After India’s 2-1 series victory over Australia, Yas Rana runs the rule over the 14 players used by the visitors across the series.
KL Rahul: 7/10
81 runs @ 27, SR: 126.56
A half-century in the opener and a brisk start in India’s chase of 195 in the series clincher represented a more than decent outing from Rahul after his run-packed IPL campaign. His comparatively cautious approach was arguably necessary after injury ruled Ravi Jadeja out of the final two T20Is, leaving India’s batting depth a touch shallow with Washington Sundar and Deepak Chahar carded to come in at Nos. 7 and 8 respectively.
Shikhar Dhawan: 6/10
81 runs @ 27, SR: 128.57
A mixed series for Dhawan where a failure in the opener was followed by a pivotal, quick fifty in the second T20I. His dismissal in the series finale – where he holed out to deep mid-wicket off a Mitchell Swepson drag down – was arguably the turning point in the encounter.
Virat Kohli: 8/10
134 runs @ 44.66, SR: 142.55
Kohli is one game away from ending the strangest of years without an international hundred for the first time since 2008. He seemed to get better as the series progressed, following an impetus-boosting 40 in the second T20I with an 85 in his final outing. He looks in ominous touch ahead of the first Test of the Australian summer.
Sanju Samson: 4/10
48 runs @ 16, SR: 141.17
A disappointing series for one of the cleanest strikers of the ball in the game. Samson now averages 11.85 from seven T20Is and while that’s a small sample size, such is the depth of India’s batting options in limited-overs cricket, it may be enough evidence for India’s selectors to look at someone else in that middle order. Pandya aside, Samson was the one India middle-order player who showed real intent early on in his innings.
Manish Pandey 2/10
2 runs @ 2, SR: 25
A torturous eight-ball two in the series opener was his only outing of the series. A delightful stroke-maker who is so good at No. 3 for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Pandey will need to adapt to a different role to find a spot in this India top six.
Shreyas Iyer: 5/10
12 runs @ 12, SR: 200
Brought into the side at the expense of Pandey, the Delhi Capitals skipper helped ease the tension in a tight chase in the second game of the series with a five-ball 12* to assist the in-form Hardik Pandya in taking his side over the line. Iyer failed to pick a Mitchell Swepson googly in the final T20I to fall for a golden duck.
Hardik Pandya: 9/10
78 runs @ 39, SR: 156
One of the most in-form white-ball batsmen in the world at the moment. Played the innings that ultimately sealed the series, accelerating superbly in his 22-ball 42* in the second T20I.
Ravi Jadeja: 10/10
44* runs, SR: 191.30
Couldn’t have played his one innings in the series any better. Coming in at No.7, he added some respectability to a meandering innings to propel India to a competitive total.
Washington Sundar: 6/10
8 runs @ 8, SR: 114.28
2 wickets @ 42.50, ER: 7.08
Typically frugal, always offering his skipper a reliable option. A decent fit at No. 8 but was perhaps a spot too high at No. 7 following the injury to Jadeja.
Deepak Chahar: 5/10
1 wickets @ 111, ER: 9.25
Started the series well with respectable figures of 1-29 but failed to take a wicket in the following two games. Now he has just one wicket in his last six T20 matches; India will be hoping for their new-ball options to be more penetrative than they were this series.
Mohammad Shami: 3/10
No wickets, ER: 11.50
Expensive in his only appearance of the series, the relatively low-scoring opening game at Sydney.
T Natarajan: 9/10
6 wickets @ 13.83, ER: 6.91
Superb in his maiden T20I series. Comfortably the most threatening pace bowler on either side, the fairytale story continues for the 29-year-old. Categorised as a yorker specialist, the skiddy left-arm quick showed that there’s more than just yorkers in his arsenal. He picked up wickets at crucial junctures in all three games.
Shardul Thakur: 4/10
2 wickets @ 41, ER: 10.25
Expensive and hittable in his two games. Without Jasprit Bumrah, India generally looked light in the pace bowling department across the series.
Yuzvendra Chahal: 7/10
4 wickets @ 29.25, ER: 9.25
A strange series for Yuzvendra Chahal. Controversially used as a concussion substitute in the series opener, Chahal effectively spun India to victory, taking 3-25 to help them defend 161. He wasn’t as dangerous in the games that followed, though, taking combined figures of 1-92 from those two outings.
