AUS vs IND, 3rd ODI: 5 Talking Points from India’s 9-Wicket Win over Australia in Sydney

India ended the ODI series on a high with a nine-wicket win over Australia at SCG, powered by Harshit Rana’s 4-wicket haul and a brilliant 168-run unbeaten stand between Rohit Sharma (121*) and Virat Kohli (74*), marking a likely farewell Down Under.

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India End ODI Leg of Australia Tour on High

Team India finished the third–match ODI series on a high with a commanding nine-wicket win over Australia in the final ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, October 25. Having lost the ODI series with two successive losses in Perth and Adelaide, the Men in Blue earned a consolation win to end the ODI leg on a positive note before the T20I series.

With a 237-run target, Team India chased it down with 69 balls to spare, thanks to a match-winning, unbeaten 168-run partnership for the second wicket between Rohit Sharma (121*) and Virat Kohli (74*), showcasing their class and giving fans a memorable finale to the series.

As the Men in Blue ended the ODI leg of the white-ball tour of Australia, let’s take a key takeaways from India’s commanding victory over the hosts at SCG.

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1. Harshit Rana’s Brilliant 4-Wicket Haul

Team India pacer Harshit Rana has silenced his critics with a brilliant performance in the third and final ODI of the series against Australia. Rana was criticized for his ineffective bowling in the first outings at Perth and Adelaide Oval and was expected to be dropped from the playing XI, but team management backed him and repaid their faith in him with a fiery spell.

Rana was instrumental behind Australia’s middle-order collapse as he picked the wickets of Alex Carey (24), Cooper Connolly (23), Mitchell Owen (2), and Josh Hazlewood (0) to register figures of 4/39 at an economy rate of 4.50 in his spell of 8.4 overs. Harshit Rana recorded his maiden four-wicket haul in his international career, helping India dismantle Australia’s middle order and turning the match decisively in India’s favour.

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2. Shreyas Iyer’s Injury

Team India had an injury scare during Australia’s batting as Shreyas Iyer suffered an injury to his hip while taking a catch. The incident took place in the 34th over of Australia’s innings when Carey sliced a ball in the air over mid-off, and Shreyas ran from backward point and timed his jump to take the catch. As he took the catch, the 30-year-old fell awkwardly, injuring his left hip, and was immediately attended by the physio.

Iyer left the field with pain and was immediately taken to the hospital in Sydney for further assessment of his injury. Due to injury, Team India's vice-captain was not available to bat, forcing India to continue the chase without one of their key experienced batters.

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3. Rohit Sharma Lights Up SCG with Century

After a resilient 79-run knock in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval, Rohit Sharma once delivered a masterful innings in the third ODI at SCG. The former captain played a brilliant, unbeaten innings of 121 off 125 balls, including 13 fours and 3 sixes, guiding the Men in Blue to a commanding victory. Rohit’s vintage and masterclass innings lit up the SCG as the Indian spectators erupted in joy as they witnessed yet another unforgettable display of his batting brilliance.

With his 121-run knock, Rohit Sharma recorded his 50th international century, becoming the third player to achieve this milestone after Sachin Tendulkar (100) and Virat Kohli (82). With three sixes in the innings, the veteran batter has taken his total ODI sixes to 349, just three short of surpassing Shahid Afridi’s record of 351.

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4. Virat Kohli Silences Critics with Fifty

Virat Kohli’s form and performance came under heavy scrutiny following two consecutive ducks in the first two outings at Perth and Adelaide Oval. However, the star batter silenced his critics with his masterful and match-winning performance at Sydney Cricket Ground, where he played his last Test match during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in January this year.

Kohli played a composed innings of 74 off 81 balls, including seven fours, carefully pacing his innings to stabilize the chase and form a match-winning partnership with Rohit Sharma. With his unbeaten 74-run innings, Virat Kohli has surpassed former Sri Lanka captainKumar Sangakkara’s tally of 14234 runs to become the second-leading run-getter in ODIs. In his ODI career, Kohli has amassed 14255 runs, including 51 centuries and 75 fifties, at an average of 57.71 in 305 matches.

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5. Ro-Ko End Final Australia Tour on High

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli likely played their final match on Australian soil at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as both players hinted that this might be their farewell tour Down Under, leaving fans with a memorable performance and a fitting tribute to their illustrious careers in Australia. There was a lot of hype and excitement when Rohit and Kohli landed in Australia, as fans flocked to welcome them, eager to witness what could be their final tour Down Under.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ended their likely final tour of Australia with an unbeaten 168-run stand for the second wicket, ominating the chase and showcasing their class one last time on Australian soil.