Under the Microscope: 3 Things for India to Improve On in the 3rd ODI

If one were to describe the 2nd ODI in one word, it would be bizarre. India had a fighting chance during the chase, and it was very much alive even with MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya at the crease. After Pandya was dismissed off a ball sliding down the leg side, it was down to Dhoni. Required rate of 12 for the next 11 overs. He would have had to maintain that run rate all by himself, with all the batsmen back in the pavilion and only bowlers to come, in a pitch that had proved to be tricky for the Indian batsmen – so much so that there was not a single six scored by them.

#1: Intent

Herculean task? Quite so. But Dhoni’s reputation of being a master finisher meant there was a tiny off-chance that they might have made it.

The most disappointing thing in what followed Pandya’s dismissal was not the fact that India lost – after all, it was going to be unlikely that they could win from that point anyway. Rather, it was the lack of intent. Dhoni didn’t go for the big shots and was looking to nudge balls around but rarely found the gap, especially when charging out against the spinners.

Kohli justified this as an attempt at reducing the margin of loss, but why does that matter? A loss is a loss, especially when there is no NRR at stake here, so why not give it a legitimate shot by going for their shots? Maybe the fact that they still had a shot at winning the 3rd ODI so the series was not at stake at Lord’s made them not want to try and chase the score. Regardless, it remains that it was unsportsmanlike conduct to not even attempt.

On air, Nasser Hussain criticised this lack of intent heavily, saying the Indian batsmen, particularly Dhoni, was having “a net”. On the stadium, the home of cricket, the fans weren’t having it either.

MS Dhoni, one of the greatest Indian cricketers to have played the game since Tendulkar, was being booed in the same match that he conquered a landmark 10 000 ODI runs and not just by English fans, even the Indians joined in.

India not looking to win was disappointing, and it is expected that they will go much harder in the 3rd ODI no matter how steep the chase because the series depends on it. Playing with the intent that is so often spoken about would be a welcome change after the horrid display in the 2nd ODI.

#2: Team Selection

Will both of them play the next game?

Every time India loses a match, there is always talk about whose fault it was, and how that player has not been performing for the last x number of years and it is high time they were dropped. This time, however, it might actually be worth looking deeper into the current XI that India have been playing. Dinesh Karthik has been in tremendous form both in the IPL and the now legendary Nidahas trophy final. Yet, he cannot seem to get a game.

Karthik getting a game means someone has to be dropped and the eyes immediately turn to 3 possible players: KL Rahul, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.

KL Rahul

Dropping Rahul seems to be a tough decision. He scored a blistering hundred quite recently, but since then there have been a string of low scores, with a duck in his most recent innings. He is a promising prospect for the future, however, and the management might be unwilling to drop him for this reason primarily.

Suresh Raina

It was between Raina and Karthik as to who played in the ODI series, and if someone is dropped, it seems to be that Raina is the most likely candidate. Raina was playing ahead of Karthik due to the fact that Raina can bowl a few overs of spin as a 6th bowling option and he has bowled 5 overs in 2 matches so far. Raina has looked shaky in the innings he has played, playing every delivery with a similar kind of shuffle to the offside and staying leg-side of the ball.

MS Dhoni

Replacing Dhoni with Karthik would be a like-for-like replacement and probably the least likely of all 3 of these due to Dhoni’s stature and reputation as a player that would cause mass controversy, from the fans, if dropped ahead of the other two. That being said, it would also ensure Rahul gets enough opportunities and Raina’s utility as a spinner is still available since a keeper is dropped to accommodate a keeper in the XI.

Karthik does deserve a chance to play for a shot at getting a WC2019 spot, and if he does get one, he will be eager to prove that it was the right decision.

#3: Fast Bowling

Will Bhuvneshwar be fit and in good form?

Will Bhuvneshwar Kumar be fit in time for the 3rd ODI is the biggest lingering question regarding the Indian pace attack. So far in the first two games, the trio of Siddarth Kaul, Umesh Yadav and Hardik Pandya have been expensive and other than Yadav, they have not picked up many wickets either.

Their lacklustre performances have been covered up thanks to the excellent bowling by Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal but the 300+ score by England in the previous game, aided by particularly loose and shoddy death bowling has highlighted these cracks.

Whilst Bhuvneshwar’s inclusion, likely in Kaul’s place, is a boost to both the bowling and batting departments, it remains to be seen if he is in good form as well as India look to swing back.

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Many questions loom over the Indian team ahead of the next match, but it only makes for more intriguing watching as a fan.