Australia defeated India 2-1 in the three-match ODI series, which concluded on Wednesday evening at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. The visitors suffered a defeat in the opening match of the series in Mumbai but made a comeback and won the remaining fixtures in Vizag and Chennai to complete a series win.
The Indian team suffered their first home series loss of 2023. Earlier this year, the Men in Blue recorded convincing wins over Sri Lanka and New Zealand but could not down the Aussies.
It is a World Cup year, and this series loss will help the Indian team management work on their weaker points before their next ODI series. Here’s a look at the three takeaways for India from their series defeat against Australia.
#1 India need a solid backup option for Shreyas Iyer
Shreyas Iyer was one of the biggest match-winners for India in ODIs played last year. His consistent performances in the middle order helped the Men in Blue win multiple matches. However, Iyer missed the series against Australia due to a back injury.
Reports have surfaced claiming that Iyer could be out of action for a few months, meaning the Indian ODI team will need a new batter for the number four spot. Suryakumar Yadav received three opportunities to prove himself against Australia, but he was dismissed for a golden duck on all three occasions.
With Rishabh Pant also ruled out, the Indian team need to groom a new batter as a replacement for Shreyas Iyer. The Indian selectors can try out the likes of Sanju Samson, Rajat Patidar and Rahul Tripathi. It will be interesting to see if they can find a good replacement for Iyer if he fails to gain fitness for the World Cup.
#2 India need a better partner for Ravindra Jadeja in the spin department
Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel partnered Ravindra Jadeja in the Indian team’s spin attack for this series. While Jadeja took two wickets in two innings and maintained an economy rate of 4.21, the other two spinners could not keep a check on the run flow.
Yadav bagged four wickets in three games, but his economy rate was 6.1, whereas Patel went for 7.45 runs per over. On the other hand, Australian spinners Adam Zampa, Ashton Agar and Glenn Maxwell had an economy rate of fewer than five runs per over.
Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar were present in India’s squad for this series. Team management may try out one of the two spinners along with Jadeja in their next matches.
#3 Should India recall Shikhar Dhawan?
Shikhar Dhawan was recently dropped from the Indian ODI squad, with youngsters Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill taking his place. Gill has been in top form this year, but the same cannot be said of Ishan.
After the double hundred against Bangladesh, Kishan played three innings against New Zealand and returned with scores of 5, 8* and 17. He opened the innings with Gill in the absence of Rohit Sharma in the first ODI against Australia and scored only three runs.
With the World Cup fast approaching, the Indian think tank may consider giving veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan one more chance. Dhawan has an excellent record in ICC tournaments and has a ton of experience of playing in home conditions.
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