India Playing XI, toss, weather update from Sydney: Will Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir finally include Kuldeep Yadav?

NEW DELHI: India will look to avoid a clean sweep when they take on Australia in the third and final ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. After losing the second ODI in Adelaide by two wickets, the visitors are trailing 0-2 in the three-match series and will be eager to end the tour on a high.With just a day’s break between games, India have little time to regroup and must find answers quickly to prevent their first ODI series whitewash since the 2022 tour of South Africa.

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Rohit Sharma’s fighting 73 and Shreyas Iyer’s composed 61 offered resistance in Adelaide, but the spotlight remains on Virat Kohli’s rare dip in form — having registered back-to-back ducks for the first time in his ODI career. Both senior batters, possibly featuring in their final ODI on Australian soil, will hope to finish the series on a high note.

However, the biggest talking point ahead of the Sydney ODI is whether Kuldeep Yadav will finally get a game. The left-arm wrist spinner has been benched for the first two matches, even as Australia’s Adam Zampa spun his side to victory in Adelaide with four wickets and the Player-of-the-Match award.Former cricketer Aakash Chopra believes it’s time for India to bring Kuldeep into the XI, given Sydney’s reputation for assisting spin.

“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 two ODIs, I’m not expecting the team to drop a batter for a bowler. Very unlikely,” Chopra wrote on X.India’s combination has looked slightly unbalanced without a seam-bowling all-rounder like Hardik Pandya. Players such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna are waiting in the wings, and a few changes are expected for the final game.India, the top-ranked ODI side, have now lost two matches in a row after an eight-match winning streak. Stand-in captain Shubman Gill faces a key selection test — and giving Kuldeep a chance could be both a tactical and psychological boost.Australia, meanwhile, will be strengthened by the return of wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, while Marnus Labuschagne has exited the squad. Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann and all-rounder Jack Edwards have been added for the Sydney match.

Zampa and pacer Xavier Bartlett — who dismissed Gill and Kohli in Adelaide — will again be crucial as Australia eye a 3-0 sweep at home.

IND vs AUS 3rd ODI Live streaming

When: Saturday, October 25, 9:00 AM ISTWhere: Sydney Cricket Ground, SydneyWhere to watch: Star Sports Network for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming

IND vs AUS 3rd ODI weather update

The weather forecast for Saturday looks ideal for cricket in Sydney, according to Accuweather. Temperatures are expected to range from a comfortable 17°C in the morning to a pleasant 25°C during the day.

With the pitch expected to improve under the lights, both teams are likely to prefer chasing, aiming for a result rather than a cautious approach.

IND vs AUS 3rd ODI - Predicted XIs

AUSTRALIA predicted XI: Travis Head, Mitch Marsh (c), Matt Short, Matt Renshaw, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen, Mitchell Starc/Jack Edwards, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Josh HazlewoodINDIA predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy/Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana/Prasidh Krishna, Mohammad Siraj, Arshdeep Singh

IND vs AUS Squads

India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna.Australia: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, and Adam Zampa.