A bruised Australia remain optimistic about their Twenty20 World Cup campaign despite being shown up in all facets by India.
They were thoroughly outplayed in their first two T20s against the tourists and have been forced to make more changes for Sunday's dead rubber in Sydney.
In-form Queensland opener Usman Khawaja has finally received a call-up after skipper Aaron Finch suffered a worrying calf injury that's threatening to keep him out of the World Cup.
Finch is awaiting scan results and the Australia camp is bullish he will be able to return before the start of the World Cup in India on March 8.
Shane Watson will serve as skipper in his absence.
Cameron Bancroft will also make his T20 international debut in place of wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, who has flown to New Zealand early in preparation for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy ODI series, which starts on Wednesday.
Australia's best XI looks far from settled and the side is desperate to gather momentum after being trounced by India by 37 runs in Adelaide and 27 runs in Melbourne.
Stand-in Australian coach Michael Di Venuto describes it as just a bump in the road.
He said the selectors were using the series to look at certain players - and would use the coming one-dayers against the Kiwis to do the same - and there were plenty of positives as the side chased the only World Cup to escape their grasp.
"We've had quite a few debutants so far throughout the series," Di Venuto said.
"We've got some players resting or heading to New Zealand to prepare for that. The makeup of our side might be completely different. We'll just have to see what the selectors come up with."
Khawaja omission from the original squad was widely panned after his successful summer with the Test team and a blistering Big Bash for the Sydney Thunder, in which he averaged 172.5.
Finch's injury leaves the door ajar for the Queensland opener to make his case to be a three-form Australian representative.
"When I didn't get picked in the one-day team I didn't get too worried - there's a lot of cricket coming up. I was really happy with how I was hitting the ball," Khawaja said.
Meanwhile, Di Venuto will stand in for Darren Lehmann during Australia's one-day series in New Zealand starting next week.
Lehmann, who was sidelined after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis a week ago, is a chance to return for the Test portion of the series.
