Have India ever whitewashed Australia in an ODI series?
Team India could secure a historic whitewash if they emerge victorious against Australia in the upcoming third ODI of the series on Wednesday in Rajkot. The Men in Blue have played 12 bilateral ODI series against Australia to date, but have never been able to complete a clean sweep over them.
The same can be said for Australia, who have won six of those 12 ODI bilateral series, but none of them include a complete whitewash. Their most recent series meeting took place in India prior to the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), which saw Australia make a comeback from being 1-0 down to win the series 2-1.
The closest India have come to a whitewash is when they won a three-match series in 2010 by a 1-0 margin. Two matches in the series were abandoned due to rain, while India managed to win the lone contest courtesy of a Virat Kohli century. The match is also remembered for Shikhar Dhawan's ODI debut, where he was dismissed for a duck.
The Men in Yellow have also compiled a 3-0 win over India in the very first bilateral series between the two sides, However, two matches in the five-match series were abandoned, so despite India not winning a single match in the series, it cannot be recorded as an official whitewash.
Team India on the lookout to wrap up World Cup preparations in style with a win over Australia
The upcoming third ODI marks the final international contest for both teams prior to the 2023 ODI World Cup, not including the warm-up matches in a few days' time. The two sides have been scheduled to face each other in the group stages of the tournament on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Pressure is completely on the visitors as they are currently on a five-match losing streak. The Men in Yellow suffered three defeats in South Africa to lose the series 3-2 from a 2-0 lead, and have lost the first two ODIs against India to concede the series with a game remaining.
The visitors are likely to play with a full-strength squad for the dead rubber, with the likes of Pat Cummins and other first-team players making a return to the playing XI.
Should they lose the third ODI, it would mark the first whitewash in the format for Australia since their 0-5 rout at the hands of South Africa in 2020.
Who will win the third and final ODI between the two sides in Rajkot? Let us know what you think.