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Aussies feeding off boost from Bengaluru revival

Australia's players have pointed to a T20 win in India a year ago as the moment that their fortunes turned for the better. They return to the ground tonight seeking a series-clinching ODI win

Australia will return to the scene of where they turned their cricket fortunes around for Sunday's Qantas ODI Tour decider against India in Bengaluru.

It was at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium last March that Australia went from enduring the most difficult run in recent memory to the resurgent team they are today.

Chasing 191 for victory in a Twenty20 match, Glenn Maxwell hit 113 not out from 55 balls to take Australia to victory and a 2-0 series win.

Australia triumph after Maxwell epic

Before that, Australia had won 11 of 37 matches across all formats in a period dominated by the ball-tampering scandal.

Since then, their record is 29 wins from 39 games and they have not dropped a bi-lateral series.

They've retained the Ashes in England, made the World Cup semi-finals, completed a perfect home Test summer and won ODI series in India and the UAE.

"At Bangalore, Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) hit a hundred and we won seemingly out of nowhere," quick Pat Cummins said.

Maxwell smashes extraordinary ton

"It gave us a real confidence, beating the best side in the world, in their own conditions.

"I think that Indian series win, probably the T20 series win, to be honest (was when I realised we could give the World Cup a shake).

"It really felt like a special group, a couple of really special wins where we felt like we could win from anywhere."

Maxwell's big hitting from that night will serve as a warning for bowlers though ahead of the third match of this year's three-game ODI series today (7.30pm AEDT Fox Cricket & Kayo).

Australia make history with crushing win in Mumbai

The boundaries are short and the average run-rate at the venue in one-day cricket in the past 12 years is 6.28.

The ball flies across the outfield, while it's renowned as a venue that's often raining sixes.

"It feels like the ball goes further in the air, it sort of travels. You see lots of sixes generally there," said Steve Smith of the venue.

"It's quite a fast outfield from memory, and it's usually a nice-paced wicket."

Cummins has routinely been the best Australian quick in the tough conditions on this tour. He was the only pace bowler to go at less than a run a ball in Rajkot with 0-53, while he took 2-44 in Australia's series-opening win in Mumbai.

India too strong despite Smith’s valiant knock

He bowls largely without the distinct variations of T20 specialists, who are accustomed to such wickets. But regardless, his economy rate of 4.69 in India is the best of any pace bowler from the past decade who has played more than 10 matches there.

"I just think about run rates and try and build as many dots as you can," Cummins said on Saturday.

"There's no sideways movement. You can bowl slower balls to try and upset the rhythm, but it's still not that big of a wicket ball.

"I still use the bouncer, I feel like that is a wicket-taking ball. But it's just about trying to keep it really simple."

The conditions in Bengaluru are expected to be similar to Rajkot, where India's first-innings score of 340 in their 36-run win was considered to be close to the par score.

Zampa gets Kohli as Australia bowl India out for 255

"It just means your margin of error is so small," Cummins said.

"Even if you get it on middle stump the batter can turn you to the legside. Here the outfield is so quick it just races away.

"And here you just can't give any width. It makes our job (as bowlers) a lot tougher.

"Like a lot of the Indian grounds (Bangalore) just gets really loud.

Smith back to his best but falls agonisingly short of a ton

"You've just got to stay calm. Fifty overs is a long time so if they get on a roll just making sure we stay nice and relaxed and focused."

Australia's players will be available for their KFC BBL franchises from Wednesday following the India tour, with the exception of the fast bowlers.

Josh Hazlewood miss the Sydney Sixers game against the Brisbane Heat on Thursday night but will return to face Australia teammates Aaron Finch and Kane Richardson in Saturday's clash at the SCG.

Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and David Warner do not hold BBL contracts, but could be picked up as local replacement players by clubs.

Australia Qantas ODI Tour of India 2020

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (vc), Pat Cummins (vc), Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Kane Richardson, D'Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Ashton Turner, David Warner, Adam Zampa

India squad: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami.

First ODI: Australia win by 10 wickets in Mumbai

Second ODI: India win by 36 runs in Rajkot

Third ODI: January 19, Bengaluru (D/N) (Fox & Kayo)