With focus on Virat Kohli’s form, Team India enters the Sydney Cricket Ground to play Australia in the third one-day international on October 25, Saturday. Commonly known as the ‘SCG’, the Sydney Stadium is one of the iconic grounds Down Under. With the series already in the bag for the hosts, they eye a statement-worthy whitewash, while Shubman Gill still yearns for his maiden ODI win as captain.
Australia have a terrific record when it comes to playing in Sydney. The Men in Yellow have been playing here since 1979 and have enjoyed 91 wins in 130 completed ODIs. India, on the other hand, have found it really tough. Despite playing 22 ODIs at the venue, India have managed to win just five times. In fact, they have lost the last three ODIs in Sydney, with their last win coming way back in 2016.
Steve Smith, Virat Kohli show in 2020
Australia beat India by a massive margin of 51 runs and also clinched the 3-match ODI series in 2020. The Sydney pitch offered almost nothing to bowlers and the Aussie batters decimated the Indian bowling attack that comprised of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini and Hardik Pandya. Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja were the two spinners.
The entire top five of the Australian attack got to their half centuries. While David Warner (83) and Aaron Finch (60) started with a 142-run stand, Steve Smith entered and made one of his fastest ODI hundreds at his home ground. He bludgeoned with utmost unorthodoxy, hammering a 62-ball century that involved 14 boundaries and two sixes. Marnus Labuschagne (70) and Glenn Maxwell (63* off 29) and gave the final push and led Australia to a massive first-innings score of 389/4.
It was always going to be an arduous chase for India but they were in it until skipper Virat Kohli got out. The ODI great made a sensational 89 of his own, where he looked at his authoritative best. Unfortunately for India, none of Shikhar Dhawan (30), Mayank Agarwal (28), Shreyas Iyer (38) and Pandya (28) converted their starts into a big one. Pat Cummins took a three-fer and India left 51 runs short of the target.
Now, India returns to the SCG after half a decade. This time, India have a near full-strength side, while the hosts are in a transition. However, with the series already in bag, we might see more fearless cricket tomorrow!
