AUS vs IND 3rd ODI: What Experts said as India wins a thriller to salvage some pride

The third and final game of the three-match ODI series was nothing short of a litmus test for the Indian team as it had to prove that it can't be easily pushed over every time. Jasprit Bumrah had to tell the world that when it comes to death overs, he is still the number one bowler in the game. When he clean-bowled the dangerous-looking Glenn Maxwell to set up a 13-run win for the Men in Blue at Manuka Oval, he proved that a leopard doesn't lose his spots.  

Among others, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja had to prove that they are in the team for their batting also. The debutant T Natarajan, along with Shardul Thakur, the guys who got their first shot in the series, proved that they are worth getting a chance. While Shardul finished with figures of  3/51 in his 10 overs, Natarajan’s debut ended with 2/70 in his 10. Both held their nerve towards the end in a tense finish and saw their team to a consolation victory. 

Captains' Viewpoints

Finally ending up on the right side of the results, Virat Kohli was all smiles after the match. During the post-match presentation, he lauded his team for the effort that it put on in the last game.  

"It's particularly pleasing that we were under the pump for the first half of our innings, and the second half of Australia's, and we fought back both times. One guy making his debut, Shubman coming back, that brought us some freshness,” Kohli said on the victory and the comeback of the team.  

The captain also lauded his fast bowlers and at the same time added that the bounce in the pitch mattered a lot.  “I think the pitch was much better in terms of helping the bowlers, so obviously, the confidence levels go up. We were able to put Australia under pressure because of that fact as well."

Talking about the partnership that Jadeja and Pandya made, Kohli commented that he wasn’t really surprised considering that both these guys have been playing cricket for a long time now. 

“Playing international cricket for 13-14 years, you should be able to come back like we did. I would have liked to go on for a bit longer, but we had a great partnership between Hardik and Jadeja." 

Acknowledging that the victory was required for the team going into the T20I series, Kohli said, “It was exactly what the team needed to get that boost, even though we've lost the series. We played with heart and desire, and that's what you need to do in Australia."

Australian skipper Aaron Finch, who was the lone warrior in the first half of the Aussie innings with his 75 off 83 balls, felt that his team really fought well and rued the fact that they were unable to break the partnership between Jadeja and Pandya. 

"We fought really well today, just fell a little short. Obviously, great partnership between Hardik and Jadeja. We might have been in a good position if we'd nabbed one of them early,” the skipper observed. 

Lauding the new players in the team, Finch stated, “I thought Cameron Green came in and made an impact with ball and bat, and showed he belongs at the international level. Ashton Agar played well too. So, it was good to get them in and get some information on them.” 

Accepting that playing two spinners makes the 50 overs go a little quicker, the skipper couldn’t agree more with the contention that both Agar and Adam Zampa were impactful today. In total, the spinners bowled 20 overs and gave away just 89 runs after picking three wickets. 

Alex Carey played a good inning and was threatening India with his partnership alongside Maxwell. Finch went on to appreciate the least talked about Aussie team members as well as wished that Starc would be back for the T20Is.  

“It's nice when guys in the top order have really good contributions, and then Maxy can come in and do his thing in the back end. I thought Alex Carey, Moises, these guys did well too." 

“Hopefully (Starc) is back for the T20s. Just a niggly thing with the back," he added. 

Expert Opinion

The experts in this game were impressed by how both Jadeja and Pandya batted and believed that they were the main reason for getting India to a total that could be defended. The bowlers in Bumrah, Natarajan, and Shardul Thakur were also praised for their brilliant work. 

Renowned cricket writer and TV personality,Boria Majumdar, instead of calling it a dead rubber, said that the game held as much importance as any other because of the Super League. He also praised Natarajand and Shardul Thakur for their resolve. 

Ayaz Memon, a veteran cricket journalist, called it a momentum-changing game, asserting that this victory would push the momentum towards the Indian team going into the T20 series. 

Gaurav Kalra, senior sports journalist, too lauded Jadeja, for the kind of bowling that he did as the all-rounder ended with figures of 1-62 and that one wicket was of the well-set Aaron Finch. All this came on the back of his 50-ball 66 with the bat. 

Sambit Bal, another leading scribe of the game, pointed out that this series has proved that India could go in with Hardik Pandya as a pure batsman. On top of that, when he bowls, the team balance would be affected in a great way. 

Bharat Seervi, a statistician, pointed out how crucial the partnership for the sixth wicket between Pandya and Jadeja was.  This was the third-highest sixth-wicket partnership for India, in the all-time records. Also, as Seervi noted, it came against a strong unit like Australia, while the two above it in the list, were produced against a weaker opponent like Zimbabwe. 

And in an expert piece, how can we forget to get in a cheeky one from Gaurav Kalra. Well, this time a rather straightforward shot. India managed to get past 300 in all their innings in this series, but the Aussies couldn’t. 

The action now shifts to the shortest format of the game and slightly different teams would be playing. Australia will obviously rue Warner’s absence. But can those, who would get a chance to make a case for themselves, be able to prove their worth? That can only be answered from December 4th, at the same venue. 

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