The rise and rise of Indian Cricket in 2019

ODIs

Played – 28, Won – 19, Lost – 8, Win percentage – 68

Series wins – 4 out of 5

Virat Kohli led from the front

The year started on a high note for India in ODIs when they won the ODI series against Australia in Australia by a 2-1 margin. After losing the first ODI in Sydney, India came back to win the series by registering comfortable wins in Adelaide and Melbourne. In the process, Kohli’s Indians became the first Indian team to win both the Test and ODI series against Australia in Australia.

India followed up their most successful tour Down Under by thrashing New Zealand 4-1. Though India lost to Australia at home, they were one of the strong favourites to win the ICC World Cup. India steamrolled every other opponent except host England to reach the semi-finals in striking style.

Due to inclement weather, the only other team that India did not meet in the league stage was New Zealand which proved to be their nemesis in the semi-finals. In the end, it was a disappointing World Cup campaign for Team India despite Rohit Sharma scoring 5 centuries in the tournament. The subsequent series wins against West Indies both at home and away was no compensation for the World Cup disappointment.

Positives for India in One-day Internationals

# 1. The re-discovery of KL Rahul as an opener in white-ball cricket

KL Rahul re-discovered his form as an opener

The injury to Shikhar Dhawan in the World Cup forced India to push KL Rahul to the opening position. KL Rahul exhibited his class as a flamboyant opener in white-ball cricket with some breathtaking shots. While he was criticised during the World Cup for a lack of intent, he began to attack the bowlers more at the start of the innings as the year wore on.

His positive intent at the start of the innings allowed his partner Rohit Sharma to settle down at his own pace to play a long innings thereafter. Rahul finished the year with 572 runs at an average of 47.66. With his consistent performance and aggressive approach at the top, Rahul ensured that the absence of Shikhar Dhawan was never felt.

#2 The advent of Shreyas Iyer as the new number 4 batsman

Shreyas Iyer - The New Number 4 for Team India

The number four position in the batting order continued to plague India right through the World Cup. After a disappointing World Cup, India zeroed on to Shreyas Iyer as the reliable Number 4 batsman in the team. Since his return to the team, Iyer scored 4 consecutive fifties to justify his place and batting position in the team.

With his composed approach to batting, Iyer could be the perfect No 4 batsman for India who could mix caution with aggression. The performances of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant in the middle-order in recent times has to a certain extent nullified India’s over-reliance on the top three batsmen.

#3 The return of Mohammed Shami to white-ball cricket

Mohammed Shami - The highest wicket-taker in ODIs in 2019

Mohammed Shami was a runaway success in ODIs in 2019. During the year, he took 42 wickets at an average of 25 including a hat-trick to win a World Cup match against Afghanistan. He was the highest wicket-taker in the world in ODIs in 2019. To further accentuate the enormity of his achievement, Shami was the only Indian bowler to have achieved this feat in two calendar years.

Throughout the year, Shami was unstoppable as he continued to run through the opposition across all formats, more so in ODIs. Through sheer hard work, Shami remained fit right through the year to formulate his precious contribution to the team.

#4 The progress of Ravindra Jadeja as a genuine all-rounder

Ravindra Jadeja - The secret behind India's team balance

Ravindra Jadeja had a wonderful year with the bat. In the absence of Hardik Pandya, Jadeja consolidated his position in the team as a genuine all-rounder with some crucial cameos. Jadeja, along with MS Dhoni, very nearly won the semi-finals of the World Cup for India.

Jadeja grew in stature as a batsman after that World Cup innings and showed plenty of patience while batting. His refined approach to batting allowed India to play another regular bowler at the expense of a batsman. The presence of Jadeja was the main reason behind India achieving the perfect team composition in ODIs.