The much-anticipated resumption of rivalry between India and Australia started on a steamy note but ultimately ended tamely. Australia had the hosts in all sorts of trouble in the first One-Day International in Chennai but couldn’t keep their feet on the accelerator. Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni pulled off a jailbreak and ultimately, Australia were befuddled by rain and wrist spin to give India a easy 26-run win.
While most of the focus will rightly be on Pandya’s hitting and Dhoni’s finishing, here are three important takeaways from the match that we can’t ignore.
Time to say goodbye to opener Rahane
It sounds sad but it’s time that the Rahane as opener ploy is binned for good. The 29-year-old had no clue of what the ball was doing in his brief 15-ball foray at the crease. He wasn’t even rotating the strike with singles, allowing Australia to build the pressure in the bargain and finally lost his wicket with a loose slash outside off stump.
For a player with 80-odd ODIs, a batting average of below 35 just doesn’t cut it anymore. Perhaps, it’s time India consider going for a different plan and give KL Rahul a go.
Swing it away
This was sweaty, humid Chennai but the way India’s top order batted against Nathan Coulter-Nile and Pat Cummins doesn’t bode well for next year’s overseas trips. There was a just a hint of movement in the air for the fast bowlers in the first few overs in Chepauk and Coulter-Nile and Cummins asked plenty of questions of India’s much-vaunted top order by pitching the ball up marginally and leaving the rest to the pitch.
The results were instantaneous, Rahane slashed at one away, so did Kohli in a replica of his Champions Trophy final dismissal and Pandey had a loose waft. Even Rohit Sharma could have been dismissed if Steve Smith had held on to a tough catch in the first slip. Englishmen James Anderson and Stuart Broad must be licking their lips in anticipation of India’s visit next year.
Wrist spinner magic
As India play more and more ODIs without Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, it seems more and more evident that wrist-spinners are undoubtedly the way to go in this format. While Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav delivered the goods in West Indies and Sri Lanka, it was always a question whether they could do it against stronger opposition.
By the evidence of the first ODI, they were definitely effective. Australia’s batters had no idea what they were playing, unable to pick the bowling completely. It is becoming increasingly obvious that wrist spinners are giving Kohli an element of magic and surprise that he’s sorely missed for so long. Carry on the good work, Kuldeep and Yuzi.
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