India surrendered their 2-0 lead after the first two ODIs to lose the five-match series 2-3 against Australia at home. They capitulated in the fifth match at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla on Wednesday to lose back-to-back series against the Australians, having earlier lost the two-match T20I series 0-2.
The Indian bowlers failed to contain an early onslaught from Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb as they visitors flew to 175/1 before being pegged back. However, the batsmen couldn’t do the job as Australia registered a comprehensive 35-run win, and with it the series.
Here’s a look at how the Indian players performed in the series decider.
Rohit Sharma – Rating: 5/10, Verdict: Average
The opener held one end as the procession of wickets continued ar the other. However, he couldn’t convert his 56 (off 89 balls) into a much-needed big one. India remained in the hunt till the time he was at the crease, but the Australians had an iron grip on the game and the series once Adam Zampa sent him back to the pavilion.
Shikhar Dhawan – Rating: 1/10, Verdict: Very Poor
After enduring a poor form through the course of the series, Dhawan finally got among the runs in the fourth game in Mohali with a well-struck hundred. But he failed to continue his heroics in the series decider, falling cheaply 12 (15) to deprive India of a good start in a challenging chase.
Also read: Virat Kohli & Co surrender series to Australia, register unwanted record
Virat Kohli – Rating: 3/10, Verdict: Poor
India in a bit of a bother with the score at 15/1. Check. India chasing an imposing total in a series decider. Check. The stage was set for another Kohli masterclass as his home crowd at Firoz Shah Kotla awaited a match-winning knock. However, some extra bounce from Marcus Stoinis did the Indian skipper in as he edged an attempted cut straight into the gloves of Alex Carey.
Rishabh Pant – Rating: 1/10, Verdict: Very Poor
The wicketkeeper-batsman copped a lot of flak for his poor work behind the stumps in Mohali. The exasperated crowd in Chandigarh shouted “Dhoni, Dhoni” after a series of gaffes. In the context, the fifth ODI was billed as a litmus test for Pant to prove his credentials for the World Cup squad as MS Dhoni’s back-up keeper ahead of Dinesh Karthik. He didn’t do his prospects any good.
Vijay Shankar – Rating: 2/10, Verdict: Very Poor
Shankar had built a lot of capital with some very good performances earlier in the series. Most pundits consider him a near certainty to board the plane for the World Cup but he missed on a good chance to get his passport stamped for England with some reckless batting in Delhi. Kohli’s decision not to throw him the ball also came as a surprise.
Also read: I have never seen a player like Virat Kohli, says coach Justin Langer
Kedar Jadhav – Rating: 5/10, Verdict: Average
Jadhav was given only one over when Khawaja and Handscomb were in ascendancy and threatened to put the game beyond India’s reach. With the bat he did a lot better, notching a 57-ball 44 before heading to the pavilion in the 47th over. If India stayed in the game that long, it was down to Jadhav’s batting. The capitulation was complete once he was out.
Ravindra Jadeja – Rating: 4/10, Verdict: Average
Jadeja provided India their first breakthrough as he got rid of Aaron Finch with a beauty of a delivery that beat the Australian captain all ends up before uprooting his off stump. He then got the better of Glenn Maxwell just when the stage was set for the Australian danger man to accelerate the scoring. The all-rounder returned very good figures of 45/2 off his 10 overs but his batting was a massive disappointment as he beaten all ends up on a Zampa googly for a three-ball duck.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Rating: 8/10, Verdict: Very Good
Kumar bowled brilliantly in the early stages of the game, registering the free-scoring Australian openers and got three important wickets at crucial stages. In the context of the game, he had an excellent return of 48/3 from his 10 overs. He then provided some fantastic rearguard display with the bat to keep Indian in the game in tandem with Jadhav. Any No. 8 will be proud of a 54-ball 46 effort that comes with three fours and two sixes.
Also read: Nobody in the dressing room is panicking – Virat Kohli on India’s ODI series loss
Mohammed Shami – Rating: 3/10, Verdict: Poor
Shami, having bowled excellently through the course of the series, was a tad expensive in Delhi and went for plenty. Nine fours were scored off his bowling, four more than any other Indian bowler.
Kuldeep Yadav – Rating: 2/10, Verdict: Poor
Yadav was India’s most expensive bowler, giving away 74 runs in his 10 overs for a solitary wicket of Ashton Turner. All four sixes of the Australian innings came off Yadav’s bowling as he failed to rein in the visiting batsmen. He will be eager to forget this game in a jiffy.
Jasprit Bumrah – Rating: 7/10, Verdict: Good
Bumrah continued his heroics with the new ball and some incisive bowling at the death. He conceded just 39 runs off his 10 overs but wasn’t rewarded for his efforts with a wicket. He remains India’s bowling mainstay with no equal.
First Published:
Mar 14, 2019 14:13 IST
Source: HindustanTimes