3rd ODI: Confident India eye historic triumph at MCG

Buoyant and self-assured in equal measure, India would be eyeing a maiden bilateral ODI series triumph on Australian soil after the path-breaking Test conquest when they take on the home team in the tour finale.

The three-match series is level at 1-1 after Australia won the first ODI in Sydney by 34 runs before India triumphed in the second match in Adelaide by six wickets.

The Men in Blue have never won a bilateral ODI contest on Australian soil, and their only two series’ wins in this format have come in 1985 (World Championship of Cricket) and 2008 (CB Series).

Infact, this is only the second bilateral ODI series India have played in Australia, losing 4-1 in 2016 when they toured Down Under last time.

Also, by winning this third ODI in Melbourne, India will finish the current 2018-19 tour without having lost a series in Australia. They have previously drawn the T20I series 1-1, and then went on to record a historic first-ever Test series win by a 2-1 margin.

While India will take winning momentum into this third ODI, their only worry at the moment is the fifth bowling option.

So far in the series, senior pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami have been impressive, while the two left-arm spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja have provided control and breakthroughs in the middle overs.

In the absence of Hardik Pandya, India have used a full-time seamer as their fifth bowling option both at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Adelaide Oval.

Seam bowling all-rounder Vijay Shankar and leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal are in contention and both had a rigorous workout during the optional training session on Thursday at the MCG.