India cricket team leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Wednesday said the hosts will be targeting a 5-0 whitewash of Australia after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match One Day International (ODI) series.
India will play Australia in the fourth ODI at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday after the series-clinching five-wicket win over the visitors in the third match at Indore on Sunday.
The 27-year-old who has figured in all the matches of the tournament has picked up six wickets. He also said that he is unaware of any changes to be made in the Indian squad for the fourth ODI against Australia.
"I am not aware of any changes. That decision is normally taken on the day of the match. Although we have won the series, we are gunning for a 5-0 whitewash. We may be leading 3-0, but we will not take it easy, because our ultimate target is a whitewash," the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player told reporters.
The Haryana-born cricketer also hailed Australia opener David Warner and said he was more dangerous than Aaron Finch, who scored a century in the last match.
"He (Warner) is Australia's key player. When he settles in, he can play the big knock. Although Aaron Finch scored a century in Indore, Warner is the most dangerous player. He has experience playing in the IPL and his mindset is to attack. If he plays 40-50 balls, he can score 70-80 runs. Our main aim is to get Warner out quickly so that in the middle overs, we can maintain the pressure," Chahal said.
Chahal, who has dismissed Australian hard-hitting batsman Glen Maxwell all the three times in the series, revealed that bowling away from the stumps and varying the pace has helped him pick up the opposition batsman on every occasion.
"My plan to Maxwell is not to bowl at the stumps. That is his wrong area. I tend to bowl outside the off stump and I vary my pace. I know that if I can bowl 2-3 dot balls, he will step out and try to play an aggressive shot. However, in order to beat the batsman, the line and length has to be perfect. I always maintain that," Chahal said.
Chahal has figured in 10 ODIs for India, picking up 17 wickets at an average of 22.52.
--IANS
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