India vs Australia 2017, 5th ODI: 5 things we learnt from the match

India completed another victory over the clueless Aussies at Nagpur in the fifth and final ODI, courtesy a united effort from the bowlers and Rohit Sharma's 14th ODI hundred. Opting to bat first, Australia found it hard to get going against Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Although David Warner came through with a half-century, the spinners stifled the run-flow with tight lines. Kedar Jadhav, weaving his magic with the ball, got rid of Smith, and Axar Patel added three to his name as Australia were bowled out for 242.

Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit started with aplomb, stitching together another century partnership in no time, while the former went on to notch up a fine hundred to see India through the chase.

#5 Jadhav is no part-timer

Jadhav once again did a fine job with the ball

Ravichandran Ashwin's comeback path seems littered with stones. Stopping him is no mainstream off-spinner, but a part-time wicket-keeper and street style off-break bowler. With a Malinga-inspired slingy action, Kedar Jadhav is a rather tricky customer to deal with.

The ball doesn't bounce much owing to his action and low stature, and batsmen more often than not find themselves in a fix trying to play the part-timer. After Kane Williamson and David Warner, it was Steven Smith's turn today to perish to the innocuous spinner. Jadhav ended with figures of 10-0-48-1 in an impressive spell that took the momentum out of the Aussie innings.

#4 Axar's gain is Jadeja's loss

Axar and Jadeja are in a tussle for one spot

Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja are too similar to figure in the same XI or even the same 15. This virtually means that only one of the two has a chance of making it to the Indian squad for the 2019 World Cup. After Jadeja's audition, which extended for quite a few years, Axar is finally getting his opportunities and he is grabbing them quite well.

The left-arm spinner once again put in a compelling display with the ball in the final ODI at Nagpur. He prised out the big scalp of David Warner and followed it up with the wickets of Travis Head and Peter Handscomb to put Australia in a rut.

#3 Ajinkya Rahane just can't convert his fifties

Rahane once again looked in silken touch but failed to convert his half-century

Ajinkya Rahane is technically so compact that Shikhar Dhawan being picked ahead of him as an opener may puzzle many. But what the Delhi southpaw has is a big-match temperament and the ability to convert his starts into big hundreds. This is one area Rahane has sorely lacked in.

He has 26 scores of fifty or above in ODI cricket of which just three have been converted into a hundred. In the last four matches of the series, Rahane has opened the innings and has had time to compile hundreds. Instead, he has scored four half-centuries and fallen all four times soon after reaching the milestone. Rahane needs to start making hundreds if he is to cement his spot in the team.

#2 Rohit Sharma 3rd quickest to 6000 runs

Rohit blazed away from the start

Rohit Sharma was the third slowest Indian to 2000 ODI runs, but today, reached the 6000-run mark as the third fastest, which underlines his rise in the limited-overs side in the past few years. After a slow start to his career, the Mumbaikar has finally kicked on and is turning out to be a huge force at the top of the order for India.

From setting the tempo early and going berserk in the final few overs, Sharma has handled everything quite well. Against his favourite opponents, the Australians, Rohit once again churned out a memorable hundred, his 14th in ODI cricket, to end the series on a high.

#1 Australia's woes persist after hideous series

Australia have had little to celebrate in the series

The 2015 World Cup win seems a distant memory as Australia have struggled to maintain similar standards in One Day International cricket. They end the Indian series with another pathetic loss, their fourth of the series, and are lucky to escape without a whitewash.

The team have a lot of questions to answer before the next big event in England in 2019 and need to regroup and chalk out plans for the next two years. Their selection policies have been bizarre. They aren't short of talent but lack consistency in selection which has led to quite a few mishaps in recent times.