India Vs Australia, 5th ODI today at Hyderabad

It has been an extremely tight contest between India and Australia so far with both sides winning two games each. That now reduces the 7-ODI Series as a fresh best of three matches starting with today’s day night match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The two teams have come down from Chandigarh in the North to Hyderabad in the South and then travel to the North East to Guwahati for the sixth ODI. They finish the series in the West in India’s Cricket Capital – Mumbai.

For the fifth ODI, India will be boosted with the return of Gautam Gambhir. The left hander will mostly take the place of Virat Kohli. India is unlikely to make any other changes apart from that. So far this new stadium in Hyderabad hasn’t been auspicious to India as they lost the two ODIs played here against South Africa and against Australia. However in both the ODIs, Yuvraj Singh has smashed centuries and is on the verge of a hat-trick at this venue.

Australia are likely to play Clint McKay in the vacant place left by Moises Henriqes’ injury. Another vacant slot created by Peter Siddle injury is likely to be taken by Ben Hilfenhaus. The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has a South African kind of pitch with good pace and bounce. It doesn’t mean that the batsmen will find it difficult to play their shots though as seen in the Champions League T20. It could be a high scoring contest coming up in a couple of hours time.

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