India vs Australia 5th ODI, New Delhi- Match Prediction

The visiting Australia side kept the 5 match series against India alive by registering a sensational 4 wickets victory against the Men in Blue in the 4^th ODI at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. It was their record run chase as they managed to get the required 359 runs target with 13 balls to spare. It was a special effort from Ashton Turner who scored a magical 84 of 45 deliveries which were studded with 5 four and 6 sixes.

Turner playing only in his 2^nd ODI turned the game on its head with some exceptional strokeplay. He played conventional cricket shots to get the fours and the sixes. It was one of those days when nothing went wrong for the youngster. When he did give a chance, Rishabh Pant spilt it behind the stumps and the chants of Dhoni Dhani started pouring in from the crowd.

India lost their advantage after losing the last couple of matches 

On the other hand, the hosts would like to believe that it was one of those bad days where nothing went in their favour. There is no doubt about the fact that India has a world class attack and they should look to come to all guns blazing in the series decider. Jasprit Bumrah had a rare off day while Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was making a comeback also looked out of sorts. He started off pretty well but couldn’t quite keep the pressure during the final overs as Turner smashed him all around Mohali.

Despite the defeat, India will feel confident about winning the final match especially after Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan roared back to form in the previous clash. While the southpaw scored a sensational 143 of 114 deliveries, Rohit Sharma fell just 5 runs short of a well deserved century. The middle order wasn’t tested.

Sanjay Bangar had said after the 3^rd match that they had decided to rest MS Dhoni for the last couple of matches. However, with the series now on line, the team management will be tempted to bring back the experienced campaigner for the series decider. It will be a big match but the larger context is the World Cup. Hence it won’t be a surprise if India decides to rest Dhoni again.

Date and Venue:

The match will be played at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on 13^th March 2019. The match will start at 1 pm IST.

Pitch Conditions

The pitch in New Delhi has always supported the spinners and it shouldn’t be any different this time around. The dew shouldn’t be much of a factor in New Delhi. However, after the last match, the home team might look to make a few changes to balance their side. Despite a great start and scoring 358, India didn’t manage to win the game in Mohali. In Delhi, the conditions should be different. However, the batsmen will definitely have the upper hand but we might not see a score of 320-350.

Weather Conditions 

Winter has still not left New Delhi and it is expected to be a chilly evening. The temperatures in the day time should hover around 20-25 degree Celsius. However, under lights, the temperature is expected to drop considerably and go as low as 14 degrees. There is no certainty of rain but the weather forecast doesn’t suggest any thundershower or rain for the series decider.

Match Prediction 

Australia has made a terrific comeback after going down 0-2 in the series. It has been a sensational effort from the visitor to force their way back into the series when their backs happened against the corner. Despite Australia’s sensational performance in the last two matches, I will still give India the upper hand for the series decider. It is expected to be a tough encounter but India should prevail.