India aim to end ODI series on a high note

nagpur — Stopping a resurgent Australia would not be easy but a confident India would look to end the series on a high when they compete in the fifth and final ODI match, on Sunday.

The series already secured, India got the opportunity to test their bench strength in the fourth ODI but the team fell short by 21 runs, halting their nine-match winning run.

All three bowlers, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Axar Patel, proved expensive in their first game of the series but it was not entirely their fault that India ended up on the losing side.

Virat Kohli defended the bowling performance that allowed Australia to post 334 for five but said the batsmen could have done better on a batting beauty.

So, it won’t be a surprise if Kohli gives his reserve bowlers another game on Sunday and more rest to Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav.

“We have won the series and you have to try out guys at some stage. You need to test your bench strength as well and you need to give those guys game time,” said Kohli post the defeat in Bengaluru.

On the batting front, KL Rahul may get a game as he remains the only batsman in the squad to not have played in the series so far.

The team management will have to reassess their plans for the remaining game as both sides would want to end the series on a high and carry the momentum into the three T20s contest beginning in Ranchi on October.

Meanwhile, Australia had their chances even in the earlier games but they could only grab them in Bengaluru.

It was a much needed all-round performance that saw bowlers complementing the good work done by the batsmen.

The pace trio of Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Kane Richardson bowled with pace and precision in the death overs to take the game away from the Indians. — PTI