India vs Australia has gone only one way so far after three matches, but the visitors will now hope for a turnaround of fortunes in the 4th ODI in Canberra on Wednesday.
MS Dhoni and his where-can-we-buy-a-win-here men have been quite disappointing so far in this series, losing the first ODI in Perth with a shoddy bowling performance, giving away the second match with a poor bowling performance and then finding it difficult to contain Glenn Maxwell in the third ODI, after another far-from-convincing (yes, you guessed it) bowling performance.
[India vs Australia 4th ODI Live Score]
It is clear as day what the problem is for India, and the only people who can sort it out are the bowlers themselves. When the pitch is not giving any assistance, all you can do is hit the right spots consistently – not for three balls, not for four balls, but all six balls. Unfortunately, the bowlers, despite having plenty of experience, just haven't been able to do that, leaving the batsmen wondering just how many runs they need to score to at least make a game of it, let alone win it.
[Watch the match highlights HERE]
Chances are, if Australia win the toss, they will probably want to bat first, just to challenge themselves after chasing down three totals in a row, but with the possibility of the pitch at the Manuka Oval slowing down further in the second innings, India might consider batting first again.
Either way, one thing is certain, India need to improve on the field and with the ball to stand a chance of toppling the No.1 ranked team in the world.
Australia will know the beauty of clinching a whitewash series win against a big team like India, and to do that they need to win the match on Wednesday. The Aussies know only one way to play anyway – at full tilt – making this game, even if it is a dead rubber, an interesting one.
"The way we're going out there and addressing the situation, when we're batting, especially, is phenomenal, and a credit to the top order," Australia opener David Warner, who returns to the team from paternity leave, was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia's official website. "I was very, very excited to see Glenn Maxwell go out there and play a mature innings and get us home."
"Having the momentum of chasing big totals down gives you a little bit of an added advantage, where you're confident in yourself, you're backing your teammates and the middle order. We hope that we can do that as well when we're setting the total."
Where to Watch Live
India vs Australia 4th ODI is scheduled for a 2.20 pm local time (8.50 am IST, 3.20 am GMT) start. Live coverage of the one-day international on TV in India will be on Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD 1, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD3. Starsports online and Hotstar are the websites which will show the ODI match via live streaming online in the Indian subcontinent.
Channel 9 will broadcast the match live in Australia, while the online live stream option is on Cricket Australia Live. Sky Sports 2 will broadcast the match live in the UK, while Australia vs India can be live streamed on Watch Sky Sports and Sky Go.
Willow TV will show the match live in the US, with the live stream option on Willow TV Online.
Viewers in the Middle East can catch the ODI match live on OSN Cricket, with the match can be watched online on OSN Play. Audience in South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa can watch the match live on SuperSport, with the live streaming online option on SuperSport Live.