Pitch and weather:
The Rajkot pitch is often compared to the adjacent highway – in the three ODIs the venue has hosted to date, there have been four 300-plus totals. The last ODI here was in 2020, when India, batting first, posted 340 for 6. In response, Australia were all out for 304. The weather for Wednesday is expected to be partly cloudy, but there is no forecast for rain.
India vs Australia 3rd ODI Highlights 2023, Wednesday 27-9, Australia tour of India 2023, Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot.
Pat Cummins: “Looks like a good surface. It’s been good to get game time. Been good that we’ve had plenty of hits. Certainly humid, but we have played a lot here. Five changes for us.”
Rohit Sharma: [Conditions] Much better. I heard about the conditions in Mohali. Decent temperature here. It [the break] is important, more than physically it is mentally as well. It was a good break for few of us. Look forward to the game. Very happy with the team’s performance. This game gives a good opportunity Looks like a good pitch, little dry. Typical Rajkot wicket. Will be good under the lights. We wanted to field first as well. Lots of changes. Myself, Virat, Kuldeep, everyone’s back. Lot of guys are missing. From the last last game Ash is also missing. Washington is in. Ishan is not well.”
Toss: Australia chose to bat.
India team: Rohit (capt), Kohli, Iyer, Rahul (wk), Suryakumar, Jadeja, Sundar, Yadav, Bumrah, Siraj, Krishna.
Australia team: Marsh, Warner, Smith, Labuschagne, Carey (wk), Maxwell, Green, Cummins (capt), Starc, Sangha, Hazlewood.
Head to Head In ODI’s: 148
India Won: 56
Australia Won: 82
India ODI Rankings: 1st
Australia ODI Rankings: 3rd
Form guide
(last five completed ODI’s, most recent first)
India WWWLW
Australia LLLLL
Match Timings: 8:00 AM GMT | 1:30 PM Local
Umpires – Anil Chaudhary, Kumar Dharmasena
TV Umpire – Virender Sharma
Match Referee – Javagal Srinath
Reserve Umpire – KN Ananthapadmanabhan
Match number – ODI no. 4657
Rohit Sharma:
“I’m pretty happy [with my own form]. Of course I’d like to go all the way along but as long as I’m hitting like that I’m happy. The last 7-8 ODIs we’ve played really well in different conditions. We were challenged at different times and we took that challenge really well. Unfortunately not the result we wanted today but I’m not going to look too much into this game. We’ve been playing really well. When we talk about the 15-man squad we are very clear on what we want and who the guys are that will do the job for us. We’re not confused. We know exactly where we are heading.”
Marnus Labuschagne:
“It was nice to contribute. I came in at a different time to what I have been. It was nice to navigate that scenario at the back end and get a really good total on the board. It felt like a game where the front end was the nicest time to bat. The back end the ball starting spinning a bit more and sitting in the wicket. I thought the boys did well at the back end. We’ve lost the series, India were too good in the first two games but it was nice to see all the big guns back today and it was nice to see the team gel.”
Pat Cummins:
“Great first hit out for Starc and Maxwell. They both haven’t played a lot over the last couple of months. Maxy four-for and Starcy looked like he was in great rhythm so I couldn’t be happier. [Marsh opening in the World Cup] Potentially. Trav Head won’t be ready for the start of the tournament. The way Marsh and Warner started today looks like a pretty dangerous combination. They look pretty good. [Injuries] Head and Agar are the obvious ones. Agar is back home with a calf. We’ll sit down and work it out.”
Player of the match is Glenn Maxwell:
“It’s been a lot of hard work. The South Africa tour was a little bit of a setback. But it probably sped things up as well. I was able to get home and get an injection and get into my rehab. I feel like I’m in a decent place. I feel fresh. I feel like I’ve come into this World Cup nice and fresh and I’m excited to hit the ground running.”
Shubman Gill was named player of the series.
