Dean Jones Takes Sly Dig At Misfiring Australia Ahead Of Third ODI

The way the ongoing ODI series between India and Australia is panning out, former Australia batsman Dean Jones feels the hosts can beat the tourists with their B-minus game. India have won the opening two games of the five-match series and will be looking to take an unassailable lead in the series when they take on the visitors in the third ODI in Ranchi on Friday. The Men in Blue have thoroughly dominated the defending World Cup champions in the 50-over format.

India have won the last two bilateral series between the two nations and is looking primed to win the ongoing one too. In fact, Australia have managed to win just 2 of the last ten games they have played against India. Aaron Finch & Co. have managed to put up a stiff challenge in the ongoing series but India have looked class apart. In the first ODI, Australia had India on the mat after reducing them to 99 for 4 while defending 237. However, they failed to make further inroads in the game as unbeaten fifties from Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni guided India to a six-wicket win.

The team from Down Under were in a strong position in the second ODI too but eventually lost the game by 8 runs. And as they gear up to keep the series alive, Dean Jones has said they will have to bring their A-plus games to get the better of the high-flying India.

“For India, [Shikhar] Dhawan hasn’t been doing that well but the fact is that even with players out of form they are still winning and that is a great advantage to have within the team. No matter what position they are in, India believe they can win. Australia have to bring their A-plus game to win whereas India can win with their B-minus game!” Jones wrote in his column for The Times of India.

Jones also had a word of advise for his nation. The former batsman urged the Aussies to keep rotating the strike instead of soaking up deliveries, especially against the spinners.

“The Australian batsmen must realise that no matter where the ball is pitched from one of the spinners, they must hit targets on the boundary. The boys are just starting to get squeezed, or dotting up as they say Down Under, against the spin of India. The rotation of strike is imperative if they are going to go on to make scores of 300 or more,” he advised.