4 things India solved and 4 new problems that arose in the series vs Australia
Team India followed up on their dominant Asia Cup title run and treated their fans to another fantastic ride in their home ODI series win against Australia.
Although the series ended in a bummer for the Men in Blue with a 66-run defeat in the final ODI, they will be satisfied with their form heading into the high-pressure World Cup. India will look to break their decade-long ICC title drought and win their first World Cup since the triumph at home in 2011.
As with most sides, the Men in Blue have their share of issues amidst the numerous positives from the Australia series. Rohit Sharma and company face off against the same opponent in just over a week in their World Cup opener.
While the provisional World Cup squad was announced earlier this month, India's final roster is set to be announced today, and the Australia series could have a bearing on a change or two.
Considering that, a further deep-dive into the nuances of the three-match series could reveal some of the worries India resolved and a few issues that popped up.
Here are the four things India solved during the Australia series:
#1 Shreyas Iyer's proving his return to full fitness and form
While it was a no-brainer that Shreyas Iyer warranted selection to the World Cup squad based on his performances, his fitness and recent form were highly speculated.
The 28-year-old made his return from back spasms in India's Asia Cup opener against Pakistan but reaggravated the injury to miss the Super Fours and the final. However, with all eyes on Iyer's fitness and form in the Australia series, the batter scored a magical 105 off 90 deliveries in the second ODI. He also scored another good-looking 48 in the final game.
Iyer also looked to be back to his athletic best in the field to add to his blistering batting. It will augur well for Team India's middle order as they head into the showpiece event.
#2 Suryakumar Yadav's emergence as the finisher
Suryakumar Yadav's selection to the Indian World Cup squad raised several eyebrows among experts and fans alike. While there were never any questions regarding the batter's caliber, he had dismal ODI numbers ahead of the Australian series.
Along with his inability to adapt to his incredible T20 game to the 50-over format, a lack of clarity in his role played a part in Suryakumar's ODI struggles. However, he put all those doubts to rest with match-winning knocks in the first two ODIs as the finisher for the side.
The cherry on the cake was that each of his two half-centuries were in contrasting circumstances. The 33-year-old scored a crucial 49-ball 50 in a tense run-chase in the first ODI. He followed it up by providing the finishing touches with a sparkling 37-ball 72 in Indore.
What was most pleasing to see from the No.1 ranked T20I batter was the return of his swagger on full display for one of the first times in 50-over cricket. In many ways, Suryakumar finally lived up to his potential in ODI cricket and justified his World Cup selection.
#3 Having an off-spin option battle-tested
Another debatable aspect of the World Cup squad was the lack of a specialist off-spinner for pitches conducive to turn in India.
While injuries are always unpleasant, Axar Patel suffering a quadriceps injury during the Bangladesh clash in the Asia Cup could be a blessing in disguise. It opened the gates for the selectors to look at a pair of off-spinning all-rounders in Ravichandran Ashwin and Washington Sundar.
Much to the delight of the team management, despite a lack of recent game time in ODIs, both Ashwin and Sundar were impressive with the ball during the Australia series.
While Ashwin played the opening two games, his heir apparent from Tamil Nadu featured in the playing XI for the final ODI. On batting-friendly tracks throughout the series, Ashwin picked up figures of 1/47 in 10 overs and 3/41 in seven overs in his two outings.
On the other hand, Sundar bowled with terrific control amidst the carnage in the final ODI to finish with figures of 0/48 despite Australia scoring a massive 352.
The duo may still not find a place in the final World Cup Squad if Axar Patel is deemed fit. However, having the off-spinning options ready and in form is crucial for a long tournament like the World Cup.
#4 Chasing and putting up big scores without their batting stalwarts
The biggest takeaway from the Australia series has to be Team India's batting lineup stepping up in the absence of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
One of the two has often scored three figures to help India chase a stiff target or produce massive totals. However, much to the delight of Indian fans, it was refreshing to see the entire batting lineup contribute with the bat in the series.
In the opening game at Mohali, the Men in Blue chased 276 with relative ease. Openers Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 70s each, followed by 50s from KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav.
The batters were even better in their second ODI, piling on a mammoth 399 in their 50 overs. Gill was merciless again, scoring a magnificent century and adding a 200-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer, who also notched up a ton.
The middle-order batters, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav, scored quickfire runs with effortless strokemaking to propel India to their highest ODI score against Australia.
Amidst the numerous positives, there were a few cracks that reared their ugly head, as below:
#1 Ravindra Jadeja's batting form
Although his primary role is with the ball, it is undeniable that Ravindra Jadeja will be required to play a crucial innings or two at some point in the World Cup.
Indian fans will keenly remember the valuable knocks Suresh Raina played at No.7 in the 2011 World Cup quarter-final and semi-final that proved pivotal. The all-rounder scored painstaking 35 off 36 balls in the final ODI when the asking rate was beyond 12 runs per over.
While Jadeja did not have many deliveries in the first two games, his form in the Asia Cup was nothing to write home about. The 34-year-old averages 27 with the bat in ODIs this year but at a paltry strike rate of under 65. Moreover, he hasn't scored a half-century since 2021.
If Team India play their best bowlers, Jadeja's batting will become crucial due to the lack of batting prowess between the other four.
#2 Lack of batters who can bowl
Team India might be the only side in the World Cup that lacks a specialist batter who bowls occasionally. While the requirement may not arise with the presence of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, his absence exposed that limitation glaringly against Australia.
Considering the side could go in with Suryakumar Yadav at No.6 if Pandya is injured or rested, none of the batters having any recent bowling under their belt could be a worry.
Also, the pitches in India are likely to be a graveyard for the bowlers, in which case having additional bowling options always assists in tapering for an off-day for one of the strike bowlers.
#3 Shardul Thakur's inability to be a bankable 10-over bowler
Shardul Thakur has always been among the few cricketers with an equally divided opinion from pundits and fans regarding his value. While some consider him a terrific partnership breaker and a trustworthy lower-order batter, others feel he is neither reliable as a bowler nor a consistent batter.
Unfortunately for the 31-year-old, he headed in the second direction, with expensive spells in the first two ODIs. While he conceded 65 in his fist 10-over spell this year against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, Thakur fared even worse by giving away 78 runs for no wickets in the first ODI against Australia.
The downward slide continued in the second game as Thakur was carted for 35 off his four overs with no wickets.
With a batting average of only 17 in ODIs and the inability to bowl his full quota of overs economically, the form of Shardul Thakur is worrisome.
#4 India's continued struggles against part-time off-spin
The most surprising revelation recently is how the much-vaunted Indian batting has struggled against part-time off-spinners.
Following a dismal showing against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, where Charith Asalanka ripped through the Indian batting with 4/18, India unravelled against another office in Mahedi Hasan.
However, the most baffling of the lot was their inability to cope with the part-time off-spin of Glenn Maxwell on a belter of a track at Rajkot. After weathering the storm against the Aussie pacers, India gift-wrapped their wickets to Maxwell. The Victorian removed set batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Washington Sundar in his spell of 4/40 in 10 overs.
Their recent frailties against spinners in general and off-break bowlers will have other teams taking note to throw at the Indian batters during the World Cup.