Daijiworld Media Network – Sydney

Sydney, Oct 25: As India gear up to face Australia in the third and final ODI of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday, former cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested tactical changes to help the Men in Blue avoid a rare series whitewash.

India, led by Shubman Gill, have lost the first two ODIs, handing Australia the series win with one game to spare. Chopra highlighted that Kuldeep Yadav is likely to feature in the SCG clash, noting that the pitch is a “slightly spin-friendly surface” where the spinner could replace a pacer. Writing on X, Chopra said, “Kuldeep likely to play at Sydney. Perhaps, a slightly spin-friendly surface… could easily come in for a pacer. Given the batting performance in the first 2 ODIs, I'm not expecting the team to drop a batter for a bowler. Very unlikely.”

Chopra also emphasized the importance of having batting depth in modern white-ball cricket, arguing that teams often get into trouble with just seven specialist batters, especially when the main batters are out of form. “It's all fine to say if 7 batters aren't enough, 8 won't make a difference too. But let's be honest – modern-day white-ball cricket demands some sort of batting ability at 8. It becomes even more difficult to field only 7 batters if the batting form of many is a concern plus if the pitches are more bowler-friendly!! Unpopular opinion…I know. But that's exactly how India's recent white-ball success is achieved,” he added.

India’s campaign began with a rain-marred defeat in Perth, where they lost by seven wickets, followed by another setback in Adelaide on Thursday. While Rohit Sharma made a strong comeback with a crucial knock, Virat Kohli recorded his second consecutive duck, raising concerns over his form.

All eyes will be on how India prepare for the final ODI and what strategies they employ to avoid being whitewashed in the series.