India tour of Australia2019: 3 Things we learned from the 3rd ODI

India ground out a seven-wicket victory to ensure they returned from Australian shores without a single series defeat to their name. MS Dhoni once again remained unbeaten at the end on 87 and was ably supported by Kedar Jadhav.

The pitch at the MCG was a little slow and tacky, which made run-scoring difficult as the Aussies fought hard to take the match into the final over.

The Aussies lost their openers in the opening ten overs with Bhuvneshwar Kumar making it three dismissals in three matches against Finch. Carey too didn’t fare any better than his captain and was caught in the slip cordon.

Marsh and Khawaja found themselves resurrecting the innings for the third game running but neither of them was able to carry on to post a big score.

The Australian batsmen then crumbled against Chahal and managed to squeak past the 225 run mark, courtesy a gritty fifty by Handscomb.

In reply to the hosts’ modest score, Rohit Sharma perished cheaply. His opening partner, Dhawan also failed to capitalize on a good start and was dismissed softly by Stoinis.

Dhoni first joined hands with Kohli and then Jadhav to eventually seal the deal for India and accord visitors the chance to lift their first ever bilateral ODI series trophy in Australia.

As always, a lot of different aspects came to light through the tight encounter at the MCG and through this article, we would look at those and the implications it might have moving forward.

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#3 Australia need to fix their opening woes

Finch was trapped by Bhuvneshwar, again

Australia decided to experiment with their opening pair in the series against India as they ditched the likes of Darcy Short and Chris Lynn to proceed with Carey. However, the wicket-keeper failed to inspire and could only muster the highest score of 24.

Though Carey failed to stake his claim for the opening slot, the wretched form of Finch would surely be a bigger cause of concern.

In all of his innings in the series, Finch was dismissed by Bhuvneshwar with the Indian pacer exploiting the former’s susceptibility to the incoming delivery. As the captain of the side, Finch was required to stand up, however, he failed to conjure up solid scores at the top of the order.

For long, Australia was able to boast of a stable opening partnership capable of denting the opposition’s charge from the onset. Yet, with Warner’s suspension and Finch’s poor form, the openers have become easy targets for the bowling side.

With the World Cup less than 5 months away, Australia needs to fix its opening woes. For a failure to do so would surely lead to their World Cup defense ending in a whimper.

#2 Yuzvendra Chahal proves his worth

Chahal finished with six wickets

With many calling for the inclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal, India decided to bench Kuldeep Yadav in favor of the leg-spinner. The lad from Haryana didn’t disappoint either as he turned in his best performance in international cricket till date.

Chahal bowled with guile throughout and out-foxed the Aussie batsmen with his flight and drift. Additionally, the hosts’ batsmen weren’t able to figure out his variations and the spinner led them a merry dance.

However, the most impressive aspect of his bowling was the control he showcased. Chahal rarely bowled a bad delivery and kept the Australian batsmen under wraps at all times.

India had faced problems taking wickets in the middle phase of the innings during the first couple of ODIs. Yet, on Friday, the leg-spinner ensured that he single-handedly took the wind out of Australia’s sails.

Chahal returned with the wickets of Marsh, Khawaja, and Stoinis to throw a spanner in the Aussie works. The Australians never really recovered from the triple blow and eventually folded for a paltry total of 230.

At the moment, India enjoys an embarrassment of riches in the spin department. Though the problem of plenty is better than that of scarcity, India needs to be careful of picking the right horses for the right courses.

After all, one wouldn’t want India to lose a World Cup semi-final because they picked the wrong spinner and he couldn’t spin it their way.

#1 Dhoni at No.4 might suit the combination better

Dhoni controlled the game after coming out at No.4 to bat

For the decider, India decided to omit Ambati Rayudu in favor of Jadhav. Thus, the No.4 spot was again up for grabs. When India was reduced to 59-2, there was immense pressure on the batsman walking in but fortunately for the Indians, the man who came in was as adroit as any.

Dhoni paced his innings to perfection and even though he took in excess of 70 balls to reach fifty, he was able to make it up towards the end with some precise hitting.

The biggest advantage of having Dhoni at No.4 is that the Indian team can then play both Dinesh Karthik and Jadhav.

While the former excelled in finishing the game at Adelaide, the latter saw the team through at Melbourne and also provided a fail-safe in the bowling department. Thus, the inclusion of Jadhav gives a better balance to this Indian side.

Moreover, at No.4, Dhoni gets the required time for getting his eye in as he would invariably end up batting with one of Dhawan, Kohli or Rohit. Additionally, the cushion of having Jadhav and Karthik would help MS to take the game deep and do what he does the best.

At the MCG, Dhoni again proved that he is indeed the master of the calculated chase. And if he keeps batting at No.4, he might get more opportunities to build his innings and stay till the end.

India has been looking for a solution to their No.4 conundrum for years now but to no avail. Yet, it seems that the best answer might just have been present within the team all along.