3 players who starred and 2 who flopped for India in the 2nd ODI vs Australia ft. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravichandran Ashwin
On the back of a comprehensive batting display, Team India thrashed Australia by 99 runs in the second ODI of the three-match series in Indore on Sunday, September 24.
With the win, the Men in Blue sealed the series before four of their first-choice players return for the final game. They also ensured that they will enter the World Cup 2023 as the No. 1 ranked ODI side.
Most of their players delivered in the contest, but a few disappointed. Here are three players who starred and two who flopped for Team India in the second ODI against Australia.
#5 Star - Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav's form has been one of the biggest takeaways from the ODI series against Australia so far. The batter has notched up successive half-centuries, with his knock in the second ODI being a terrific effort that propelled India to a distinctly above-par total.
Suryakumar's entry point was perfect, with him having the freedom to get his eye in before unleashing at the death. He broke free with four consecutive sixes off Cameron Green and accessed all areas of the field in typical fashion for the remainder of his innings.
Although Suryakumar missed a few full-tosses and struggled to tackle cutters into the surface, he hammered six fours and as many maximums in his unbeaten 72-run knock. Another box ticked off for India?
#4 Flop - Shardul Thakur
If Suryakumar has had a productive ODI series so far, Shardul Thakur's fortunes have gone in the other direction. The fast bowler, whose place in the XI has come under question, has had a couple of poor outings.
Thakur was horribly expensive in Indore, leaking 35 runs in four overs without creating any wicket-taking opportunities. He also had a poor day on the field as he shelled a sitter in the deep and let a couple of boundaries slip through his fingers.
Mohammed Shami has been making a statement, meanwhile, and Thakur could be locked in a selection battle with his senior partner for the World Cup.
#3 Star - Ravichandran Ashwin
Team India call players up after long layoffs, and they just don't miss a beat! Ravichandran Ashwin was the latest addition to the list, with the veteran coming up with a dazzling bowling display in the second ODI.
Ashwin's variations and control were in full flight. The off-spinner picked up three wickets with a combination of off-breaks, carrom balls, and sliders that were released out of the front of the hand like carrom balls. He completely bamboozled the Aussie middle-order batters and extracted considerable turn.
Ashwin even took a good running catch at third man to start the proceedings for the hosts. Could we see him sneak into the World Cup 2023 squad?
#2 Flop - Ruturaj Gaikwad
8, 104, 105, 52, 31, 72*, 13* - spot the outlier. Ruturaj Gaikwad was the only Indian batter to fail on what was a decent batting surface in Indore. He couldn't carry his form from the Mohali encounter into the second ODI.
Gaikwad was brought forward by a teasing delivery from Josh Hazlewood, which pitched in the right areas and nipped away to claim the edge, with Alex Carey taking a straightforward catch. The opener would've played a lot of the Aussie pacer in the nets, but it turned out to be a ball too good for him.
Gaikwad also dropped a sitter in the deep, citing the floodlights as the reason behind his error. He will likely be replaced when Rohit Sharma returns and might have to wait until after the World Cup to play in his favorite format on the international stage.
#1 Star - Shreyas Iyer
After a couple of failures since returning from a long-term back injury, Shreyas Iyer needed to get some runs under his belt ahead of the World Cup to further his case for a middle-order spot. He did just that in Indore, making a masterful century.
Shreyas took the attack to the opposition right from the start of his innings and didn't hesitate to take the aerial route. His spin game then took over when necessary as he struck 11 fours and three sixes in his 90-ball 105.