Another century, another defeat: Why India lost the third ODI against Australia

Once again the reasons for the Men in Blue’s defeat will revolve around the twenty–thirty runs short we made and the inefficiency of the bowling attack. The butter fingers in the field also made an appearance to add to the misery.

Let’s start with the runs; India scored 295/6 in the 50 overs thanks to Virat Kohli’s 24th ODI hundred. But the team’s score could have much better had they started the acceleration from the 30th or, at least, the 35th over. However, it came too late as India managed 88 runs in the last ten to push the scoring rate up.

After the amendments to the powerplay rule in July last year and the ICC doing away with the batting powerplay, overs 41-50, which were traditionally the slog overs, now find five fielders outside the circle. It becomes difficult to take the scoring rate above ten, which was possible with four fielders outside the circle. Thus, it is essential to make use of the overs 11-40, which will only have four fielders outside the circle. And in Australia’s chase in all the three matches, the momentum was picked up in the middle overs helping them to take a stroll in the last ten. In all the three games, they never needed more than seven runs in the last ten, which would have made them play out of their comfort zone.

In the third game at MCG, Australia lost five wickets from in the overs 11-40, but they were never under pressure from the scoring rate with it staying near the run—a-ball mark throughout the chase.  

Shikhar Dhawan’s knock of 68 runs from 91 balls was one of the prime reasons for India’s slow scoring rate in the middle overs. The left-hander played a total of 54 dot balls in his innings to keep India’s scoring rate near four in the first twenty. After Maxwell’s introduction in the 21st over, Dhawan improved his strike rate slightly before throwing away his wicket. A run-a-ball fifty or sixty from the opener would have helped India’s cause with Virat Kohli maintaining a healthy strike rate at the other end.

Indian bowlers were much better in their performance at MCG, but the freebies and wide deliveries at crucial stages continued again this time. Gurkeerat Singh’s drop of Aaron Finch didn’t haunt India like the lives given to Shaun Marsh at the Gabba. But the poor performance in the field cost the side, at least, ten to twenty runs with mis-fields and overthrows making it easy for the counterparts.

The Men in Blue were in with a chance for the most part of the game, but Glen Maxwell’s 96 off 83 took the game away from them in a flash. With the series gone, the last two ODIs will be an opportunity for the away side to play for their pride or to avoid an embarrassing 0-5 whitewash against the World Champions.