Afghanistan Opts to Bat First Against India in Series-Clinching 3rd ODI in Chennai

Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the third and final One-Day International of the three-match series at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday. Having already secured the series with victories in the opening two matches, India will be aiming to complete a 3-0 clean sweep.

Shubman Gill leads the hosts into the final encounter, while Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi opted to put runs on the board after winning the toss. The visitors will look to finish the series on a positive note, whereas India will seek another dominant performance to maintain its unbeaten run.

India have made three changes to the playing XI, bringing in Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna and Harsh Dubey for the series finale. The changes provide the team management with an opportunity to test squad depth and give fringe players valuable international exposure ahead of upcoming assignments.

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The inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy strengthens India's all-round options, while Prasidh Krishna returns to bolster the pace attack. Harsh Dubey also gets an opportunity to showcase his abilities as the hosts continue to rotate their resources with the series already in hand.

Afghanistan, meanwhile, will rely on its batting unit to post a competitive total after choosing to bat first on the traditionally spin-friendly Chepauk surface. The visitors will hope their top order can provide a solid foundation and put pressure on India's revamped bowling attack.

The third ODI concludes a series in which India has already established its dominance, including a comprehensive victory in the second match. With new faces in the playing XI and Afghanistan looking to avoid a whitewash, the contest promises an intriguing finish to the bilateral series in Chennai.

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