3 players who starred and 2 who flopped for India in the World Cup 2023 match vs Australia ft. Shreyas Iyer & Ravindra Jadeja
Despite a brief stutter in the chase, Team India held their nerve to clinch a memorable six-wicket victory over Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 8.
The Men in Blue had contrasting fortunes in the two departments. While their bowlers did commendably well to restrict the Aussies to 199, their top order failed to deliver. It was only due to a terrific partnership between two of the most experienced names in the Indian lineup that they got over the line with ease.
Here are three players who starred and two who flopped for Team India in their World Cup 2023 clash against Australia.
#5 Star - Ravindra Jadeja
Upon looking at the pitch for the World Cup 2023 clash, the commentators and experts opined that spin would have a big role to play. That was on the cards even before the pitch report, with Chepauk being the venue for the contest.
Ravindra Jadeja, whose ODI bowling form has been sensational in the recent past, continued his good run against Australia. Introduced late in the attack, presumably due to the presence of the left-handed David Warner, Jadeja kept things tight at the start of his spell. He then broke the game open in the middle overs.
The left-arm spinner prised out Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne by ripping deliveries away from them and also trapped Alex Carey in front to reduce Australia to rubble. He was India's most economical bowler, conceding just two fours in a 10-over spell that cost a mere 28 runs.
#4 Flop - Ishan Kishan
Shubman Gill's bout with dengue meant that Ishan Kishan slotted in at the top of the order in his maiden World Cup outing. Unfortunately, though, the opener lasted just one ball.
Kishan flashed at a wide one from Mitchell Starc, seeking an early boundary to put the Aussies under the pump. However, the outward movement of the ball found the batter's edge, with Cameron Green taking a safe catch at slip.
It was a loose shot from the left-hander, who should've exercised more caution against one of the most successful bowlers in World Cup history.
Kishan threw himself about on the field to good effect, but in his primary department, he had a forgettable day.
#3 Star - Virat Kohli
There were a few plays and misses, as well as a dropped catch, but Virat Kohli braved them all to come up with a superb knock to kick off his World Cup 2023 campaign.
Kohli needed to be solid in defense as the Australian fast bowlers got the ball to move around, and he was just that. He didn't look to be overly aggressive after a few misses and hung in there to give KL Rahul some company. The star batter eventually found boundaries, striking six of them in his 85-run knock.
Kohli also took a good catch at slip to get India up and running in the contest. It was a wonderful overall performance from the veteran.
#2 Flop - Shreyas Iyer
Coming in with the score reading 2/2, Shreyas Iyer needed to exercise caution and come up with a gritty knock in spin-friendly conditions. However, the batter lasted just two balls before making his way back to the pavilion.
Shreyas tried to hit Josh Hazlewood on the up over the off-side, but the pacer's hard lengths are not easy to work with. India's usually reliable No. 4 spliced the shot straight to Warner at cover, leaving his side in a heap of trouble.
It was a wholly imprudent shot from Shreyas, who failed his first World Cup test.
#1 Star - KL Rahul
Is KL Rahul the best middle-order batter in the world in ODI cricket right now? It would be tough to argue against that, especially after his sensational knock against Australia.
Rahul came in at 2/3, with the ball nipping around and a healthy amount of overs of spin to come. He was simply chanceless throughout his innings, negotiating the fast bowlers with class and poise before cutting loose with three boundaries in Adam Zampa's first over.
Zampa never recovered after that, and Rahul didn't look back. A well-timed shot prevented the batter from attempting to reach the three-figure mark, but that was of little consequence. He deservedly walked away with the Player of the Match award after remaining unbeaten on 97.