India thumped Australia in a five-match IND vs AUS T20 series that began just 4 days after the World Cup Final ended. Should we celebrate a meaningless bilateral that featured second-string XIs? The answer is both yes and no. While these bilaterals serve no purpose right now, in the grand scheme of things, they hold immense value. With the T20 World Cup 2024 just six months away, the India Cricket Team needs to have their main XI and backups ready.
In the next four months before the IPL 2024 season gets underway, the India Cricket Team is scheduled to play just 6 T20Is. So, while this series seems meaningless to the general cricket audience, it holds much more value for Indian management ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. With the T20 series done and dusted, here are 5 positives for India from the IND vs AUS series:
| Players | Role |
|---|---|
| Yashasvi Jaiswal & Ruturaj Gaikwad | Openers |
| Ravi Bishnoi & Axar Patel | Spinners |
| Mukesh Kumar | Pacer |
| Rinku Singh | Finisher |
| Jitesh Sharma | Wicket-keeper |
Openers Jaiswal & Ruturaj
Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad made their mark in the series. Both ended the series in the top three run-getters and struck the ball at 168.29 and 159.28, respectively. With the T20 World Cup 2024 coming, either can play the role of the backup opener. And if skipper Rohit Sharma decides to step away or retire from the format, Jaiswal can take his spot while Ruturaj will continue as the backup.
Spin duo of Bishnoi & Axar
Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel have both made their cases. The spin duo finished the series with 15 wickets between them and found themselves in the top three wicket-takers of the series. While the leggie got the ‘Player of the Series’ award for his 9 wickets, the left-arm orthodox spinner was the most economical bowler in the series. Their performances put them among India’s main spinners for the T20 World Cup 2024, along with Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.
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Mukesh Kumar
India might have found their specialist in death overs. Mukesh showed his accuracy at the death, bowling toe-crushing yorkers and mixing things up with slower ones. Combined with Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, the right-arm pacer can be a part of a deadly trio and can be proficient as a middle and death-over specialist.
Rinku Singh
The best finisher since MS Dhoni? Rinku is certainly living up to the expectations. The finisher scored only 105 runs but did so at a strike rate of 175 while averaging over 50. So far, there is no one better than him at the number 5 spot for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
Jitesh Sharma
Making his case as the designated wicketkeeper for the 2024 T20 World Cup, the right-handed dasher struck the ball at 168.57. India played him in just two matches, and he proved to be instrumental in the India Cricket Team winning both matches. Will Jitesh pip Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and KL Rahul as India’s number 1 choice keeper? Only time will tell.
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