Steve Smith's men were on a high when they arrived in Bengaluru earlier this year. The visiting Australians were heading into the second of the four-match Test series at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in March after having stunned Virat Kohli's men in the series opener at Pune.
Cut to September, Smith's side, which will be playing the fourth of the ongoing ODI series in Bengaluru on Thursday, September 28, is not a happy bunch. The world champions have already conceded the ODI series to the hosts after losing the first three ODIs on the trot and are staring at their 12th straight ODI defeat away from home.
Practice like you've never won. Perform like you've never lost.
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 27, 2017
#TeamIndia #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/d0yNBfIRTO
On the other hand, India are chasing their first-ever 10-match winning streak after having won nine in a row, which has also helped them climb to the top spot in ODI rankings.
Also read: Team news and playing conditions
Will we see a ruthless Team India?
Kohli had hinted after his team's five-wicket win over Australia in Indore that India will be ruthless in the remainder of the series. The team's intensity was on display when they crushed Sri Lanka 5-0 on their recent tour to the island nation. The "Men in Blue" have done well to carry the winning momentum into the home series and deflate the world champions.
Having sealed the series, Kohli revealed he was open to testing the bench strength. Umesh Yadav, who had done well during the Test match earlier this year, might get a nod while local boy KL Rahul, who failed to grab his opportunities in Sri Lanka, is likely to make the playing XI.
India's solid record at Chinnaswamy
India's record at the Chinnaswamy Stadium should give Kohli a lot of confidence. Notably, the home team has won 13 of the 19 ODIs played at the venue.
Rohit Sharma hit a double century when the two teams met in 2013 at the venue. The opener's 209 helped India post 383 on the board, which proved too much in the end for the visitors. Skipper Kohli though will look to better his personal record in Bengaluru - a venue where he averages just 10.50 from four matches.
Australia may play Faulkner card
On the other hand, Smith's men will look to reverse the fortunes ahead of the three-match T20I series, starting October 7.
Meanwhile, a 5-0 defeat in the ongoing ODI series will push them down to the fourth spot on the ODI rankings.
Australia's issues were compounded when they lost their left-arm spinner Ashton Agar to injury after the third ODI on Sunday, September 24. Adam Zampa, who was taken to the cleaners by Hardik Pandya in the first ODI, is set to return to the playing XI.
Australia might also be tempted to play James Faulkner, who hit a quickfire ton during their loss in 2013. The all-rounder might also prove handy on the sluggish Chinnaswamy wicket with his variations.
The focus will also be on David Warner, who will be playing his 100th ODI on Thursday. The opener has not been able to fire so far in the series, but will be looking to make an impact in his landmark match.
When does the match start and how to watch it live
The fourth ODI between India and Australia is scheduled to start at 1:30 pm IST/8 am GMT.
Live streaming and TV coverage
India: TV: Star Sports. Live Streaming: Hotstar.
Australia: TV: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Foxtel.
UK: TV: Sky Sports Cricket. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
Squads
India: Virat Kohli(c), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami.
Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson, Peter Handscomb, Aaron Finch
