Rohit Sharma, who leads India across all formats, has indicated that up to five players will be unavailable for the third and final ODI against Australia. The match takes place this Wednesday (September 27) at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium and represents one of India's final preparations before the 2023 ICC World Cup.
For the first two ODIs of the series, Rohit and Virat Kohli were given a break. Coach Rahul Dravid also opted to rest Hardik Pandya and the in-form Kuldeep Yadav during those initial matches. Meanwhile, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was sidelined for the second ODI shortly after his return to the team.
Ahead of the series finale, Rohit admitted that the selection pool is quite thin, with only 13 players available. Due to several teammates falling ill with a virus, as well as others taking personal leave or being rested, the captain suggested they might have to rely on local Saurashtra players to fill the gaps.
With Gill, Hardik, and Shami out, and Axar currently at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) recovering from a left quadricep injury, Rohit noted that the current roster is quite uncertain. He emphasized that the primary goal is to ensure every player is fully fit and refreshed for the upcoming World Cup, expressing hope that the sidelined players will return in peak condition.