AUS vs IND: 5 Players to watch out for in 3rd ODI

Australia lead the ODI series 2-0 and heads into the Sydney game with momentum, but the storylines for the third match are as much about individual contests as they are about the series scoreline. Here are five players who will decide how the final game plays out and why they matter. Them having a good game alone can change how the game pans out in Sydney and change fates.

1. Virat Kohli

Kohli’s return to international cricket began with high expectations, but the first two ODIs have been a reality check of two consecutive ducks. This is an unusual low for a batsman who defines consistency across formats. That record puts pressure on Kohli to reset quickly in Sydney. 

He’s still a world-class batter and chaser, and his presence alone reshapes India’s middle order, but Australia’s bowlers, particularly the new-ball seamers and Bartlett’s first-innings breakthroughs, have shown they can force him into uncomfortable positions. A big Kohli innings, which is due from him in this series, would not only swing the match, but it would change the tone of the entire series.

2. Axar Patel

Axar has emerged as a dual weapon in this series. He has been scoring very useful lower-order runs, and his reliable left-arm spin builds pressure in the middle overs as well. In Adelaide, he made a timely contribution with the bat once again while also chipping in with tight overs when India needed control. 

Against an Australian lineup that mixes left- and right-handers across the order, Axar’s role is simple and crucial, i.e., to steady the chase or add 25–40 late in the innings and keep troubling the batters with his left-arm spin and control. If India’s middle order is to fire, Axar will be central to that plan.

3. Adam Zampa

Zampa owned Adelaide with his fiery spell of 4/60, which earned him the Player of the Match award. This also changed the game in Australia’s favour, breaking partnerships and strangling scoring opportunities during the middle overs. 

Zampa’s weapons are accuracy, disguised flight and the ability to pick off batters who don’t read the variations early. On typical Australian tracks, when Zampa hits his lengths, he forces batters to play or lose. This pressure opens opportunities for the pacers later. Expect Australia to turn to him for two- to three-over spells that can make or break India’s middle-overs scoring rate.

4. Travis Head

Head has been in fine touch across recent white-ball cricket, and his aggression at the top makes him a natural player to watch in Sydney. He combines power with the ability to rotate the strike, which is exactly what Australia wanted when they asked their openers to set the tone instead of consolidating. 

Head’s recent numbers for the season show a batter capable of match-defining knocks, and if he repeats that kind of form, India’s bowlers will be forced to bowl in more defensive channels, and that indirectly benefits Zampa and the pace unit. In short, a big Head score makes Australia’s job a lot easier.

5. Xavier Bartlett

Bartlett quietly played a major part in Adelaide, removing key top-order batters and rattling India early. His ability to swing the new ball and extract bounce from Australian surfaces created the initial platform for the home side. 

Young seamers like Bartlett have two advantages, unfamiliarity for opposition batters and fearless execution. If Bartlett repeats the early barrage in Sydney, India’s top order will be on the back foot, and the pressure of early wickets will change how the chase or the innings unfolds.

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