India savour their best year in ODIs
START Like MS Dhoni did during his first full year as captain, Kohli too has led his team to its best year ever after taking over in January NEW DELHI:
India’s eight-wicket win against Sri Lanka at the ACA-VDCA stadium in Visakhapatnam not only helped them clinch the series 2-1, but ended a magnificent 2017 when they did not lose a single bilateral series. It was India’s record eighth consecutive bilateral series win and it was also their ninth straight series win over Sri Lanka.
In terms of numbers, this was a dominant year. India played 29 matches, won 21 and lost seven with one no-result. The win-loss percentage of three is their bestever, beating their previous winning percentage of 2.375 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy in 2008.
From the Pune ODI on January ’15 till the Visakhapatnam game on December ’17, some key factors have contributed to the dominance.
KOHLI, ROHIT THE 1000-CLUB MEN
Both batsmen scored six centuries and both enjoyed the best year of their career in terms of runs. Kohli smashed 1460 runs at an average of 76.84 while Rohit piled up 1293 runs at 71.83. The performances of Kohli and Rohit have given the Indian batting the ultimate edge. In every series, both players played one big knock that took the game away from the opposition.
HARDIK PANDYA GAME CHANGER
Hardik Pandya came of age in 2017. The 24-year-old’s first big knock came in a losing cause, in the ICC Champions Trophy final against Pakistan when he blasted 76 off 43 balls but his ability to change the game came to the fore against Australia.
In Chennai, with India reeling at 87/5, Pandya chose his moment and blasted three consecutive sixes off Adam Zampa to change the course of the match. His 118-run stand with MS Dhoni proved to be vital in their win in Chepauk. In the third ODI in Indore, the righthander held his nerve 78 off 72 balls to give India the series. Pandya also chipped in with the ball, taking 31 wickets in 28 games. With Pandya’s presence, India’s batting has assumed a formidable role.
KULDEEP AND CHAHAL - THE NEW SPIN TWINS
India saw the emergence of the new spin twins in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. Both played 14 games and in each game, India witnessed something special. In the Kolkata ODI against Australia, Kuldeep, the Chinaman bowler, picked up a hattrick. On the other hand, Chahal chipped in with wickets but kept the runs down in the death overs in almost every series. With both bowlers having an economy rate of less than five, India’s bowling looks menacing.
CHALLENGES FOR INDIA
Despite all the success for India, challenges still remain. On two green, seaming wickets in the series against Sri Lanka at Kolkata and Dharamsala, the batsmen were found wanting.
India’s middle order remains a weak underbelly. Once the likes of Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit fall cheaply, India’s middle order cannot rise up to the occasion, as it was witnessed in the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan. With so many players being used and dropped, the middle order look s shaky.
If Kohli’s team can achieve a series win overseas, then the achievements of 2017 will have greater context and perspective. Year
W/L Ratio Against England (Home)
1
7 21 2017 Lost in Final
2
10 22 2013 Against West Indies (Away)
1
10 21 2011 Against Sri Lanka (Away)
2
8 19 2008 Against Australia (Home) Against New Zealand (Home)
1
8 16 1994 Against Sri Lanka (Home)
Virat Kohli (Ind)
D Warner (Aus) 5 years & 274 days 4 years & 154 days 8 years & 138 days
2008 Sri Lanka 3-2 (5) Skipper: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
2017-18 India Skipper: Rohit Sharma
ICC Champions Trophy
2-1