India vs Australia, 3rd ODI statistical preview: Kohli returns to favourite hunting ground

With a 2-0 lead, India need to win one of the remaining three matches of the ODI series against Australia to clinch the series. If they do that in the third ODI, they are likely to experiment with the reserve bench in the last two. That will allow everyone a shot at it before the big tournament, for these are their last international matches before the World Cup.

Things look bleak for Australia at this stage, though they make take heart from the fact that they did not let India get away easily in either match. There were situations in both matches when they could have – should have, in fact – won, but they failed to grab the moments.

Ahead of the third ODI, at Jharkhand State Cricket Association International Stadium Complex, Ranchi, here is a statistical preview.

Statistical preview

1 match between India and Australia at Ranchi, in 2013-14. George Bailey (98) and Glenn Maxwell (92) had taken Australia to 295/8 on that day (Mohammed Shami took 3/42). Unfortunately, rain prevented any play after India reached 27 without loss in 4.1 overs.

1 defeat in a bilateral ODI series for India in the past three years, in England last year.

1.154 India’s win-loss ratio against Australia in this decade (14 wins, 13 defeats). However, at home that goes up to 3.667 (11 wins, 3 defeats).

2 bilateral home series defeats for India in this decade, against South Africa in 2015-16 and against Pakistan in 2012-13.

3 decided matches for India at Ranchi and they have won 2, against England in 2012-13 (by 7 wickets) and against Sri Lanka in 2014-15 (by 3 wickets). They lost to New Zealand in 2016-17, by 19 runs.

3 wickets needed by Maxwell (47) to reach 50 ODI wickets. Maxwell also has 2,371 runs. These wickets will make Maxwell the 9th Australian to the 2,000 run-50 wicket double in ODIs and the 45th Australian to take 50 wickets.

13 fifty-plus scores for MS Dhoni in India-Australia ODIs. One more fifty will take him past Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. Sachin Tendulkar leads the list with 24 fifties while Ricky Ponting has 15. In the current Australian squad, Aaron Finch has 8 fifty-plus scores against India.

25 months since Australia last one an ODI series or tournament. Their last win came in early 2017, when they beat Pakistan 4-1 at home. And their last win away from home was back in August 2016.

261 runs (and average) of Virat Kohli at Ranchi, at a strike rate of 102. In his three outings here, Kohli has scored 77* (in 79 balls), 139* (in 126), and 45 (in 51). This is Kohli’s highest average in any ground (the 243 at Edgbaston is his second-best).

279 by Rohit Sharma at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo is the highest average for any batsman at any venue with no cut-off. This is followed by Khurram Khan (270 at ICC Academy, Dubai), Matthew Hayden (265 at Gymkhana Ground, Nairobi), and Kohli at Ranchi.