India finally got off the mark in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League after winning the final ODI against Australia at Canberra. India lost the bat-dominated series 1-2, but the consolation win will help them gain the momentum ahead of the T20Is.
Here’s a report card on how the individual’s fared in the three-match ODI series.
***
Australia
9/10
Steve Smith
Runs 249 | HS 105 | Ave 72 | SR 150 | 100s 2 | Catches 2
Fear, India. Fear. The run monster has found his touch. The summer seems long and challenging, especially with four Tests in sight. Smith was the difference between the two sides. The kind of form he has struck, sounds like a knell to the visitors, especially for the Test series. Not known to be a dasher in ODIs, he smacked back-to-back 63-ball centuries (Australia’s third fastest) in the first two games at Sydney. This went on to be the difference.
8.5/10
Glenn Maxwell
Runs 167 | HS 63* | Ave 83.5 | SR 194.2 | 50s 2 | Wickets 1 | Catches 3
It must have been severely tough for KL Rahul to watch the Maxwell blitzkriegs from behind the stumps. Maxwell, who struggled to strike a single six in the entire IPL 13 and was one of the reasons for the Rahul-led Kings XI Punjab's (KXIP) ouster from the tournament, toyed with the Indian bowlers in the ODI series.
India have more reasons to fear because Maxwell will look to continue with his unfinished business in the T20I series.
Aaron Finch
Runs 249 | HS 114 | Ave 83 | SR 90.5 | 100s 1 | 50s 2 | Catches 1
The Australian captain scores as many marks as his best friend, Maxi. Finch led from the front and set the tone for Australia with a century, his 17th in ODIs. Only Ricky Ponting, David Warner and Mark Waugh have more ODI hundreds than Finch. Always underrated, Finch, despite not being at his fluent best, managed scores over fifty in all three ODIs.
With two back-to-back series wins, Finch’s Australia have now found the top spot in ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.
Adam Zampa
Wickets 7 | BB 4-54 | Ave 23 | SR 25.7 | Econ 5.4
In a series that saw quality spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, not many expected Adam Zampa to emerge out as the best bowler. Zampa not only picked wickets at regular intervals but also curbed the run flow. Knowing the discomfort he caused to the Indian middle-order, he will remain important in the T20Is.
8/10
David Warner
Runs 152 | HS 83 | Ave 76 | SR 99.3 | 50s 2
Carrying on his rich touch from the IPL, Warner once again proved what he means to the Australian side. In both the Sydney ODIs, he laid the foundation for the middle-order. A mistimed injury ruled him out of the limited-overs leg. Australia will desperately hope for his return in the Test series.
Josh Hazlewood
Wickets 6 | BB 3-55 | Ave 30 | SR 29 | Econ 6.2
Indian batters were pretty harsh on the Australian pacers. Hazlewood not only emerged out as the most economical bowler of the lot, but his changing lengths caused discomfort to the Indian batters, including Virat Kohli whom he dismissed all three times in the series.
Ashton Agar
Wickets 2 | BB 2-44 | Ave 22 | SR 30 | Econ 4.4 | Bat Ave 28 | SR 100 | Catches 1
Agar was one of the stars for Australia in the final ODI. He bowled tight lines which got him the wickets of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul. He played a good support to Maxwell, scoring a run-a-ball 28 before losing his way.
7/10
Pat Cummins
Wickets 3 | BB 3-67 | Ave 39.7 | SR 36 | Econ 6.6
The Indian openers came out all guns blazing before Cummins put a brake on the scoring in the first game. The Kohli vs Cummins contest almost had the latter winning, but Zampa dropped a sitter at fine-leg. Cummins came back strong in the second game, claiming a three-for.
6.5/10
Marcus Stoinis
Runs 0 | Ave 0 | Wickets 0 | Econ 3.94
Stoinis' rich form in the IPL made him one of the players to watch out for. He picked up an injury and that limited his appearances. He got a golden duck with the bat. However, he was in the middle of a very tidy spell (6.2-0-25-0) when he got injured.
Moises Henriques
Runs 24 | Ave 24 | SR 75 | Wickets 1 | Bowl Ave 41 | Econ 5.1 | Catches 1
An injury to Marcus Stoinis paved Henriques path to the side. He bowled a tidy spell in the second ODI, breaking the Kohli-Iyer partnership by dismissing the latter. He took a stunning full-length diving catch at midwicket to send back Kohli in the same game. He got a start with the bat in the final ODI but couldn’t really capitalise.
Alex Carey
Runs 55 | HS 38 | Ave 55 | SR 100 | Dismissals 3
The machismo of the Australian top and middle-order meant Carey had little role to play in the first two games. In the final ODI, Carey got off to a good start and looked threatening before a runout ended this stay – breaking the dangerous-looking partnership with Maxwell. He was tidy behind the stumps.
Cameron Green
Runs 21 | Ave 21 | SR 77.8 | Wickets 0 | Econ 6.8
Highly-rated as a pace-bowling all-rounder, young Green received his ODI cap in the final ODI. It was his misfortune that he had to bowl to an in-form Kohli, who had the upper hand. With the bat, he didn’t really set the stage on fire but showed a lot of potential. Surely, a cricketer to watch out for.
Marnus Labuschagne
Runs 79 | HS 70 | Ave 26.3 | SR 103.9 | Catches 1
Labuschagne batted at three different positions in the batting order, and expectedly, his best came at number four where he partnered Smith for a significant partnership, ending up scoring a 61-ball 70. He opened in the final game where he struggled against Jasprit Bumrah before debutant T Natarajan cleaned him up.
4/10
Sean Abbott
Wickets 1 | BB 1-83 | Ave 83 | SR 60 | Econ 8.3 | Bat Ave 4 | SR 44.4
Coming in for Mitchell Starc in the final ODI, Abbott started well by dismissing the in-form Shikhar Dhawan. However, he fell victim to the Jadeja-Pandya carnage at the death. There's little that he could do with the bat as well. Though it was only his second ODI, Abbott has been in the Australia fringes for six years, and more was expected from him.
3/10
Mitchell Starc
Wickets 1 | BB 1-65 | Ave 147 | SR 108 | Econ 8.2 | Catches 4
One of the greatest of all times, Starc had a forgettable series. Starting with a 20-run over, he continued to leak runs in both the ODIs before picking up a niggle and missing the final one. He found solace in catching and did field well too.
Australia average score: 7/10
***
India
8.5/10
Hardik Pandya
Runs 210 | Ave 105 | HS 92* | 50s 2 | SR 114.8 | Wickets 1 | Bowl Ave 24 | Econ 6
Not many thought that it was the right idea to play Hardik as a specialist No.6 batsman. Hardik brought up his top two highest scores in ODIs in the series, ending up as India's best player in the series. He kept India in the hunt in the first game; he bowled in the second game despite not being bowling-fit and accounted for Smith's wicket; he turned the game for India in the final ODI with a blazing 92*. From 132 for five in the 32nd over, India reached a score above 300.
8/10
Shardul Thakur
Wickets 3 | BB 3-51 | Ave 17 | SR 20 | Econ 5.1
In a series where the Indian bowlers struggled to pick wickets, Thakur brought in a refreshing change to the routine. He lived up to his reputation as a wicket-taker and got Smith in his very first spell. Thakur played a crucial role in India’s win at Canberra.
7/10
Virat Kohli
Runs 173 | Ave 57.7 | HS 89 | 50s 2 | SR 93 | Catches 1
Kohli passed two significant milestones in the series. He brought up 22,000 international runs and also became the fastest entrant to the 12,000-run ODI club. He got starts in all three games, converting two of them to fifties but for the standards that he has set, he didn’t light up the series. A year of many odds, 2020 is yet to see a Kohli hundred.
As a captain, he could have done better in handling his bowling resources, giving an impression that he allowed the games to drift away when pushed to the corner.
Kohli hates to lose, and with the ODI series gone, the hungry Indian captain will be the one to look out for in the T20Is.
Ravindra Jadeja
Runs 115 | Ave 57.5 | HS 66* | 50s 1 | SR 117.3 | Wickets 1 | Bowl Ave 185 | Econ 6.2 | Catches 2
A few pundits may undermine the value of Jadeja, but the southpaw continues surprising with his all-round contributions. Jadeja struggled with the bat in the first game but made amends in the next two, playing a match-defining knock in the final ODI. His bowling average may look alarmingly low, but he didn't do a poor job in the role of a container. His fielding, like always, was a bonus.
6.5/10
T Natarajan
Wickets 2 | BB 2-70 | Ave 35.5 | SR 30 | Econ 7
Fast-tracked into the ODI setup, Natarajan’s incredible journey has won the cricket world. He did live up to his reputation as the death bowler. He could have bowled more over the wicket for my liking, but even though his final figures look expensive, he bowled five overs of dots. He also picked up a wicket in the first ten overs, ending India's Powerplay drought.
Shikhar Dhawan
Runs 120 | Ave 40 | HS 74 | 50s 1 | SR 88.2 | Catches 3
With no Rohit Sharma, Dhawan was expected to shoulder more batting responsibility. Despite being in good touch, Dhawan couldn't really get going beyond the first game. He dropped Finch in the final ODI, and that could have proved very costly.
6/10
Kuldeep Yadav
Wickets 1 | BB 1-57 | Ave 57 | SR 60 | Econ 5.7
After Yuzvendra Chahal leaked runs in the first two games, Kuldeep was brought in as a replacement for the final ODI. Kuldeep contained the run flow, even bowling at the death and went for below six an over. After a dismal IPL, Kuldeep's confidence seemed shattered, and a few more wickets would have helped him heal.
Shubman Gill
Runs 33 | Ave 33 | HS 33 | SR 84.6
Often spoken as the next-big-thing of Indian cricket, Gill finally got a break from warming the benches. Coming in for Mayank Agarwal, Gill looked solid in his stay at the crease but gave away the start in trying to attempt a needless sweep.
Mohammed Shami
Wickets 4 | BB 3-59 | Ave 33 | SR 28.5 | Econ 6.9
Had Shami not picked the three-for and contained in the first game, Australia would have neared 400. However, he was plundered for runs in the second game, going at almost nine an over. One of the main players for the Test series, Shami’s workload will have to be managed hereon.
5/10
Mayank Agarwal
Runs 50 | Ave 25 | HS 28 | SR 113.6
Filling in for Rohit, Mayank had a big role to play. He was guilty of not making his form and starts count as India chased mammoth scores at SCG in the first two games. He lost his place in the final game. He has been in good hitting form, and it wouldn't really be a bad idea not to bench him for the T20Is.
KL Rahul
Runs 93 | Ave 31 | HS 76 | SR 101.1 | 50s 1 | Dismissals 5
Kohli's deputy, a main batsman, and the wicketkeeper. It seems if you are a Rahul in Indian cricket, responsibilities will automatically fall upon you. One of the most creative and versatile batters in the world, Rahul couldn’t live up to his reputation as a batsman and that hurt India. He looked good in patches during his 76 in the second game, but he failed to accelerate at will. Otherwise, he was pretty neat as a wicketkeeper.
Jasprit Bumrah
Wickets 4 | BB 2-43 | Ave 48.8 | SR 44.2 | Econ 6.6
2020 hasn’t been kind to Bumrah in international cricket. India's best pacer couldn't replicate the success of IPL, and that gave Australia an upper hand. However, he came back strongly in the final ODI, bowling a brilliant first spell to Labuschangne and then sealing the game with Maxwell’s wicket at the death.
3/10
Shreyas Iyer
Runs 59 | Ave 19.7 | HS 38 | SR 100
Just when India thought they had solved their No.4 conundrum, Iyer had a dismal series. Batting at the crucial spot, he failed to capitalise, and his discomfort against short-pitched bowling was well exposed.
2/10
Yuzvendra Chahal
Wickets 1 | BB 1-89 | Ave 160 | SR 114 | Econ 8.4
Navdeep Saini
Wickets 1 | BB 1-83 | Ave 153 | SR 102 | Econ 9 | Runs 39
What do you say about these RCB boys? The wicket column and their economy rate reflect their marking.
India average score: 5.6/10
