Finally, after losing the first ODI in Mumbai, India proved that they are the better team and do not only win against the weaker teams.
After the Mumbai loss, India never gave a chance to the Aussies to bounce back and won the series 2-1.
In the first match, Australia thrashed India with both their batting and bowling. Their bowlers took ten wickets and then both their openers won them the match scoring unbeaten centuries. Nevertheless, the real concern was seen when both their openers failed in the subsequent matches.
In both the second and third ODI only Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne succeeded in scoring runs. This shows that Australia has issues with its lower-middle order batsmen. Players like Alex Carey, Ashton Turner and Ashton Agar failed to perform as the finishers.
If we compare both India’s and Australia’s innings in the last two ODIs, one can easily find out where Australia was lacking. In the second ODI, chasing a huge target of 341 Australia got a decent start, but had lost half of their batsmen before the last powerplay.
Therefore, it was difficult for other batsmen to chase that total.
Further, in the third ODI batting first Australia lost four wickets before the powerplay three and could only score 63 runs and also lost five wickets. On the other side, in the second ODI batting first India scored 91 runs in the last powerplay.
Not only Australia is experiencing an issue with finishing an innings with the bat but is also struggling with their death bowling.
Aaron Finch mentioned, “I think probably guys not getting through to those last couple of overs hurt us. I think in the last two games, we have had the bowlers batting for the majority of the last few overs. We saw in Rajkot, the damage that KL could do in the back end because he was a settled batter. I think that’s an area we just missed a couple of tricks. Just not having an in batter being in and having faced 20 or 30 balls to get us deeper and get us to the back end.”
(Photo by Andy Kearns/Getty Images)
He also mentioned, “Credit to India, their death bowling in the last few games was exceptional, Shami was nailing his yorkers, Saini in the last two games, and Bumrah. In both games, they were exceptional. You can look at where we could have improved, but also you’ve got to give some credit to India. They were unbelievable at the death.”
Australia’s next ODI series is against South Africa in South Africa starting 29th February. They would like to solve these issues against them and win that ODI series.
Marty
Roar Rookie
Come on DTM, are you suggesting that comments be based on common sense and reason rather than selectively quoting snippets of press conferences and then making the rest up to suit your own narrative? Perish the thought...
Paul
Roar Guru
The issue was not who should have been picked, but when the team was chosen. There was no need to select this squad more than a month before they travelled to India. If they had, they could have chosen any one of a number of players, or even played Short or Handscomb ahead of him. As it was they stuck with Turner, who had hardly made a run before heading to India.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Australia has deteriorated to the standard of a minnow in cricket since Langer took over. Disgraceful. A disaster as a coach and a selector. He's set us up to fail for a decade to come. The backing of Labuschagne's selection out of nowhere for Langer's first game in charge in the UAE and his ongoing backing of Marnus since, has been an embarrassment.
DTM
Guest
So who would you have picked as a finisher ahead of Turner? Don't say Maxwell because he had an below par WC and was on a mental health break when the team was selected. M Marsh was injured and Stoinis had a woeful WC. There were no ODI games since the WC to base any decisions on and in the Marsh Cup there were few standout options (Maxwell scored only 97 runs at an average of 24 and a strike rate of 94). Maybe Ferguson, Henriques or McDermott but Turner had performed in the Indian conditions before.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
When should we tour India? Start of November to Christmas?
DTM
Guest
Whichever team paid $3 mil for Cummins must be wondering what they've done. To be a good short form fast bowler, you need to also be smart.
DTM
Guest
When Langer took over the Australian cricket team, we were 5th in the test rankings. Today, we are number 2. Our T20 and ODI rankings are less important but our performances overall under his coaching have been better than Lehman's. This improvement has been achieved without our two best bats for half of that time and our team culture and morale at an all time low. Have there been questionable selections? Probably, but we are not privy to all the information and reasoning for decisions and for you to rely on snippets from a press conference is narrow minded. The player in question and the team captain have both publicly supported the decision made by the 3 selectors but you continue with your attacks only on the coach. It sounds very personal - perhaps you were once a bowler who got carted all over the park by a little left hander and you're still having nightmares?
Marty
Roar Rookie
Come on mate, it’s pretty straight forward really. When the team wins it’s nothing to do with Langer, but when the team loses its all Langer’s fault. What’s so hard to understand?
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Paul said: "...surely more recent form should have been considered as well?" fx: cough David Warner
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Kopa Shamsu said: Terrible fast bowling by a typical fast bowling cartel Absolutely. And it's (almost) curious the way that 95% of the blame for the loss has been aimed at the m-o of Carey, Turner & Agar while less than 5% has been accredited to two "superstar" fast bowlers whose contributions in the last two games were; 10/53/0, 7/64/0, 10/78/0 & 9/56/0. I can't imagine why there's such a disparity...
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
anon, Are aware that Langer *isn't* a sole selector?
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Rajiv said: "Most Australians don’t care about these dumb games played in the middle of January for Indian money. Australia should never tour between Christmas and the end of January" And yet you expect other countries to tour Oz. Interesting.
Paul
Roar Guru
you may well be right but surely more recent form should have been considered as well? Apart from that innings he's done little since.
Parth Baxi
Roar Rookie
Turner's match-winning innings in Mohali last year may have tempted the selectors to pick him again.
Omnitrader
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure their national sport is Hockey
David
Guest
Totally agree, we don’t care about this series.
Paul
Roar Guru
The reason why we didn't win was because we didn't select our best XI. We should have been 2upafter2 games, if guys had not made some fundamental errors and we had in-form guys to finish. That would have made the last game a dead rubber. Selectors - take note.
Rajiv
Guest
Most Australians don't care about these dumb games played in the middle of January for Indian money Australia should never tour between Christmas and the end of January Anyway if you look at Australian cricket youtube sites most comments are by Indians who have only one sport and not much else
Gee
Roar Rookie
Played in the wrong country and no one cared about the result.
Barry
Guest
lets learn how to bowl yorkers is it that bard gor lur best bowlers