India vs AUS 2019, T20I: 3 major takeaways from the series

Australia are in India for a short limited overs tour comprising of two T20Is and five ODIs. The 2 matches T20I series concluded yesterday with Glenn "Big Show" Maxwell singlehandedly handing India a series defeat.

This was India's third series whitewash in T20Is, but more than the defeats, it is how they lost which could give their team management some worries ahead of their World Cup campaign. Crucial moments were not capitalized upon and they let the Aussies take complete control.

On the other hand, after a string of defeats in the limited overs format in recent times, it was a breath of fresh air for Australia to pull off two wins on a trot in Indian conditions.

Their victory, won in a tight and close contest in the first T20 and Maxwell's magnificant batting aided by D'Arcy Short and Peter Handscomb', ensured that the visitors were able to win the second T20I comfortably.

Here's a look back on a short yet thrilling T20I series by analyzing the major takeaways from the series.

Australia's fielding and catching were the defining factor

Australia knew that they had a pretty strong team which would face off against India for the T20I series. But they also were aware that on paper, India looked far more likely to succeed - the recent results in India's tour down-under a testament to that.

The Aussies had to be on top of their game and get the basics spot on. If they managed to do that for most part of both T20Is, then India could be defeated. And that is exactly what happened.

On the field, all the Australian fielders had a good series with very few runs leaked, and also some fine catches taken, which shifted the momentum away from India.

As is common to many previous Australian touring sides, this team also delivered an exhibition in high pressure fielding and catching. Some acts of pure brilliance such as Jason Behrendorff's fine effort at point to send Rishabh Pant packing was essential in Australia's clinical performance in both T20Is.

Another good example of Australia's fielding and catching was Jhye Richardson's fine catch to dismiss a well-set KL Rahul in the second T20 at Bengaluru.

The return to form of KL Rahul the batsman was pleasing to the eyes

KL Rahul

KL Rahul has had a torrid past 12-15 months. His form has plummetted in the test matches and ODIs, with many questioning the selector's persistence in picking him despite his poor performances.

KL Rahul as a batsman, has all the shots in the book, and technically he is very solid and compact. But in the past few series in England and Australia, a string of low scores has impacted his self-confidence and has not allowed him to play to his full potential.

Another factor that contributed to his diminishing returns was the episode on the chat show Koffee With Karan that led him and Hardik Pandya getting banned for a few games. That would surely have seriously dented his confidence and morale even more.

So to get away from all the controversies and get back into some rhythm, he played in a couple of games for India A against England Lions. Under the tutorship of Rahul Dravid, KL Rahul flourished there. He spent a considerable amount of time in the middle which improved his confidence.

KL Rahul returned to playing in a format that has suited him the most so far for India - T20. Right from the word go, one could see more intent, controlled aggression from the stylish batsman. He seemed to be in a far better space mentally in the two T20Is.

Although he certainly would rue the fact that a 100 was on the cards, but missed, on both occasions. His knock was clearly a class apart in a low scoring thriller at Vizag, as after his dismissal, runs were hard to come by for both sides.

One would hope that this is the start of a good run of form for Rahul. He should ensure that he takes all possible chances offered to him prior to the World Cup, so that he can stake a claim to make it to the World Cup squad.

Glenn "Big Show" Maxwell lit up the series with some outstanding batting

Glenn "Big Show" Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell can single-handedly win games for his side. His ferocious, attacking style of batting can make any bowling attack look weak and fragile. What has stunted his career thus far has been his inconsistency and some shoddy shot selection.

With the likes of Marcus Stoinis and D'Arcy Short in reasonable knick though, all the pressure to do the scoring wasn't solely on Glenn Maxwell in this series. Yet, what stood out was the calculated manner in which he went about both his knocks.

There were very few shots which can be categorized as the rush of blood shots, barring his dismissal at Vizag. That’s commendable for someone whose game revolves around hitting big.

With his team chasing a daunting 191 runs at Bengaluru, Glenn Maxwell went about his game without too much fuss. He was assisted by having D'Arcy Short and then Peter Handscomb brilliantly fielding, ensuring that Maxi got back on strike quickly.

Matthew Hayden in the commentary box mentioned that Maxwell has it in him to finish off games. He wanted the experienced all-rounder to take complete responsibility and win games for his side.

Well, he may have missed out in Vizag, but he sure did make up for that with a scintillating display of batsmanship under pressure to score an unbeaten 113 runs to help the Aussies seal the series 2-0 at Bengaluru.