India’s quest to find right combinations for the upcoming World Cup ended with a 35-run defeat in the decisive fifth ODI against Australia as they lost the series 2-3 in Delhi on Wednesday.
In their last game before the showpiece event in United Kingdom, the Indian innings folded for 237, in exactly 50 overs while chasing a 273-run target. Australia had put on board 272 for nine, built around Usman Khawaja’s second hundred of the series.
It was India’s first ODI series defeat at home since losing to South Africa in 2015 as their big guns fell silent on the day when the series was on line.
India also became the only side in the world to lose an ODI series twice after leading 2-0.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the series loss:
Instead of getting conclusive answers in this series, skipper @imVkohli, chief coach Ravi Shastri, batting, bowling and fielding coaches and the selectors are left with more questions on what the composition of WC squad should be
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 13, 2019
Australia were 0-2 down in the series.
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) March 13, 2019
They had to win 3 in a row to win the series (They had not won even 2 games in a row in last 2 years)
Then...
3rd ODI - defended 314
4th ODI - chased 359
5th ODI - defended 273
They performed like the Australia of early 2000s! #IndvAus
🔹First ODI series defeat at home under Kohli
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) March 13, 2019
🔹First series defeat for India at home since 2016
🔹First series win for Australia in ODIs in two years
🔹First time India have lost three consecutive ODIs under Kohli's captaincy#INDvAUS https://t.co/VrsTufGkOu
Whoever gets picked in the end, India’s middle order will be its Achilles heel in the WC 2019.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) March 13, 2019
The one constant thing with losses is that the players who haven’t played (or picked in the first place) become better with every loss.... #fact
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) March 13, 2019
One series defeat does not make a good team a bad one. At least the pressure of being dubbed World Cup favourites by some so-called experts has gone. And that can only be a good thing for Kohli’s team.
— Kuldip Lal (@diplal) March 14, 2019
Faf: *cries about conditions at home*
— Smitharoo (@SastaLoha) March 14, 2019
Paine: *cries about conditions at home*
Kohli: "No, not at all. It's our conditions, we can't we weighed down by our own conditions. Australia played better than us." #INDvAUS
India’s 3-2 defeat to Australia only confirms my long held belief: @imVkohli the captain needs @msdhoni by his side at crucial times on the field.. and when Kohli the batsman doesn’t fire, team India is more often than not playing catch up.. #INDvAUS
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) March 13, 2019
1983 team had players like Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath and Madan Lal.
— Malay (@malayism) March 13, 2019
2011 team had players like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir.
2019 team has players like Virat Kohli, Virat Kohli and Virat Kohli. https://t.co/j1Xznt7nSS
On evidence of Mohali and Dehi ODIs alone, both keeping and batting, Rishabh Pant doesn’t get into my World Cup squad. #IndvAus
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) March 13, 2019
I will be very disappointed if Rishabh Pant gets selected for the World Cup ahead of Dinesh Karthik. Pant has got enough opportunities to prove himself, but I am afraid he hasn't utilised those at all.#INDvAUS
— Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan) March 13, 2019
Kedar and Bhuvi might not have saved the match, they indeed have saved us from the embarrassment. Now onto truest form of Cricket - IPL. #INDvAUS
— cricBC (@cricBC) March 13, 2019
