Australia vs. India, 3rd ODI: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

The Australian juggernaut continues to roll on after the Baggy Greens methodically picked off their second consecutive 300-plus target to go 2-0 up in this five-game series against India on Friday.

With the action moving to the MCG, can MS Dhoni's men find the additional firepower they need to put their hosts under pressure and get back into this contest?

Let's take a look at how the two sides are shaping up ahead of this crucial clash.

Date: Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016

Time: 2:20 p.m. local (3:20 a.m. GMT)

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Live Stream and TV Info: Channel Nine (Australia), Sky Sport (New Zealand), Super Sport (South Africa), Star Sports (India), Sky Sports (UK)

Weather: According to the BBC's weather department, a glorious day for cricket is in store with temperatures peaking at 30 degrees Centigrade.

Overview

Scores of 309 and 308 would most likely have been winning scores a decade ago. However, in the modern-day one-day international format, particularly in Australia, they are subpar totals, as India have found out to their cost so far on this tour.

It isn't that they've played poorly but somehow they need to find another 30-40 runs from their innings to push their totals closer to the 350 mark.

At first glance, despite their significant contributions it's almost tempting to be ultra-harsh and blame Rohit Sharma and Virat Kolhi, who have scored 445 runs between them but at strike rates of 101.72 and 91.46.

Is this fast enough for the current era on great batting tracks? 

However, a glance at Australia's statistics reveals that they too are hovering around the run-a-ball mark.

PATRICK HAMILTON/Getty Images

No, India's problem is, that, in direct contrast to Steven Smith's top order, they have struggled to pace their innings correctly.

At the WACA they didn't put their foot on the gas soon enough despite having only lost one wicket by the 45th over. And in Brisbane, when similarly placed, a flurry of late wickets—they were 38/5 off the last five overs—restricted them to what turned out to be an easy target.

With the tourists unlikely to change the look of their top six or seven significantly in Melbourne, a change of mentality might be required. Although, taking a few wickets could help.

So far, India's bowlers have managed to send just eight Aussie batsmen back to the pavilion with the spinners in particular struggling.

While they've filled their boots on recent dust bowls in Sri Lanka and back home, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin have claimed just three scalps between them while conceding 222 runs from 37 overs.

So, all is not lost yet, but there is plenty to work on for MS Dhoni and Co.

The same can't be said of Australia who could be forgiven for already looking ahead at their mouth-watering tour to New Zealand in a few weeks.

First they'll want to close this one out, and, having now won 16 consecutive ODIs on home soil, it's hard to see them failing to do that at the MCG.

What's been most impressive about the current world champions is the way they have integrated some new faces while still performing like a slick, well-oiled machine.

True, the newcomers haven't had big impacts as yet but who knows how the experience gained here will benefit the likes of Scott Boland and Joel Paris further down the line.

Theron Kirkman/Associated Press

But for now, it's been the seasoned pros doing the work with Steven Smith and George Bailey, who may have thought his international career was done and dusted, producing masterclasses in terms of timing run chases.

Shaun Marsh also deputised ably for David Warner, who was absent on maternity leave at the Gabba, by producing his 14th score of 50 or more from 46 ODI innings.

No individual bowler has stood out head and shoulders above the rest, but a rotation policy, which has seen seven different seamers used so far, has showcased Australia's strength in depth.

This, underpinned by a wealth of confidence and an in-form, big-hitting top order, are just some of the reasons that India have their work cut out trying to get back into this series.

Recent ODI record

Australia: WWWLLW

India: LLLWLW

Head-to-head record

These old foes have contested 120 ODIs in total with Australia holding a 70-40 advantage over their Asian counterparts. The Baggy Greens' record Down Under is even more formidable where they've won 33 from 45 encounters compared to India's 10 successes.

Squads

Australia

Steven Smith (capt), Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, John Hastings, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Joel Paris.

India

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Barinder Sran.

Key Players

Australia

Steven Smith's Bradman-esque run of form shows no signs of abating, with the 26-year-old beginning 2016 like he ended 2015...in the runs.

After finishing as the leading scorer in Test cricket over the last calendar year, the Aussie skipper has scored 195 ODI runs already in the current campaign and, as evidenced by an ODI average of 86.75 against them, India struggle to bowl to his unconventional style.

 

India

It's safe to say that Rohit Sharma is in decent form with his two innings on the tour so far yielding the small matter of 295 runs. While compiling scores of 171 and 124, the 28-year-old has blasted a staggering 34 boundaries in the series, 10 of which cleared the ropes. India need Sharma to repeat the dose in Melbourne if they are to get back into this series.

 

Who will win?

India must be demoralised after batting fairly well twice only to lose comfortably. And the intimidating MCG is a very difficult place to get back on track. Expect the Australians to close out the series and give themselves the chance of completing an emphatic whitewash.