Bruised India look to avoid whitewash

 Battered and bruised after four successive defeats, India will make a last-gasp effort to avoid the embarrassment of being whitewashed by an unrelenting Australia when the two sides clash in the fifth and final cricket one-dayer here on Saturday.

The Indians came a cropper while defending three back-to -back big totals and in the fourth match in Canberra, they bungled inexplicably from a position of strength to fail in chasing as well.

And it would take a special resolve to recover from the demoralising debacles to manage at least one positive result before the three-match Twenty20 series starting January 26 in Adelaide.

This is the first bilateral one-day series between the two sides on Australian soil, and the Men in Blue will want to avoid entering the record books in an embarrassing fashion.

While the visitors are searching for answers after the poor show, the hosts took the day off on Friday after travelling here via road, their dressing room relaxed for this 50-over finale.

The Indians could not have a practice session because of wet conditions and there is a possibility of weather playing spoilsport with the forecast of more showers on match day.

Australia’s only concern is regarding Glenn Maxwell, who went off the field in Canberra owing to a blow to his right knee. But as seen previously in the series, they have ample names to fill in any voids in their playing eleven.

With Nathan Lyon covering the spin angle now, Scott Boland could come in as an extra pace option, or even Shaun Marsh, should they feel the need to provide more batting cover, in case Maxwell doesn’t play at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

For India, the concerns are more realistic, simply because they do not have the luxury of a series lead.

The very purpose of the current international schedule is to get into a limited-overs’ set-up, particularly T20 cricket, with the World Cup on the horizon.

Thus, the ensuing T20I series assumes more significance on this tour, yet the visitors will not want to entirely waste the first leg of this trip.

Ajinkya Rahane could be a doubtful starter for this game, owing to the stitches on his right hand. He did bat in the run-chase at Canberra, but only because the Indian lower-order was in free-fall.

Since he is a vital member of the T20 line-up, the team management will want him to regain full fitness ahead of next week’s clashes than risk further injury in a dead-rubber.
Manish Pandey is expected to be slotted into the middle order, perhaps even bat at number four should the situation arise, as India will want optimal cover in their line-up for Rahane’s absence.

There is also a case for R Ashwin to return in place of Gurkeerat Singh Mann who hasn’t impressed with either bat or ball in his two outings so far.