India's toss woes in ODIs persist, with new skipper Shubman Gill losing the toss for the Sydney ODI versus Australia on October 25. This is India's 18th straight toss loss, further reinforcing an unwanted record.
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss in Sydney and decided to bat first, a move traditionally benevolent at the SCG. India had already broken the Netherlands record of 11 consecutive toss losses, held in March during the Champions Trophy. For Gill, his inaugural series as ODI captain has been a testing one, with three toss losses and the series already lost after losses in Perth and Adelaide.
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The sequence started on November 19, 2023, during the World Cup final at Ahmedabad when Australia skipper Pat Cummins defeated the toss against Rohit Sharma. Two years ago, India have not won even a solitary toss in ODIs. This being said, the Men in Blue have a good track record while pursuing, with 10 wins out of 17 games after losing the toss a record that has become almost laughable but also reflects the team's mental toughness under pressure.
The tournament has not panned out as expected for India's experienced stars. Virat Kohli had a rough patch, dismissed for consecutive ducks in his ODI comeback a first in his career. Rohit Sharma, however, returned strongly after a subpar performance in Perth, scoring a rousing 73 in Adelaide.
The Men in Blue enter the third ODI in Sydney hoping to prevent a series whitewash, a rare blight which has happened only in five three-match (or greater) ODI series in the history of India.