As Rohit Sharma returns to captain India against Australia in the last ODI before the World Cup, attention should once again be on R Ashwin
The third and final ODI against Australia on Wednesday in Rajkot was supposed to be a chance for India’s World Cup team to assemble and finalize preparations before the stakes are raised at the premier event. Australia had already clinched the ODI series. Not exactly!
India will only have 13 players available, according to captain Rohit Sharma, as Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, and Axar Patel are all absent due to various circumstances. Pandya, Shami, and Thakur are not present due to personal obligations, while Gill has taken a break after his century in the second match in Indore. A few athletes seem to be suffering from viral fever as well.
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Axar’s ongoing absence, who has yet to make a full recovery from a left quadriceps injury suffered at the Asia Cup, will be of particular worry. India’s selectors will have to decide whether to stay with Axar in the hopes that he will be eligible for their first game against Australia on October 8 or go with off-spinner R Ashwin with Thursday being the deadline for finalising World Cup lineups.
India’s victory in the Asia Cup demonstrated how well every aspect of their game worked together, but the ODI series against Australia hasn’t gone as planned. Sharma, who was sidelined for the first two ODIs but is now back, is happy with the preparation nevertheless.
“I’m pleased with how the previous 10 ODIs we’ve played have gone. Many players regained their form, hitting plenty of runs, while the bowlers claimed many wickets. We’ve seen players return from injuries in the previous few games, and they’ve shown their fitness. Therefore, we are mostly OK with where we are at this time, Sharma told reporters in Rajkot on Tuesday.
To Ashwin’s credit, in India’s most recent two games, he has done all in his power to support his inclusion. He was the standout bowler in the second One-Day International in Indore on Sunday, dismissing Marnus Labuschagne, David Warner, and Josh Inglis in a performance that embodied all of his qualities with figures of 3/41 in seven overs. He also performed well in the first ODI at Mohali.
Ashwin will be in the limelight once again on Wednesday. The selectors will find it tougher to ignore the star bowler at the World Cup if he puts up another noteworthy performance. Sharma appreciated Ashwin’s performances so far but remained ambiguous over the choice.
“Ashwin is a gentleman. He is used to managing pressure. Just recently, he hasn’t participated in ODI matches. We seen his excellent bowling in the previous two of games. He has several other options at his disposal, the man continued.
