IND vs AUS: Shubman Gill on cusp on unwanted record as white-wash threat looms on India ahead of third ODI in Sydney

India lost the first ODI by 7 wickets in Perth and the second ODI by 2 wickets in Adelaide under the leadership of Shubman Gill.

On Saturday, October 25, India will face Australia in the third and final ODI of the series. The hosts have already won the series 2-0, with two wins in the previous two games; thus, the Men in Blue have nothing to play for.  

Captain Shubman Gill is under pressure ahead of the dead rubber game because he has failed to win an ODI as captain. Furthermore, the right-handed batsman is on the verge of an embarrassing performance ahead of the third ODI.

India lost the first ODI in Perth after multiple rain interruptions derailed their innings after being asked to bat first. India could only manage 136/9 in 26 overs. Australia chased down the 131-run revised target with seven wickets in hand, as Mitchell Marsh led from the front with 46*.

In the second ODI, India batted first again after losing the toss. Rohit Sharma made 73 and Shreyas Iyer made 61, and thanks to Axar Patel’s 44 and Harshit Rana’s 24*, India reached 264/9 in 50 overs. In response, Matt Short and Cooper Connolly scored fifties, and Australia won by two wickets.

With this, Australia led the series 2-0, with the third match to be played in Sydney on October 25.

Shubman Gill might become the first Indian captain to suffer an ODI series whitewash in Australia

If India loses the third ODI as well, it will be the first time India has suffered a whitewash in the India-Australia ODI series, with Shubman Gill becoming the first Indian skipper to register this unwanted record.

In 1984, India and Australia played their first bilateral series, which the Men in Yellow won 3-0. However, the series was a washout because two games were called off due to the weather. This marks the 16th bilateral series between India and Australia in the sport’s history. It has been an equal series over the last 15 years, with Australia winning eight and India winning seven.

History of the bilateral ODI series between India and Australia:

Aside from captaincy, Shubman Gill is struggling with the bat, scoring only 19 runs in two matches at an average of 9.50. The right-handed batter has faced harsh criticism for his disappointing performance as both captain and batter.

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