India vs England ODI series - Team India Report Card | Cricket - Hindustan Times
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India vs England ODI series - Team India Report Card

Mar 30, 2021 02:24 PM IST

England won all three tosses and decided to chase. India posted a 300-run plus total each time. England managed to overhaul the total once. This is how the series went and here is our report card of the Indian team.

India ended the home assignments against England on a brilliant high as Virat Kohli's bowlers held their nerves to pull off a close 7-run win over England in the third ODI in Pune on Sunday.

Virat Kohli celebrates a wicket with his teammates.(BCCI)
Virat Kohli celebrates a wicket with his teammates.(BCCI)

That victory meant India had beaten the reigning ODI world champions 2-1 to win all three series contested between the two teams on this tour. The one-day internationals saw both teams miss several experienced players and all three matches were played on batting friendly tracks.

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England won all three tosses and decided to chase. India posted a 300-run plus total each time. England managed to overhaul the total once. This is how the series went and here is our report card of the Indian team,

1) Rohit Sharma: 5/10, Average - One of those rare home series where Rohit Sharma failed to register even a half century. He got starts in all three matches, scoring 28, 25 and 37, but didn't go on to convert them into a big one. He shared strong opening partnerships with Shikhar Dhawan in the first and the third ODIs which helped the team put up a big total.

2) Shikhar Dhawan: 7/10, Good - The southpaw showed why he is an invaluable member of the ODI squad as he teamed up with long time opening partner Rohit Sharma in the first and the third ODI to lay the foundation for an Indian victory. He was unluckily dismissed for 98 in the first match and scored a pacy 67 in the third which provided the hosts an early momentum. A good series for 'Gabbar'.

3) Virat Kohli: 7/10, Good - Are we seeing the transformation of Virat Kohli the aggressor into Kohli the accumulator? Everyone has been waiting for the century which didn't come in this series too, but the Indian captain shepherded the innings with two knocks of 56 and 66, which steadied the ship for a late onslaught. Kohli understands 50-over cricket like no one else and it will be interesting to track his approach in the format as he gears up for the 2023 ICC World Cup at home.

4) KL Rahul: 8/10, Very Good - Rahul came into the series on the back of a wretched T20I series that saw him getting dropped for the decider. He looked out of touch in the first ODI too but persevered through the tough phase and then partnered Krunal Pandya to launch a late attack that saw him post an unbeaten 62 and also gave India a winning total. He followed that up with a brilliant 108 in the next game to help the team post an even bigger total, only for the English to chase it down. Kept wickets in the first match but given Rishabh Pant's form, he would perhaps be needed only to bat in ODIs.

5) Rishabh Pant: 9/10, Excellent - Rishabh Pant returned to the ODI fold after 437 days when he was selected to play the 2nd ODI as Shreyas Iyer got injured. Pant backed his big hitting-instincts to score a majestic 77 to power India to a big total but the team lost. The true sense of how much he has matured was figured out in the decider as he scored a stroke-filled 78 to pull India out of a hole after they had lost the experienced trio at the top. He is finally turning into a consistent match winner for the team, something that was always expected of him.

6) Hardik Pandya: 6/10, Above Average - He bowled only in the third ODI and bowled a good 49th over, despite finishing the match without wickets. Shone with the bat in the last two matches, hitting a much needed 64 in the decider to help India post a total in excess of 300. Hardik is Kohli's all weather man and he needs to consistently deliver on all counts.

7) Krunal Pandya: 5/10, Average - Krunal Pandya scored the fastest ODI fifty for a debutant in the first match and also contributed with a good score down the order in the decider. But his bowling was ineffective and he hasn't done enough to force the selectors and team management to look at him as a serious contender to replace Ravindra Jadeja in the team. He should stay in the mix for the 2023 World Cup but Jadeja remains India's best spin bowling all-rounder and should take his place when he is back from injury.

8) Shardul Thakur: 8/10, Very Good - Thakur has been a real find for this team. He is a genuine wicket taker, ending the series with 7 scalps, the most for any bowler across both teams. His variety with the ball and ability to stay calm under pressure makes him a great asset for the team. His batting down the order is a very important dimension, which came through in the final ODI again as he contributed 30 important runs.

9) Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 9/10, Excellent - Many believe Jasprit Bumrah to be India's best fast bowler across all formats and that might be true. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a close contender for that title in white ball cricket. He had the tough task of both picking wickets and keeping a lid on runs in the absence of other senior pacemen and did his job brilliantly. Ended the series with 6 wickets at an outstanding economy of 4.65 runs on pitches where bowlers were a little better than bowling machines.

10) Prasidh Krishna: 7/10, Good - Picked up 4 wickets on debut and ended the series with 6 wickets. Can't fault him much for his economy rate as most bowlers went for a plenty. He needs to work on his lengths as he bowls too many short deliveries and doesn't have a plan B when getting hit.

11) Kuldeep Yadav: 1/10, Very Poor - Have we seen the last of Kuldeep in an India shirt? A devastating low for a bowler who was one of the biggest finds for this team just a couple of years ago. Kuldeep's continuous slide since 2019 has now turned into a free fall and he needs to go back to domestic cricket and talk to his coaches and well-wishers to get his mojo back. It would be sad to see a talent as good as him fade away.

12) T Natarajan: 5/10, Average - Natarajan was drafted into the playing XI for the decider as Kohli wanted an extra fast bowling option. He didn't bowl his stock delivery, the yorker, as much as his coaches would have wanted to, but held his nerve to bowl an outstanding last over, which took India over the line. He will continue to grow in the days to come.

We are not rating Shreyas Iyer as he played just one match and was injured. We wish him a speedy recovery.

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