Tie-breaker

Bengaluru, January 18

A coveted series victory will be at stake when a resilient India face a feisty Australia in the third and deciding ODI here tomorrow, promising a fitting finale between the two leading teams in world cricket.

Opener Rohit Sharma hurt his shoulder while fielding in the second ODI but skipper Virat Kohli is confident that the star opener will be available for the series-decider. Shikhar Dhawan was also hit in the rib-cage by a Pat Cummins ball, forcing him out of action when Australia batted. "Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are progressing well. Their recovery is being closely monitored and a call on their participation in the final ODI will be taken before the match," BCCI said in a statement.

No significant change is expected in India’s bowling composition, with the team preferring three pacers and two spinners. Australia too are unlikely to make wholesale changes in their line-up following the defeat.

2 Previous India-Australia ODIs in Bengaluru produced aggregates of 709 and 647

318 Runs in three ODI innings by Rohit Sharma at this venue, including a double-century, at a strike rate of nearly 122. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar have scored more runs than Rohit at Bengaluru

2 Pat Cummins needs two wickets to get to 100 ODI wickets. He will be the sixth-fastest Australian to the mark if he gets there tomorrow, in his 61st match

Applications INVITED for MSK Prasad and Khoda’s replacements

BCCI) has invited applications for the post of national selectors, with only two slots to be filled in the senior panel vacated by incumbent chairman MSK Prasad and his colleague Gagan Khoda. The women’s selection panel will also be overhauled while the junior men’s committee will feature two changes. The last date for the submission of applications is January 24. It is still not clear whether the proposed CAC will conduct the interviews of the interested candidates.