The Indian cricket team is on a high -- they are two matches up in the series, they have found ways to win matches from precarious positions and different players have popped up at different times to get the job done. After the win in Nagpur, Kohli and company have the opportunity to bag the series and the seal the deal in Ranchi.
There is added incentive for the side if they win in Ranchi - India will become only the third country to complete 50 ODI wins against Australia. Only England and Windies have managed to do so thus far.
And then there is Virat Kohli, the record-breaking machine. The captain slammed his 40th ODI ton in Nagpur and when he walks out to bat in Ranchi, he will need 27 more runs to become the 12th cricketer ever to score 4000 runs as captain in ODIs.
Cause of concern with the form of the openers
However, there is also a cause of concern for India, as the form of the openers has been very jittery. If we look at the numbers, the openers have managed only 315 runs with only one century partnership and one 50-run stand in their last 10 innings. They have encountered a slump since the Asia Cup as they average 29.40, which is the 7th best amongst teams which will play the World Cup this year. They have the ability to turn things around and in Ranchi, they need 73 runs to complete 1000 runs for the opening wicket vs Australia in ODIs.
Shikhar Dhawan has been struggling in the recent past and numbers show exactly that -- this year, he has scored 264 runs in 10 innings at an average of 29.33 with a strike rate of 78.80, which is his worst in a calendar year where he has played 5 or more ODIs.
If we look at the venue, it has been a happy hunting ground for India. The side has the opportunity to bolster their impressive record against Australia. Kohli's men have won 9 of the last 11 ODIs between these two sides.
Former Indian captain MS Dhoni, who has been the centre of all attraction in Ranchi, has not enjoyed himself at his home ground. He has managed to score only 30 runs in 3 innings across formats at the JSCA International Complex, Ranchi.
However, his recent form could well help him overcome this string of low scores. His batting average in 2019, the third-best by any batsman in 2019 (min. 300 runs) after Faf du Plessis' 108.00 & Chris Gayle's 106.00.
