India will be eyeing glory against Australia Down Under as they look forward to securing a victory in the 3rd ODI match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 18. The team combination for both India and Australia would be a crucial factor given how important the game is. After winning in the second ODI, spirits in the visiting team’s camp would be higher!

Virat Kohli would be itching to strike the right combination in the crucial final match at the MCG. Kohli included Mohammed Siraj in the team instead of Khaleel Ahmed, and it backfired. Kuldeep Yadav, too, leaked runs at an awful rate of 6.60 per over. IND vs AUS 2019: Frustrated Australia Captain Aaron Finch Promises Natural Aggressive Game in 3rd ODI.

India will be tempted to bring back Khaleel in the team and will also be tempted to pick Yuzvendra Chahal over Kuldeep Yadav. Also, to strengthen the batting line-up in the final match, Kedar Jadhav can replace Ravindra Jadeja too, or instead swap his places with Kuldeep, which is highly unlikely.

If history is to go by, the Indian batting line-up has imploded in the series decider, or any all-crucial final matches in the past. More often than not, it is the batsmen who have failed in critical situations. Sunil Gavaskar Praises Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Says His Value to the Team Cannot Be Calculated.

With the third match scheduled to be played at MCG, the big and wide boundaries at the iconic stadium might tempt the Indian think-tank to add depth to their batting line-up, considering how feeble they can be on worse days.

India’s Likely XI against Australia for 3rd ODI at MCG: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma (vc), Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, and Khaleel Yadav. 12th Man: Dinesh Karthik

Most likely, it will be a toss-up between Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik for the Indian captain to ponder upon. Karthik has more experience on his side, and the same can be the reason why Jadhav can be picked over him to help acclimatize in foreign conditions. India vs Australia, 3rd ODI 2019: Check Out the Weather Forecast of Melbourne as Men in Blue Hunt for Glory.

With the series level at 1-1 at the moment, the series decider at MCG will be essential for both India and Australia. The hosts have really struggled in the past 12 months and would be looking to start afresh in 2019. As for the Indian team, the side would be eyeing in honing their team combinations with the ICC World Cup 2019 looming over.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 17, 2019 07:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).