Rain threat looms large over third India-Australia ODI

PANAJI - Rain threatens to wash out the third and final one-dayer between India and Australia here Sunday with heavy showers lashing the city in the last couple of days.

Days of unseasonal rains and ominously overcast skies Saturday have raised doubts over the fate of the match at Fatorda stadium.

Australia are still to register a win in the tour, having lost the Test series 2-0 and going down in the Vishakhapatnam ODI. The first one-dayer at Kochi was also abandoned due to rain.

India will be looking to close the series on a high, after a dominating performance in the second ODI. Chasing 290, India crossed the target in 48.5 overs with Virat Kohli scoring a century, and Suresh Raina making a fluent 71.

If there is no play, Australia, for the first time since 1979-80 tour, will return without winning a single game.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already predicted “heavy rains” Sunday and Monday.

“The pitch as far as we can see is ok. The umpires will be inspecting the pitch tomorrow (Sunday) morning after which the final decision will be taken. But if it does not rain, we should be able to have a game,” a Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) official told reporters here.

President of the Goa Cricket Association Dayanand Narvekar was optimistic. “We are going to give everything. We will try our best to see that the people who have bought the tickets see a game of cricket,” he said.

Teams (from)

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicket-keeper), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Saurabh Tiwary, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar, Ravinchandran Ashwin, Vinay Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra.

Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), Shaun Marsh, David Warner, Tim Paine (wicket-keeper), Callum Ferguson, Cameron White, Steven Smith, James Hopes, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc.