India vs Australia 3rd ODI: Probable India XI in Chennai; Will Umran Malik get a chance on March 22

India and Australia will lock horns in the series-decider of the 3-match ODI series at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday. The visitors thrashed India by 10 wickets in the second ODI in Visakhapatnam (Vizag) to level the series 1-1 on Sunday.

The Indian batting unit collapsed for the second consecutive time as the hosts were bundled out for 117 - their fourth lowest total in a home ODI.

As many as seven batters got out for single digits. Australia pacers Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott and Nathan Ellis picked five, three and two wickets respectively.

Former India captain Virat Kohli top-scored for India with 31 off 35, while Axar Patel stayed unbeaten on run-a-ball 29. Middle-order batter Suryakumar Yadav registered his second consecutive golden duck in the series. Starc trapped him in front of the stumps and couldn't stop smiling wryly while the right-hander walked back to the pavilion.

The tormenting did not stop there for India. Australia openers gunned down the target in just 11 overs to hand India their biggest defeat in terms of balls remaining. The crushing defeat has raised a lot of questions in a year when India are gearing to host the ODI World Cup in October-November. Notably India were four down for 39 while chasing 189 in the first ODI.

The top and middle-order has crumbled in both the matches. The Men in Blue have been exposed against swing and left-arm pace bowling once again. Also, in the second ODI India went in with three spinners. Australia had only one spinner in Adam Zampa. Did India fail to read the condition? Are India playing an extra bowling all-rounder because of their lack of confidence on the specialist batters?

All these questions will have to be answered ahead of the third ODI. India played an extra bowling all-rounder in Shardul Thakur in the first ODI and included Axar Patel in the second. Will India take cue from Mitchell Starc's sensational bowling display in the first two matches and take the brave call of including an express pacer like Umran Malik in the playing eleven. In case such surfaces are on offer in the World Cup, grooming the 23-year-old.

IND vs AUS: Surya set to get another opportunity

In the absence of injured Shreyas Iyer and any other middle-order batter in the squad, Suryakumar's place in the eleven is not at all under threat. Ishan Kishan was the only specialist batter not in the eleven of the second ODI. The Jharkhand batter did get a chance to open with Shubman Gill in the absence of Rohit from the first ODI but he failed to make any impact and could manage only three runs. Regardless, Rohit has backed Suryakumar and stated that the Mumbai batter would get a longer run to prove his worth.

The team more or less picks itself naturally and just two decisions have to be made - Umran Malik in place of an extra bowling all-rounder (Shardul and Axar) or Washington Sundar in place of left-arm spinner Axar as the third spin option. With Ravindra Jadeja back in the ODI squad, India already have a left-arm spinner who can bat in the top-order. Inclusion of Washington will increase variety in India's spin attack and be in sync with their idea of batting deep.

IND vs AUS: Chennai Pitch report to play major role in decidiing playing 11

A lot will boil down to the pitch conditions in Chennai. MA Chidambram track is usually known for its slow track. However, rain is the forecast in the lead to the match and that means that pacers will again have a role to play early in the innings. Also, the last time India played here, the pitch aided pacers under the lights and West Indies chased down the 288-run target with eight wickets and 13 balls to spare. Kuldeep Yadav and Jadeja failed to pick a single wicket despite bowling their full quota of 10 overs. Deepak Chahar and Mohammed Shami picked a wicket each. Pace bowling all-rounder Shivam Dube leaked 68 runs in just 7.5 overs.

India should look to challenge themselves and show an aggressive intent by picking three genuine pacers.

India Predicted XI for 3rd ODI in Chennai: Rohit Sharma (c). Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav/Washington Sundar, Umran Malik, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami