It was a thrilling end to the three-match T20I series. The game ending on the last ball of the tour added a lot more drama on a night when India delivered yet another power-packed performance. A series whitewash against Australia in their own backyard doesn’t come easy, but this T20I side has shown its mettle in every department to take the series home with pride. Not surprisingly India captain MS Dhoni had a smile on his face and was content with his side’s achievement.
“I am happy. At the end of the day we have won, and it’s a comprehensive victory. Winning 3-0 against Australia in Australia is always a big one,” Dhoni said. “For a long time we have been struggling in Australia. Yes there were shortcomings, sometimes in execution, sometimes in plans, because of which we lost the first four ODIs, but overall there have been a lot of positives.”
Elaborating further on the positives, Dhoni said, “If you look at the batting, it is very rare that you score 300 in five ODIs and 190 in three T20Is. On and off the spinners have done their job, and the fast bowlers have been pretty good in the T20s. This series will help us in our decision making in the future. Yes, if you look at the results we lost the first four ODIs, but the way we have played the next four matches as a team, we have done well. There have been some very good performances too.”
Talking about good performances, Dhoni was mighty pleased with the way the batsmen had come to the fore in the series. Be it setting targets or chasing down totals, India have not gone down without a fight. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been in top notch form and set the stage on fire with their fearless strokeplay. “With the amount of games the top-order has got, they look very consistent. They look comfortable with pace. Even when we came here there was no instance where you could say the batsmen are slightly on the back foot because of the pace. They just go out and express themselves, which I feel is the key factor and is good to see. It looks like a very good batting line-up and the top order looks very settled. What has been good in this series is how the top order has consistently performed. They did really well in this tournament for us.”
The series also saw a lot of youngsters making their debut. Some of them looked good in patches while a few didn’t get many chances to showcase their potential. Praising the youngsters, Dhoni said, “When we came over here, we did come with a bowling line-up that didn’t have that much experience (overall). But we wanted to try different people because we have been trying the same few individuals and getting the same result. So it was high time we gave chances to individuals who were doing well in the domestic circuit, and to see what really they have to offer.
“I think a lot of them will have to push themselves to improve their fielding. And as far as just the talent is concerned, there were quite a few people who looked good. But they will have to improve further. The find for me was Jasprit Bumrah. The way he has bowled in the last three games, was really good. What looks good is Bumrah as a potential player. Hardik Pandya too as a package is good. He is a very good fielder, and if he gives me the two overs that I need and the kind of batting he is known for – he looks like a good one to have as a third seamer.”
With the series wrapped up, the Indian captain believed this was a learning curve for the team and they would only get better the next time they toured Australia. The fight was always there, the urge to succeed never diminished and there were minor victories even in the losses. “Yes we lost the ODIs 4-1 and won the T20Is 3-0, but we know that when we come here the next time not only will we look forward to it as a team, but the spectators will look forward to us too because over the eight matches we have entertained them. At the same time I would like to thank the fans of Indian cricket who have supported us everywhere.”
