Australia vs India 2020: India ODI Squad Performance Ratings

While India may have defeated Australia in the third and last ODI on Wednesday in Canberra, the men in blue had already lost the series to the hosts with defeats in the first two ODIs in Sydney. However, the Indian team produced a much better performance in the third game with the ball as they bowled out Australia and won the game by 13 runs.

After getting smashed around the SCG, the Indian bowlers did a remarkable job to come back in the game in the third ODI. The inform batters continued to score runs.

India ODI Squad Performance Ratings:

Shikhar Dhawan-5.5

After scoring an attacking 74 in the first game, Shikhar Dhawan’s next two scores dropped to 30 and 16. He gave the team an aggressive start in two big run chases with Mayank Agarwal, but couldn’t convert it into a big knock. The 34-year-old will be eyeing a comeback in the T20 side on the back of his superb IPL season.

Mayank Agarwal- 4.5

Mayank Agarwal was opening the innings in place of the injured Rohit Sharma. Agarwal failed to take on his chances as he scored 22 and 28 in two ODIs before being dropped from the third. However, the right-hander scored these runs at a strike rate of more than 100. Add to it his good form in the IPL and his relationship at the top with KL Rahul for Kings XI Punjab will make a case for him opening in the T20 series.

Virat Kohli-7.5

The fact that it could be considered as an underperformance from Virat Kohli after averaging 57 and striking at 93 speaks the standards he has set, and comparisons will be made with himself. Kohli recorded half-centuries in the last two ODIs but couldn’t convert it into a three-figure mark. He last notched an ODI hundred in August 2019.

While as a batsman, Kohli is second to none; however, he has received a lot of flak for his tactics as a captain. India should get their balance right as in the second game, Agarwal and a half-fit Hardik Pandya were asked to bowl in order to complete the overs. With the new ball, Bumrah and Shami were changed after just short spells in Sydney. Kohli, the captain, still has plenty to improve and ponder upon ahead of the T20I series and the World Cup next year.

Shreyas Iyer-3

Even if assured of a long rope at number four, if there was one thing Iyer needed to worry about ahead of the ODI series was his short ball play. Not only he has been known to be vulnerable against fast bouncers, and now he is exposed.

The Aussie pacers used it very well in Sydney. To make it worse, he got out to a spinner in Canberra- one aspect of the game he is considered to be dominating. In a big run chase in the second game, Iyer was slow to start and then got out, driving the team into a hole.

KL Rahul-6

The stylish wicket-keeper batsman continued his form from the IPL, and in white-ball cricket from the past 18 months. In the first game, he was a bit unfortunate to be dismissed by a full toss, but in the second match, KL Rahul showed his class and striking ability and kept the hope alive with a 66-ball-76. He took a total of 5 catches in the series.

Hardik Pandya-9

Hardik Pandya started the series where he left the IPL- thunderously muscling the ball with the bat. Pandya registered 90(76) in the first ODI and 92*(76) in the third ODI. The right-hander was the Man of the Match in Canberra.

In the second game, when Kohli was searching for a sixth bowling option, Pandya bowled 4 overs – despite not being completely fit – for 4/21 and showed the rest the template to bowl on that pitch. He will be expected to raise the roof in the T20s as well.

Ravindra Jadeja-6.5

Ravindra Jadeja played the perfect second fiddle to Hardik in the third ODI. His partnership with Hardik for the sixth wicket where he scored 66(50) took India to a defendable total. The off-spinner picked an important wicket of a well set Aaron Finch.

However, as good as he was in Canberra, Jadeja was highly disappointing with the ball in Sydney- but so were the rest. With Hardik is not fit enough to bowl, Jadeja is India’s premier all-rounder. His batting in white-ball cricket has improved leaps and bounds, but Kohli would expect a better show and consistency with the ball from his experienced spinner.

Shubman Gill-4

Shubman Gill was slotted to open in the third ODI in place of Agarwal. With his 39 ball stay at the crease for 33 runs, Gill showed why he is been heavily touted as the future of Indian cricket. Gill didn’t flinch against the Aussie pacers, even taking on Josh Hazlewood. From the looks of his IPL and a short international career, we would see more and more of the Shubman Gill.

Shardul Thakur- 8

At the start of the third ODI, not many would have expected Shardul Thakur to have the best bowling figures in the match. His 3/51, which includes the wicket of the inform Steve Smith, set up the defence of the target for India. Thakur, with his cross-seam bowling, has been difficult to hit in the IPL and Canberra as well.

Sadly it would be his last game on tour, as he isn’t selected in the T20I or Test squad. Nonetheless, the 29-year-old has made a case for future selections.

Kuldeep Yadav-4

Kuldeep Yadav came into the team in place of Yuzvendra Chahal for the third ODI. He returned with figures of 1/57. Yadav, who was dropped from the KKR eleven in the IPL, has been struggling for wickets since the World Cup last year. Kuldeep is not in the T20I team anymore, but he might feature in the Test matches.

Jasprit Bumrah-7.5

Jasprit Bumrah was terrific in the IPL and was instrumental in MI’s fifth title victory. However, it wasn’t a happy international return for the pacer. Figures of 1/73 and 1/79 in Sydney were concerning. But the champion speedster is close to returning at his best as highlighted in the Canberra match from his 2/43. Bumrah took a vital scalp of Glenn Maxwell as he yorked the Aussie all-rounder, who almost took the game away from India.

T Natarajan-6.5

T Natarajan will remember his maiden ODI for a long time. He was smacked for a six by Aaron Finch in his first over, then castled Marnus Labuschagne as his maiden wicket. When things looked settled, Maxwell and Agar took him for 18 runs. However, the Tamil Nadu pacer came back strongly in his next two overs picking up Ashton Agar’s wicket and closing it out brilliantly in the death.

Navdeep Saini-2

Navdeep Saini, who was already struggling with injuries in the IPL, clearly wasn’t completely fit in the first couple of ODIs. His figures of 1/83 and 0/70 didn’t help either. Saini ran into a rampant Australian batting attack on a flat pitch and didn’t have any place to hide.

Saini’s economy of 9 is worst amongst the front line bowlers in this series. His is in the T20I and the Test squads, but shouldn’t be rushed into the eleven unless completely fit.

Mohammed Shami-6.5

Similar to Bumrah, Mohammed Shami also is coming off a long IPL season. In fact, he did well and was the best Indian pacer in the ODI series. In 2 matches, Shami picked 4 wickets at an economy of 6.94- which is decent considering he played both the games in Sydney. In the first ODI, the pacer recorded 3/59.

Yuzvendra Chahal-2

Yuzvendra Chahal had a series to forget. In 2 matches in Sydney, his figures read 1/89 and 0/71, as he conceded most runs by an Indian spinner in ODIs in the first game. The leg-spinner tried everything; from tossing the ball to darting it towards the batsman to using the crease to bowling wider- but couldn’t trouble the Aussie batters. He was rested from the third ODI, but the wily spinner will return stronger in the shortest format.

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