Australia ended their tour of India with a brilliant come from behind ODI series win in Chennai.
The Aussies held their nerve in the series decider, as India lost their first home one day series in four years, since Aaron Finch led Australia to a comeback win in 2019. With the World Cup in India looming later this year, I thought I would assess the health of each of the sides and their strengths and weaknesses.
India
India will be very disappointed with how they batted during the series. Despite a packed top seven, they found themselves wanting in each match. One obvious change for India should be Shreyas Iyer back at number four, a player who has averaged 51.12 with the bat since 2022. However, there are concerns that his back injury is more serious than first thought, with surgery even on the cards.
India may need to assess other options at the number four slot, as Suryakumar Yadav had a horror trio of golden ducks this series. He is brilliant in the T20 format but is yet to show his ability in the one day arena. Another option for India is Sanju Samson, who averages 66 after just eleven ODI’s.
Despite a rich batting line-up, it still feels like India needs at least one batsman to really hold things together with a big score. Usually that would be Rohit Sharma, but in recent times the skipper seems to be more focused on scoring runs quickly rather than buckling down for big scores like he used to.
Rohit Sharma needs to be the rock in India’s ODI batting. (Photo: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images)
Virat Kohli also used to get those hundreds, and whilst he isn’t as consistent at the moment, his form is getting better in 2023. This would put less pressure on the men more likely to score quickly in the last 20 overs.
India’s fast bowling is in good hands in the format, with solid showings from Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, barring the second game when there were no runs on the board to defend. Kuldeep Yadav seems to have secured his spot as the frontline spinner, offering X-factor as a left arm leggie.
The question now is who should India’s fourth bowler be, with allrounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya aptly bowling the fifth bowler quota. There is no doubt for me that if Jasprit Bumrah was fit, he would play, but since he’s unavailable, India have felt the need to play a bowler who can offer with the bat.
This includes spinning allrounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar and pace allrounder Shardul Thakur. Even though Axar is probably the best batter out the three, I feel Sundar offers better variety with his off spin and I’m not convinced about Thakur.
Pandya already bowls similar lengths to Thakur. There are no other bowlers good enough to make it worthwhile for India to select them and then play with a long tail that begins with Kuldeep Yadav at 8.
This would be my ideal India XI
Gill, Rohit, Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Pandya, Jadeja, Sundar, Kuldeep, Shami, Siraj (If Bumrah is fit he comes in for Sundar)
Australia
Despite Australia playing the better cricket in the series, there is less clarity on what their lineup should be, winning despite multiple absences. Australia won this series with a slightly weakened bowling lineup, with Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa really showing their class. Ashton Agar showed in the last match that in Subcontinental conditions he needs to be considered.
The standout of the series was Mitch Marsh, playing aggressive cricket in each innings. Despite his success at the top I do believe he should be moved down the order, as long term, David Warner in the middle order doesn’t make great sense.
Australia really needs to stop thinking of Marnus Labuschagne as an auto pick in the ODI side. After 30 matches, he averages just 31 at a strike rate of 83.20. He gets stuck in the middle overs, often unable to accelerate. Mitch Marsh should bat at four where he can play with great freedom and intent. Despite Australia winning without them, Cam Green and Glenn Maxwell should both come back into the first strength XI. Both are equally important with bat and ball.
Is Marnus Labuschagne doing enough to hold his place in Australia’s ODI team? (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
I still believe Australia should play pace trio Pat Cummins, Starc and Josh Hazlewood, together with Zampa as the sole spinner. Starc was at his best in the series, swinging the ball and showing why he is definitely one of the best in the business.
Even in Indian conditions, there’s a lot to offer for the quicks and each of them have class in the format. However, on slower decks, such as the one in Chennai, Agar should be considered. There is also the argument that if the three big quicks play, Stoinis could play over Green, since he offers some variance with his cutters, whilst Green is similar in style to the quicks.
My ideal Australia XI
Warner, Head, Smith, Marsh, Carey, Green, Maxwell, Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Zampa (Agar in for one of the quicks on a slow pitch).
Australia came away with the win on this occasion, but both sides are looking in good stead for the World Cup later this year. The two will play another ODI series just before the tournament in October.
Nobody likes a smarta*s
Roar Rookie
You selected Inglis. Shot yourself in the foot...
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Except the Scorchers... BBL Champions.. And WA ...Marsh Cup Champions
Nobody likes a smarta*s
Roar Rookie
Bancroft is not good enough 4 our WB teams
bowledover
Roar Rookie
This isn't bad, I'd switch Marsh and Smith maybe...smiths numbers are 3 are pretty great. You also raise Turner, bloke looks like a the kins of player who comes through when the chips are down!
bowledover
Roar Rookie
Sorry, my whole post was dropped, it actually was: If Warner plays, he needs to open. Marsh could also open, or bat 3 or 4 but likely bats 4 given Smiths preferred no 3 position. Head looks like he does better opening in ODI, so if Head is in the side that seems to push Marsh to 4. Id really like to see Green bat a bit higher up as I think he looks like he can steady the ship if required but also has the power to clear boundaries; id also like to see him used as a bowling option. Maxxy could bat 6, and come up the order if the scenario allows. For keeping, Id have Inglis or Carey, but perhaps with a preference for Inglis who looks like he can also do the Maxwell thing and play 360. For Allrounder reserve position, Abbott (possibly did enough during the India series?), Hardie. For reserves, perhaps: Phillipe, Inglis if Carey is the preferred keeper and Labuschange. Bowling wise, Starc looks like he has bowled himself back into contention (if he wasnt) and Hazlewood is still the best ODI bowler I think. You cant leave out Zampa and I think Agar showed he is certainly still has the quality. For reserves, you probably have Cummins (who I am not sure makes the top 11), and possibly Behrendorff and Ellis. 1. Warner, 2. Head. 3. Smith, 4. Marsh, 5. Green, 6. Maxwell, 7. Carey/Inglis, 8., Agar, 9. Starc, 10. Zampa., 11. Hazlewood. Marsh, Green, Maxwell would need to cover the other 10 overs. If Warner doesnt play, Marsh opens and then we play another bat, Allrounder or bowler depending on conditions.
bowledover
Roar Rookie
If Warner plays, he needs to open. Marsh could also open, or bat 3 or 4 but likely bats 4 given Smiths preferred no 3 position. Head looks like he does better opening in ODI, so if Head is in the side that seems to push Marsh to 4. Id really like to see Green bat a bit higher up as I think he looks like he can steady the ship if required but also has the power to clear boundaries; id also like to see him used as a bowling option. Maxxy could bat 6, and come up the order if the scenario allows. For keeping, Id have Inglis or Carey, but perhaps with a preference for Inglis who looks like he can also do the Maxwell thing and play 360. Labuschange can be in the reserves for the steady batsman, and Inglis if Carey is the preferred keeper. Id also have Hardie as a reserve Allrounder.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
Ummmm, I am Indian, actually . And no, our team is no “joint favorite”, neither is England . Surfaces here will not be cement made road. England will probably reach semi final. I do not see them going beyond that. Also, Australia won the one day series in 2019 here right before world cup ,that too was coming back from behind.
jammel
Roar Rookie
Yeah I wouldn't have Bancroft in white-ball cricket tbh. How about something like this XI for the World Cup in India? 1Warner 2Head 3MMarsh 4Smith 5Green 6Turner 7Carey+ 8Agar 9Starc 10Hazlewood 11Zampa (Reserves=Maxwell Inglis Cummins Ellis) That's right. Maybe we give both Ashtons a go!
Tempo
Roar Rookie
Well, being the only team other than India to win a series in India since 2015 (in any format) probably counts for something. I still think India and England are probably joint favourites but Australia is not far behind and a genuine contender.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
This has to be a joke. Cam Bancroft is too slow a scorer to make the team - he tuk tuks along at a strike rate of 80 in the Marsh Cup, so how's he going to fare against better bowlers at international level? Stoinis is a useless ODI batter, he should be batting at 9 in that line-up. How can a guy averaging 20 in the last 5 years at a slow strike rate of 85 be batting in the top 5? And there is no way Agar is a better ODI bowler than Zampa. He averages 46 and goes at 5.3 rpo to Zampa's 28 at 5.4 rpo. Warner is a far better bet than Bancroft and Stoinis, so get him in. Drop both those two and get a fourth proper bowler in. Agar only plays as second spinner if its a pitch which suits spin bowling.
Tempo
Roar Rookie
It's certainly a bold choice to pick a No. 5 batsman (Stoinis) who averages 20 in his last 5 years of ODI cricket from a not insignificant sample size of 47 games (with an unimpressive strike rate of 85). His recent form is even worse, averaging 9 from his most recent 10 games.
Even though I personaly prefer 50 over cricket to that T20 stuff when it comes to white ball cricket....what point now a World Cup in a format that is rarely played these days between International countries? This current series Ind v Aus, and the one over in NZ, NZ v SL, are as rare as hens teeth these days, yet we have a World Cup every four years. Why? If all the money is in T20 as all those "corporate hustlers" tell us, you got to wonder what the point of the 50 0ver WC is anymore. Eng won the WC (flukey win, NZ deserved it) yet after that the Eng Board started promoting this "100" cricket, which is even worse than T20. Crazy stuff.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
Honestly, i do not see a single thing that makes us stand apart and makes us favorite. We would be lucky to pass Semi final.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
And Carey has a better batting average in ODIs (35) than Marsh, Marnus or Stoinis since he started and just behind Maxwell. Inglis averages about the same in all his List A 50-over matches, and his top score is 26 in 3 ODI appearances. Carey averages 34 away from home or overseas in all 50-over batting and 38 in 44 ODIs overseas. Inglis averages 24 away from Perth, and has only played 15 50-over matches away from Perth in the last 7 seasons, all but 3 in Australia. No reason to change.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
How? He averages 45 in ODIs, 51 in India at a S/R of 97. Only Hayden marginally better among Australian ODI openers. White ball isn’t the same as red ball.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
As is Inglis. Knullarbor Knockdown...
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I think Carey is a nobrainer in ODI. His form in Tests has been let down by being a bit ODI-OCD in his approach to batting. But he's an excellent ODI Keeper.
Ace
Roar Rookie
I much prefer your selection Doc although I think Zampa is a certainty in limited over cricket I think most teams would set their sights on all rounders so two specialist spinners could be the way But, at least you there is no Warner
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Head, Marsh, Bancroft,Smith, Stoinis, Maxwell, Green,Carey/Inglis,Starc,Ellis,Agar,12th Zampa
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Warner is cooked. No more please.