India vs Australia 2019: 3 things we learnt from the 2nd ODI

India held their nerve in the 2nd ODI at Nagpur to register an eight-run win. With another success on the board, the Indians only need a solitary victory to pocket the ODI series.

The pitch at the VCA Stadium represented a tricky proposition for the batsmen, with the ball gripping in the surface. However, the hosts, powered by the irresistible Virat Kohli breached the 250 mark to set the visitors a target of 251.

In reply, Australia got off to a superb start and notched up an impressive opening stand of 83. Yet, after the stand was broken by Kuldeep Yadav, the tourists found it tough to manufacture scoring shots and they fell short at the end.

During the game, several facets came to light and thus, through the lens of this article, we would take a closer look at the three things we learnt from India’s nail-biting victory.

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#3. Australia clearly lack confidence in the ODI format

Stoinis was outsmarted in the last over

The Australian team has undergone a massive overhaul over the past year. The likes of Steven Smith and David Warner found themselves on the periphery after the Sandpaper Gate. With the Aussies no longer in a position to call upon their big guns, they were left with a significant void to fill.

However, despite boasting of a large enough talent pool, they haven’t been able to plug that gap. On the contrary, they’ve contrived to make the hole deeper.

Since the start of 2018, the tourists have won a grand total of 3 ODIs with only one of them coming this year. The said victory came about at Sydney where their bowling attack blew away India’s top order.

Yet, the successful outcome only represents a deviation from a rather worrying pattern.

In several of the games they’ve lost, the Aussies have been in good positions. However, they've lacked the winning mentality at crucial junctures and crumbled under pressure.

Even at Nagpur, the Australians had no business allowing India back into the game. The former had strung together a strong opening stand and another decent partnership would’ve taken them home. But, none of the above happened and it accorded the hosts a chance to make their mark. Eventually, the lack of conviction left Marcus Stoinis with a little too much to do at the end.

While losing is part and parcel of cricket, the dearth of confidence in the Aussie ranks to finish off games is becoming an enormous concern.

And in a year when they have to defend the World Cup, Justin Langer would hope they find the winning formula quickly. Else, they run the risk of their defence ending in the dampest of damp squibs.

#2. Kedar Jadhav proving to be indispensable to the Indian team

Jadhav again picked up a crucial wicket

Kedar Jadhav has endured a roller coaster ride over the years. The batsman has had to battle numerous injury issues with his spot in the side always under a cloud.

However, over the course of the past couple of series, the lad from Maharashtra is making himself irreplaceable.

Capable of being a middle-order dasher, Jadhav has proven his worth with the bat on a couple of occasions recently. The serene innings at Melbourne was supplemented perfectly by another calm and calculated performance at Hyderabad.

Yet, it isn’t his batting that has made him a vital cog of the Indian wheel.

Since Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh were finally sent packing from the international arena, India has lacked a batsman adroit enough to turn his arm over in moments of strife. Thus, they had to compromise a touch on their batting to ensure that their bowling wasn’t affected.

However, with Jadhav in the mix, the Indian team is afforded the luxury of playing a batting all-rounder at No.7 with the pair combining to finish the fifth bowler’s quota.

In the game at Nagpur, that quality came to the fore with Vijay Shankar shining with the willow and Jadhav sending down eight excellent overs of spin bowling. Thus, emphasising the importance of the latter in the set-up.

It is quite strange to see a batsman cement his spot in the team courtesy his bowling exploits. Yet, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures and for most, the World Cup qualifies as an exceptional circumstance.

#1. Vijay Shankar needs to be tried at No.4

Vijay Shankar played some sumptuous strokes

The Indian team sprung a surprise at Nagpur when they promoted Vijay Shankar ahead of MS Dhoni. The lanky lad from Tamil Nadu came into bat at No.5 and captured everyone’s imagination with a silky display of stroke-play.

On a sluggish wicket, Shankar looked the part throughout his vigil at the crease. He tackled Adam Zampa and Nathan Lyon’s threat with dexterity and even put them on the back foot with his repertoire of strokes.

However, the most incredible aspect of his batting was his ability to rotate the strike with ease and maintain an acceptable strike rate while playing risk-free cricket.

The No.4 conundrum has long been left unanswered by the Indian think-tank. Several names such as Ambati Rayudu, Dhoni, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have been looked upon as potential options yet none have made the spot their own.

But, with Shankar’s fluent innings, the Indian team would be naïve to not provide him an opportunity at No.4. He possesses the necessary technique and mentality to succeed and a good run in the side might just help him nail down the slot.

Additionally, his attribute to get through overs would come in handy as India look for a reliable sixth bowling option.

Whether the Indian team actually takes this decision is anyone’s guess right now. Yet, on evidence, it is certainly an option worth exploring.