India vs Australia, 3rd ODI: Statistical Preview

IANS

New Delhi: With two comprehensive victories on the trot, Team India now head to Indore in a bid to wrap up the five-match ODI series against Australia, at Holkar Stadium on Sunday. While the touring Australian side would be eager to pull one back to keep themselves afloat.

Is this really an Australian team? That one that was tagged as the 'formidable'team, the mots fearsome of all...where is it? The side that would once boat the likes of Mathew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee are now struggling to even cross the 200-run mark. Yes, David Warner is still present, and so is Steve Smith, but both have failed to live up to their expectation. The visistors, who stepped in at Chidambaram stadium for the first ODI, suffered a defeat in the rain-truncated encounter by 26 runs. And then in Kolkata, by 50 runs.Unexpectedly, Australia haven't won 12 of their last ODIs on foreign soil. Aaron Finch is reckoned to make a return for the must-win game in Indore. Can he save his side from a series defeat?

Team India is presently having a whale time. Eight consecutive ODI victories for the hosts and they are one win away form equalling India's best-ever record of nine successive wins. They are one win away from attaining the World No.1 spot on the ICC ODI Team rankings chart. And they are one win away from an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. Indeed, a truck full of happiness awaits Virat Kohli and his army. The only problem that stands forth them is the debate surrounding the No.4 spot in their batting line up. Manish Pandey seemed to be struggling with the willow in the last two matches and ergo, KL Rahul will be in line to step up and prove his woth.

Here are the statistics in line for the third ODI match between India and Sri Lanka at Holkar Stadium, Indore on Sunday...

1) Indore is all set to witness a maiden India-Australia encounter at Holkar Stadium. And for India, they have never lost a cricket match at this venue – a winning percentage of 100 accounting four ODIs and one Tests.

2) Both India and South Africa have the same rating on the ICC ODI Team rankings, but the Proteas side leads the chart by only a fraction of a decimal. A win in Indore means India have a chance to leapfrog South Africa to grab the No.l spot.

3) A win at Holkara Stadium will mean series victory for India, This will be their sixth consecutive bilateral-series victory – against New Zealand, England and Australia at home and away wins against Zimbabwe, West Indies and Sri Lanka.

4) A contrasting record at stake — Virat Kohli-led India will be aiming to equal the nation's best-ever winning streak, which is nine successive ODI victories under the leadership of MS Dhoni, between November 2008 and February 2009. On the contrary, the visistors are currently on a winless streak. Accounting their last 12 ODI matches on foreign soil, Australia have failed to scalp victories in all of them, with two of it ending on a no-result.

5) India skipper Virat Kohli is now just 41 runs short of amassing 2000 runs as a captain. With 1959 runs in 34 ODI innings, Kohli is on a bid to overhaul AB de Villiers's fastest-to-2000 record as a captain.

6) Kohli is also a century away from easing past Ricky Ponting's tally of 30 ODI tons. He had failed to surpass the milestone when he fell victim to nervous ninties in Kolkata. Adding to it, the century will be his 13 ODI ton at home. He presently tied with Hashim Amla at No. 3 with 12 hundreds.

7) Another century awaits Dhoni...this time 100 ODI stumpings for India.