India has managed to limit Australia to just 236 runs in the first innings of their third One Day International of the series, being played at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
The series has already been decided, after the home side beat the tourists in Perth and then in Adelaide.
Although a dead-rubber game, a win in this match could give India with much-needed confidence before they head into the T20 series, which starts next week.
Having said that, the Men in Blue still have a challenging job at their hands, as their batsmen have not exactly been at the top of their game on this tour so far.
Australia Falter After Solid Start
Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that initially seemed to be paying off quite well.
He contributed with a 60-run partnership with Travis Head for the opening wicket, which suggested that the home side could post a massive total on the board.
However, the score changed from 60/0 to 88/2, after which Australia couldn’t form long and productive partnerships at the wicket.
Harshit Rana, the young fast-bowling all rounder, was very impressive today, recording figures of 39/4 in 8.4 overs with a solid economy of 4.50. He had also picked two wickets in the Adelaide match, but was quite expensive.
Kuldeep Yadav, playing his first match of the series, also did quite well in Sydney, bowling 10 overs, conceding 50 runs and picking one wicket.
Prasidh Krishna, on the other hand, didn’t exactly have a great outing, going for 52 runs in 7 overs with an economy of 7.43. However, he also got a wicket today, of Nathan Ellis.
The target of 237 is quite modest on paper, but given the problems of the Indian top order on this tour, the chase can’t be taken lightly.
Also Check: WATCH: Virat Kohli Takes A Blinder To Dismiss Matt Short In IND vs AUS 3rd ODI
