India Player Ratings from 1st ODI vs Australia as Shami, batters take Men in Blue to encouraging win
Team India got off to a good start in the three-match ODI series against Australia as they clinched the opening game by five wickets in Mohali on Friday, September 22.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, the Men in Blue restricted the Aussies to 276, with David Warner being the only batter to cross the 50-run mark. Almost all of India's batters contributed in the chase, with as many as four registering half-centuries.
On that note, below are India's player ratings from the first ODI against Australia.
IND vs AUS 2023: Shami takes 5, Gaikwad-Gill combo flourish
Ruturaj Gaikwad: 9/10
Opening the batting for the first time in ODI cricket, Gaikwad was assured and played some delectable shots in his maiden half-century in the format. He struck 10 fours and gave his opening partner good company.
Shubman Gill: 9/10
Gill set the tone of the chase with a flurry of boundaries early on and made sure that India didn't lose momentum at any stage while he was at the crease. The young opener made a team-high 74 before being castled by Adam Zampa. He's also becoming an extremely reliable slip fielder.
Shreyas Iyer: 1/10
Shreyas had a miserable outing on many fronts in Mohali. He was lackluster on the field, dropping a simple catch at mid-off. The batter was then run out while attemping a non-existent single.
KL Rahul: 8/10
Rahul had a poor first innings as his glovework was anything but tidy. In the chase, though, the stand-in Indian skipper essayed a supremely calm knock to take his team over the line with eight balls to spare. He notched up yet another fifty while batting in the middle order.
Ishan Kishan: 5.5/10
Kishan wasn't at his fluent best at the crease. He struck two fours in his 18-run knock before edging behind off a Pat Cummins loosener. The southpaw needs to do better.
Suryakumar Yadav: 8/10
Suryakumar will be mightily relieved after his effort in the first ODI, which took India out of a slight spot of bother. The dynamic batter played a series of sumptuous strokes in his 49-ball 50, although he would've been disappointed at not finishing the game off.
Ravindra Jadeja: 6.5/10
Jadeja bowled a fairly economical spell, conceding 51 runs in his 10 overs and dismissing Australia's top-scorer Warner. The left-arm spinner was hit for just three fours in the contest. He faced six balls when the chase was almost over.
Ravichandran Ashwin: 6.5/10
Ashwin's ODI comeback was an understated affair. He picked up one wicket as Rahul pulled off a lucky stumping, and while his lengths were decent for the most part, he still needs some time to get into his ideal white-ball rhythm.
Shardul Thakur: 2/10
Thakur had an expensive outing in Mohali. Although he was unlucky to see a catch go down in his first over, the fast bowler's lines and lengths were completely off the mark throughout his spell. He rarely bowled to his field and was taken for 78 runs as the Aussies hit 11 fours and two sixes off his overs alone.
Mohammed Shami: 9.5/10
Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers and got the ball to nip around at all stages of the innings. The experienced player quickly recorded a five-wicket haul and strengthened his case to be part of the first-choice ODI side.
Jasprit Bumrah: 8/10
Bumrah was the most economical Indian bowler in the opening ODI, sending down a team-high 39 dots. His yorkers and slower balls were on point at the death, and he seems to be in good bowling rhythm.