2015 Player Ratings for India in ODIs
For lack of a more sophisticated word, India’s ODI performances this year can be put down as inconsistent. In fact, had it not been for their heroics at the all-important multination tournament earlier in the year, it would have been befitting to refer to them as nothing more than deplorable.After a disappointing tri-series Down Under, they flattered to deceive while bowling out oppositions seven times straight at the World Cup only to surrender meekly against the Australians in the semifinals. Moving on, they lost the series against Bangladesh in June and against the Proteas at home in October with an inconsequential whitewash of Zimbabwe sandwiched in between.Not surprisingly, none of the Indians could make it to the ODI XI of the year with such dismal performances. Also, the fact that as many as 24 cricketers have featured in matches for India implies none has played all the ODIs this year, thereby curtailing their chances of making up for lost opportunities.As 2015 draws to a close, the author attempts to rate the Indian players on the basis of their performances and their impact on the team’s fortunes. With the objective of playing fair, only cricketers who have played in more than 10 ODIs have been considered here.
#1 Ajinkya Rahane 6/10
Matches – 21, Runs – 722, Average – 40.11, Hundreds – 0
Fresh from a fighting 73 against England at Perth, Ajinkya Rahane was expected to make it big at the ICC World Cup. He did try to revive his fortunes with a 60-ball 79 against South Africa after falling for a golden duck in the first match, but the rest of the campaign remained non-descript at best.
It was not until South Africa’s tour in the later half of the year that the Mumbaikar decided to return to runs. He scored consecutive half-centuries in the first two matches before topping it with a magnificent 87 off 58 deliveries in a losing cause in the last match of the series. This 87 remains his highest score in ODIs since his career-best effort of 111 against Sri Lanka last year.