After the horrors of the 2022 Asia Cup, the Men in Blue returned to winning ways in the recently concluded India vs Australia T20I series. The series started with India losing to Australia, as the alarm bells continued ringing. The Men in Blue bounced back in the second fixture where rain had shortened the number of overs to just eight per innings. Levelling the series 1-1, India won the series the right way as they got one over the reigning T20I world champions.
Plenty of takeaways from this series between India and Australia, as the Men in Blue now play South Africa in the T20I series. Here are a few things we should take note of ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Kolhi and SKY, two of India’s best
Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav, a.k.a SKY, are two batters that can dictate the game on a good day. Kohli’s imperious form took a brief halt in the first two matches of the India vs Australia series, while SKY had an impressive 46 followed by a golden duck before the third T20I.
In the deciding match, India had to chase 187 runs to clinch the series. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, the captains of India, opened but with little effect returned to the pavilion. It was Kohli and SKY who took control of the match with their masterful strokes. While SKY smashed 69 off 36 balls, Kohli scored 63 in 48. By the time both batters lost their wicket, the hard work was almost done.
Kohli and SKY will be looked at as reliable batters in the upcoming South Africa series before heading into the T20 World Cup.
Axar Patel on song
Axar Patel’s excellence as an all-rounder was something that we all found out earlier this year during the India vs West Indies series. Since then, Axar has proven to be one of the most reliable all-rounders in the Indian roster. In a series where the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar lagged behind, Axar scalped a whopping eight wickets, five more than the second-placed bowlers on the series leaderboard.
Heading into the South Africa series, Axar Patel’s prowess will be needed once more before finally taking off for the T20 World Cup. It will indeed be one more preliminary test for the 28-year-old before he steps up for India in the main event.
Bumrah and Bhuvi need to gear up
What was seen as the beginning of India’s unmatched bowling attack was anything but. Jasprit Bumrah returned to the Indian side after being sidelined with an injury. While he was away, Bhuvneshwar Kumar had established himself well as one of India’s most reliable wicket-takers. However, in the India vs Australia series, both seamers failed to provide results, taking a scalp each.
Bumrah bowled his most expensive over in T20I cricket, having conceded 50 runs in the third fixture. To give more perspective, Bumrah had conceded 23 in his previous match. Bhuvneshwar was even worse, having given away 91 runs in two matches.
It will be instructive to see the two seamers in the upcoming South Africa series, where both will be put to test one last time before heading into the T20 World Cup. Afterall, both Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar are seen as a threat as opening bowlers and a blessing for the Indian attack.
You can count on Hardik
Hardik Pandya never fails to give us highlights whenever he finishes a match. In the final over of the third T20I when Kohli got out while trying to finish with a big shot, only five were needed off four balls. Dinesh Karthik took guard and got a single off his first delivery, giving Hardik Pandya the strike. With four needed off two balls, a full delivery outside off saw Pandya leave the delivery.
Perhaps it was an anxious DK that prompted Hardik to beckon to him telling him to keep calm. The following delivery saw India’s No. 33 find the tightest of gaps to hit a boundary as India clinched the series.
Hardik Pandya is one of India’s most reliable all-rounders who knows how to finish a game. His nerves of steel help him remain calm as a cucumber in dire situations. This prowess of his will certainly come in handy in the upcoming South Africa series followed by the T20 World Cup.
Also Read: Indian T20 league Player Auction to be Held Mid-December for 2023 Tournament
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