Australia vs India 2018-19: 9 players who are missing from India's previous one-day tour of Australia

With the Indian cricket team having created history by becoming the first Indian team to win a Test series Down Under under the leadership of Virat Kohli, the focus now shifts to the three-match ODI series scheduled to begin on 12 January at Sydney Cricket Ground.

The last time the Indian team toured Australia for a one-day series was in January 2016 under the leadership of MS Dhoni. The visitors however had a torrid time in that particular series, as they lost the series by a huge margin of 1-4 due to poor bowling efforts throughout the tournament, with their only consolatory win coming in the fifth and the final ODI at Sydney.

The only positive for Indian team from that particular limited over series Down Under in January 2016, was the emergence of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

Bumrah made his international debut in the 5th ODI at Sydney, and in just three years since his debut, he has gone on to become one of the best fast bowlers in world cricket across the three formats of the game, which is quite a remarkable achievement.

Nine players who were part of India's previous ODI series against Australia down under have lost their places in the national team, with a few of these players' one-day careers almost at extinction.

On that note, in this article let us look at the players who are missing from India's previous limited overs tour of Australia.

#9 Rishi Dhawan

Irfan Pathan fell out of favor due to frequent injuries, the Indian selectors tried many players who could carry on the mantle of a seam bowling all-rounder that was left open for a long time since the retirement of legendary Kapil Dev. Rishi Dhawan was chosen as the one to fulfill that role during India's 2016 tour of Australia.

Rishi Dhawan made his international debut in the third match of the one-day series at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, he failed to impress in the whole series as he scored just 12 runs and could pick up just one wicket at an expensive economy rate of 6.4.

Later on, the emergence of Hardik Pandya in the same year as a seam bowling all-rounder meant that Dhawan lost his place in the Indian ODI squad, and last played for India two years back in June 2016 in a T-20 match against Zimbabwe, which also might be the last time we have seen Rishi Dhawan in the international colors.

#8 Gurkeerat Singh Mann

One of the consistent performers in the Indian domestic arena, Punjab all-rounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann, was rewarded with a national call-up during India's last limited over series to Australia in 2016.

Just like Rishi Dhawan, Gurkeerat made his ODI debut in the third game of the five-match series at Melbourne, by replacing an out-of-form Ravichandran Ashwin. But, Gurkeerat failed to impress the selectors with both bat and ball, and was therefore discarded.

Unfortunately, that particular series against Australia in 2016 turned out to be the last time Gurkeerat ever donned the national colors.

Now, with the likes of Krunal Pandya, Washington Sundar etc. having overtaken him as back-up spin bowling all-rounders in the shorter formats of the game, it is safe to assume that Gurkeerat Singh Mann might find it difficult to play for the Indian team again.

#7 Axar Patel

Gujarat left-arm spinner, Axar Patel, is the only player in this list and also the only player in that particular 16-man Indian squad who did not get a chance to play even a single game.

For a long time, Axar was considered as the one player who could take over the mantle of Indian spin bowling from Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in future. However, due to inconsistent performances, Axar lost his place in the Indian team and his last appearance for Indian team was in February 2018 in a T20 game against South Africa.

Just 25 years of age, Axar Patel's international career is not yet finished. But, his chances of making it to Indian squad for the World Cup 2019 in England look bleak at the moment, as Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are guaranteed to be the first choice spinners.

#6 Barinder Sran

When India's 16-man squad to tour Australia for a five match one-day series in January 2016 was announced, the most shocking name that was in the list was of Barinder Sran, as nobody knew about the Punjab-born pacer then.

The only reason behind Sran's selection in India's squad for the tour of Australia was him being a left-arm fast bowler who could bowl at a good pace.

Sran made his international debut in the very first game of the series at Perth, and impressed everyone with his quick pace and was also the only Indian bowler who troubled the Australian batsmen, as he bowled an excellent spell of 9.2-0-56-3 in his debut game at a losing cause.

However, Sran failed to impress in the next two matches and was consequently dropped for next couple of series. Frequent occurrence of injuries did not help his case either as his last appearance for India was in June 2016 against Zimbabwe.

#5 Ishant Sharma

Once touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket by legendary Australian captain Steve Waugh, it is sad to mention that Ishant Sharma's international ODI career turned out to be a huge disappointment. As, a result of which the pacer has appeared in just 80 ODI games for India since his international debut eleven years back in 2007.

The main reason behind Ishant's poor limited overs' career has been his tendency to leak runs at the death overs on regular basis, as his ODI economy is just under 6.

During India's previous tour to Australia, Ishant was India's highest wicket with 9 wickets from 4 games, which was also the last time ever he played a one-day series.

Now with the newer crop of fast bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Siddarth Kaul etc., being given chances in the shorter formats, therefore it is clear that Ishant Sharma's international career in limited overs formats is finished.

#4 Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav was one of the six fast bowlers in the Indian test squad during India's previous one-day tour of England in 2016. In that particular tour, he picked up 7 wickets from 5 games, but conceded runs at a economy rate of more than 7.

Yadav was recently dropped from Indian ODI squad due to his poor bowling performance in in the recently concluded home series against West Indies, where the Caribbean batsmen hammered him all over the park.

However unlike Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav is still in the race for the spot of 4th fast bowler in the Indian team for the World Cup 2019 to be held in England.

#3 Manish Pandey

Manish Pandey was one of the new faces who was given a chance during India's previous ODI series Down Under. In that particular series, Pandey was one of the positives to emerge for India in an otherwise dismal one-day series, as his brilliant debut hundred at Sydney Cricket Ground helped India chase down a huge target of 330 for their only win in the five-match ODI series.

Despite a fantastic hundred at Sydney, Pandey has hardly got enough chances to establish himself in the Indian ODI squad.

The middle-order batsman has been dropped from the Indian squad once again, without being given much of a chance to prove himself with the bat.

But, considering Ambati Rayudu's injury setbacks and KL Rahul going through a bad patch of late, Manish Pandey still has chances of making it to the India's 15-man squad for World Cup 2019.

#2 Ajinkya Rahane

Ever since World Cup 2011, the Indian team management has tried many batsmen at the crucial No. 4 batting position without much success. The Indian Test team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane was also one of those few batsmen, who was tried at number 4.

The elegant batter was dropped from the Indian ODI setup last year, mainly due to his inability to rotate strike during the middle overs of an innings, as a result of which Rahane's last appearance in the 50 overs format was way back in February 2016 in a series against South Africa.

With the likes of Ambati Rayudu, KL Rahul, Dinesh Kartik, and Manish Pandey etc., ahead of him at India's number 4 position, it looks like Rahane's hopes of playing his second ODI World Cup are over.

During India's last limited overs tour to Australia, the 30-year-old had a fairly good series with the bat as he scored 141 runs with a brilliant average of 47. However, Rahane injured himself while fielding in the 4th ODI, which ruled him out of the final game at Sydney.

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin

Once a regular in the Indian team, Ravichandran Ashwin along with his spin colleague Ravindra Jadeja were dropped from India's limited overs line-up post Champions Trophy 2017 in favor of young spinners - Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

However, Jadeja managed to make a comeback in India's ODI squad during the Asia Cup last year, but Ashwin failed to do so.

Therefore, it is safe to say that the Tamil Nadu-born all-rounder's chances of making to the Indian team for World Cup 2019 are over, along with his career in the shorter formats.

During India's last ODI tour of Australia in 2015-16, Ashwin had a series to forget as he picked up just 2 wickets at an expensive economy rate of 6.74 and was subsequently dropped from the playing XI for the final three games.

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