to convert starts into large scores. In both games, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were dismissed early, and Shubman Gill and KL Rahul had to restart the recovery. Rahul had a fifty in Adelaide, and Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel provided some stability.

India, however, has been inconsistent with its bowling, too. Arshdeep Singh swung and collected critical wickets; Washington Sundar slowed the rate of the runs in patches. But expensive overs from other bowlers, the best among them being Harshit Rana, did the damage.

The Sydney pitch offers a fair battle between bat and ball. In the early stages, the batsmen can get away with easy scoring at the end of the evening. Rain is expected, and captains need to consider the toss well because chasing may be beneficial.

At 2-0 in the series, Australia needs only one more win to have a clean sweep, and India needs a win to avoid a whitewash. India would gain morale through a victory before their next assignment, and Australia wants to end the series as a dominant force.

The fans can expect an intense, energetic game with a lot of hits, big shots, and tough bowling. The Sydney ODI will either see Australia take the sweep or India end the tour with pride.