India extended their unwanted record for most consecutive toss losses in ODIs to 18 after new captain Shubman Gill lost the toss for the Sydney ODI against Australia on 25 October. While India’s fortunes in the Australian series had already vanished before the encounter in Sydney, the third ODI added another unwanted milestone to their tally.
Australia captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss in Sydney and elected to bat first, a historically winning choice at the venue. India broke the previous record of 11 consecutive draw losses held by the Netherlands in March during the Champions Trophy. Shubman Gill’s first series as India’s ODI captain was even tougher with three losses in the toss and a series defeat secured after losses in Perth and Adelaide.
AUS vs IND, 3rd ODI: Update
The series began on 19 November 2023 in the World Cup final in Ahmedabad when Australian captain Pat Cummins won the toss against Rohit Sharma. Almost two years later, India still haven’t won a single toss in ODIs.
Despite this, India maintained an impressive batting record at number two, winning 10 of the 17 ODIs in which they lost the toss. This trend has become almost comical and shows that the team is focused on performance even when luck is not on their side.
The farewell series for veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in India did not go as planned. After losing the series opener in Perth and the second ODI in Adelaide, Kohli was dismissed for two consecutive ducks on his comeback, the first in his ODI career. Meanwhile, Rohit redeemed himself with 73 in Adelaide after scoring just 8 in Perth.
The Men in Blue are playing for pride in the third ODI, aiming to avoid a series fade away – something India have suffered in only five three-match (or longer) ODI series in history.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
October 25, 2025
