Opinion
With India set to begin their tour of Australia in nearly two weeks’ time, many will be focused on who will win or who’ll be the key to these two superstar teams winning.
Here are two players for each team that could influence the outcome of this massive series.
Australia: Steve Smith
One of the greatest batsmen of this generation and up there with Sir Bradman himself, Smith not only has impressed in Test matches over the last five years, but has also had a big role in the limited-overs format.
By far the star of this Australian batting line-up, he’s averaged 42.46 since debuting back in 2010 and has hit 25 fifties and nine hundreds, including a brilliant and superb best of 164 back in 2016 against New Zealand at the SCG. He also averages 58.1 against India in the last five years with a high score of 149 at the WACA in January 2016.
Since returning to the ODI stage after the ball-tampering incident, he’s averaged 45.7 in 13 innings, but did manage to score 229 runs in only two innings against India in the sub-continent (the most in that series). If he can replicate what he did there in this series, then Australia will have the greatest chance of winning.
India: Virat Kohli
The king of cricket across every format he plays in, Virat Kohli is gradually climbing up the ladder of the greatest batsmen to ever play. Not only is he a star batsma,n but he is also one of the greatest leaders in world cricket.
With wrists as strong as iron and with symphonic timing, he’s averaged 59.3 in 239 innings since debuting back in 2008. During that time he’s got 58 fifties and 43 hundreds, including a best of 183 against Pakistan back in 2012 while chasing 330 in the Asian Cup. He’s also been in the top five ODI batsmen since December 2010.
Kohli is a man who loves playing against the Australians too, averaging 54.6 against Australia in 38 innings and was also India’s top run-scorer last time they faced them back in January this year. If he gets on a roll, especially when chasing any total, then India will easily have the upper hand.
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Australia: Mitchell Starc
One of the deadliest bowlers who always shines in any limited-overs match, Starc has just improved over the years and is up there with the world’s best. The number ten ranked ODI bowler currently, he has gone as high as number one and can perform on the big stage.
The reason why: he’s armed with a lethal yorker, near super speed and deadly swing and bounce. And those have paid off throughout his ODI career, taking 183 wickets in 94 matches, averaging 22.48, a strike rate of 26.3 and has seven five-wicket hauls. He’s also been the leading wicket-taker in the last two World Cups, getting 49 wickets in total (22 in 2015 and 27 in 2019).
He hasn’t performed at his best against the Indians but has taken 16 wickets at an average of 32.8 and a strike rate of 34.75 against them. If he can improve that average and strike rate to what he’s produced recently, then India could be in severe trouble.
India: Jasprit Bumrah
Another superstar bowler, especially in the limited-overs format, Bumrah has become one of world cricket’s best bowlers thanks to his speed, bounce, swing and variation. This is in spite of having a short run-up for a fast bowler.
With those weapons up his arsenal he’s taken a lot of wickets at a low average, strike rate and economy. In 64 ODIs he’s taken 104 wickets at an average of 24.43, a strike rate of 32.1 and keeping an economy of 4.6 runs per over. His best bowling figures are 5/27 against Sri Lanka back in 2017 (which is currently his only five wicket haul in ODIs).
He’s done a pretty decent job against the Australians too, taking 18 wickets at an average of 34.8 and a strike rate of 42 in 14 matches against the Aussies. If he can continue his good form against Australia, then he will have easily won the series for India.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
The Aussie needed every centimetre of his height and reach to reel that one in!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed 21 off the final over...but after three sixes, a caught and bowled and a run out, Mitchell Starc's Kolkata had…
Jake Fraser-McGurk smashed the fastest 50 of the IPL season and the fastest in Delhi Capitals history. But it still wasn't enough as Sunrisers…
Test great Steve Smith is to play for Washington Freedom in the second season of Major League Cricket as the Australian influence in the…
Nathan Lyon has revealed his disappointment that Australia's cricket chiefs have prevented him from playing his first full season of county cricket in England…
