Virat Kohli-led team India has humbled the visitors, Australia, in the ODI series 4-1. Apart from a solitary match at Indore, India did not lose a single match against the current World Champions. This is an Indian team that has its eyes set on the 2019 cricket World Cup. Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper, mentioned at several press conferences that he was looking to breed players for the coveted event, which is a couple of years away. The Australian series came as an important test for the young Turks after the breezy Sri Lanka series, apart from testing the overall bench strength. Virat Kohli seemed delighted after the win and he also said that India had ticked all the right boxes. With the captain delighted with the performance, things seem to be on the right path for team India.
But if we take a closer look at individual performances, three names emerge from the Indian squad that deserve a special mention. They are the future of Indian cricket and the onus is squarely on them to keep the flag fluttering at all times. Take a look:
Kuldeep Yadav:
The 22-year old from Kanpur is taking giant strides in international cricket. Kuldeep Yadav managed to pick 7 wickets in the first three games of the series. He was rested for the fourth One-Day International. Yadav was back in the mix for the final ODI but could not bag any wicket. Kuldeep was brought in the team after Ravichandran Ashwin, as well as Ravindra Jadeja, were not included in the squad. It was heartwarming to see Kuldeep Yadav grab the opportunity and make amends. Kuldeep made a name for himself with his great bowling but this tournament could prove to be a career-changing one for him. It will certainly give him the confidence to bowl against any opposition without the fear of tossing the ball.
Yuzvendra Chahal:
Haryana-born Chahal is all of 27. He has been around the team for some time, but he had not been able to cement his place in the side because of the presence of stalwarts like Ashwin and Jadeja. Before the series, Chahal was used as a replacement to the premier Indian spinners, but this is the tournament where he got into his own. Chahal, along with Kuldeep in the middle overs, was the key to India’s success against Australia. Chahal versus Maxwell was a battle that intrigued everyone as the Indians got the better of Maxwell on three occasions. Chahal picked up 6 wickets in the series but more importantly played a great foil to the other spinner. Chahal had a great IPL as well, where one saw his bowling grow.
CHAMPIONS #TeamIndia #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/iG39IyJd3y
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 1, 2017
Axar Patel:
The 22-year-old Gujarati is again somebody whose chances were minimal of making into the playing XI due to the presence of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. He is also a bowling all-rounder, somebody who is very similar in play to Ravindra Jadeja. Axar has not got a long rope in the Indian team like for example, Hardik Pandya or Mohammad Shami. But, this probably is a series where he finally found his zone and excelled. Axar had picked up three crucial wickets against Australia at Nagpur. He seems to be finding his zone and will remember this series and the final ODI against Australia dearly.
All the three players are included in the T20I squad that will battle out against the Aussies starting from October 7.
