3 big positives for India from their T20I series win vs Australia
Despite being without several first-choice stars, Team India secured the five-game T20I series against Australia by a convincing 4-1 margin by winning the final contest in Bengaluru by six runs.
With the win, the Men in Blue recorded their first bite of international success since enduring a heartbreaking defeat in the final of the 2023 World Cup. It was an encouraging outing for India, who outplayed the Aussies despite not being at their best in multiple departments.
A tour of South Africa now looms large, with the first T20I to be played in Durban on Sunday, December 10. Suryakumar Yadav and Co. will take heart from their display against the world champions.
Here are three big positives for Team India from their T20I series win over Australia.
#3 Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma displayed serious middle-order striking ability
India's middle order hasn't worn a settled look in the T20I format, and that's largely because of the packed cricketing calendar, which rarely allows the team to field their best XI.
However, the middle order seems to be taking shape in the lead-up to the 2024 T20 World Cup. Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma are working their way into the mix for the marquee ICC event with their stellar displays in challenging roles.
While Rinku had the highest strike rate of any Indian batter against Australia, Jitesh played the last two T20Is and impressed with his fearlessness and ball-striking. The keeper-batter is clearly more suited to a middle-order role than Kishan and forms an enticing pairing with Rinku.
When Hardik Pandya returns, things will change, but there's a real chance that India have unearthed their No. 5 and No. 6 for the T20 World Cup.
#2 Axar Patel seems to be back to his best with the ball
Unlucky not to be adjudged the Player of the Series, Axar Patel was one of the standout performers against Australia. The left-arm spinner picked up six wickets at an excellent economy rate of 6.2 to separate himself from the other bowlers, who mostly struggled in a high-scoring series.
Axar hadn't been at his best with the ball for the better part of a year, with Ravindra Jadeja stealing a march on him. However, with his display against the Aussies, Axar has made fashioned himself a real case to be picked ahead of Jadeja in the shortest format.
Axar is not only a more versatile batter but has also been more consistent on the international stage than Jadeja. If his bowling holds itself to the same standards as it did against Australia, the 29-year-old will be tough to overlook.
#1 Ravi Bishnoi had a breakthrough series
India had never been able to give Ravi Bishnoi a consistent run of games in T20Is until the Australia assignment, with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav ahead of him in the pecking order. They finally did, and the young leg-spinner delivered.
Bishnoi finished as the highest wicket-taker in the series, with nine scalps at an economy rate of 8.2. The 23-year-old's consistency and rhythm were on point after an indifferent first game in which he was taken for runs, as he consistently challenged the Aussie batters throughout the rubber.
Bishnoi's powerplay bowling ability and general well-roundedness make him an excellent candidate to be part of India's first-choice T20I XI. He could be locked in a battle with Kuldeep to secure a starting berth against South Africa, as well as in later assignments such as the T20 World Cup.