Visitors India came up with a fighting performance, as they managed to post a par total of 3025 in the third and final One-Day International (ODI), at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, on Wednesday. Having already lost the series, India would be looking to avoid their sixth consecutive loss in the format, besides also aiming to evade their second successive series whitewash. Also, a defeat here would bring India down to the third spot in the ICC ODI Rankings, while Australia would remain on fourth.
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Winning the toss, Indian skipper Virat Kohli elected to bat first, as he made four changes to the playing XI. Meanwhile, Australian skipper Aaron Finch, too, decided to shuffle the XI, as he made three changes from the last game.
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The openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill were off to a slow and shaky start, contributing just 26 runs before Dhawan fell for mere 16 in the sixth over. Meanwhile, Gill, who was opening in ODIs for the first time, fell for 33 in the 16th over.
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Nonetheless, it was Kohli, who once again took charge of the innings, scoring 63 runs. In the process, he also completed his 12,000 ODI runs, besides becoming the fastest to do so, in just 242 innings.
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However, it was Shreyas Iyer, who failed to fire again, managing to score just 19, before falling to spinner Adam Zampa in the 23rd over. Vice-captain and wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul surprisingly was unable to fire today, getting dismissed for mere five to the same bowler.
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After Kohli was dismissed in the 32nd over by pacer Josh Hazlewood, it was hard-hitting all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who took control of the innings, as smashed an unbeaten 92. He was supported by fellow all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who too fired late in the innings, with an unbeaten 66.
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As a result, India did manage to post a par total of 302. Among the Australian bowlers, it was spinner Ashton Agar, who was the most successful one, finishing with figures of 244.Brief scores: India 3005 (Kohli- 63, Pandya- 82*, Jadeja- 70*; Agar 244) vs Australia. Aussies need 303 to win in 50 overs.
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