AUS vs IND: 5 Key Lessons for Team India from ODI Series Defeat to Australia

India lost the three-match ODI series to Australia after defeats in Perth and Adelaide, exposing issues in middle-order stability, death bowling, and adapting to Australian conditions, underscoring areas needing urgent improvement ahead of 3rd ODI.

India Suffer ODI Series Defeat to Australia

Team India has lost the three-match ODI series against Australia with a two-match defeat in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23. The Men in Blue, led by new skipper Shubman Gill, lost the opening ODI by seven wickets at Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19.

After posting a total of 264/9, Team India failed to defend it as Australia chased down the 265-run target with 21 balls to spare. Matthew Short led the run chase with an innings of 74 off 78 balls, while Cooper Connolly scored an unbeaten 61 off 53 balls. Apart from Short and Connolly, Matt Renshaw and Mitchell Owen significantly contributed to the hosts’ batting with innings of 30 and 36, respectively.

For India, Arshdeep Singh (2/41), Harshit Rana (2/59), and Washington Sundar (2/37) picked two wickets each, while Mohammed Siraj (1/49) and Axar Patel (1/52) took a scalp each.

As Team India lost the three-match series to Australia, let’s take a look at five key lessons for the Men in Blue ahead of the third and final ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

1. Address New-Ball Vulnerabilities

One of the key lessons for Team India from the ODI series defeat to Australia is addressing the new-ball vulnerabilities. In the matches at Perth and Adelaide Oval, India suffered an early collapse in the batting line-up as top-order batters failed to adapt to the pace and bounce of Australian conditions early in the innings. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli were dismissed early while struggling to negotiate the moving ball, while Rohit Sharma stayed at the crease longer with a resilient fifty after being dismissed early in the Perth ODI.

Shubman Gill’s shot selection against a moving ball and Virat Kohli’s twin ducks in the Perth and Adelaide ODI matches exposed India’s struggles against disciplined new-ball attacks by Australia pacers and underlined the need to strengthen top-order resilience ahead of the third and final ODI of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

2. Strengthen Bowling Attack with Specialist Spinner

One of the major criticisms of India’s ODI series defeat to Australia was the exclusion of specialist spinner Kuldeep Yadav from two matches at Perth and Adelaide. The Men in Blue’s decision to go with three all-rounders did not yield any result for the visitors as the lack of a wrist-spinner allowed Australian batters to settle and rotate the strike easily, putting pressure on India’s pacers.

Despite posting a total of 264/9 in the Adelaide ODI, India’s bowling attack failed to make consistent breakthroughs in the middle overs, as Australia’s lower-order pair of Cooper Collney (61) and Mitchell Owen (36) formed a 59-run stand for the sixth wicket to guide Australia to a comfortable series-clinching victory. This highlighted the importance of having a wrist spinner who can provide control and breakthroughs in the middle overs.

3. Reinforce Middle-Order Stability

One of the key issues for Team India was the lack of stability in the middle order. In the last two matches at Perth and Adelaide, the middle-order failed to capitalize on the solid starts, leading to collapses. In the second ODI, Shreyas Iyer’s 61 runs were the highest score for the middle-order batter, but lacked substantial partnerships, leading to a total of 264/9 in 50 overs, which was insufficient against Australia’s chase.

Axar Patel scored 44 off 41 balls, but did not accelerate the innings when needed, leaving India short of a competitive total, highlighting the need for the middle-order to combine stability with timely aggression while stitching crucial partnerships to build a challenging total and support the top order.

4. Improve Deth Bowling Execution

One of the key issues that India needs to address is improving their death bowling execution, as the inconsistent line and length in the final overs allowed Australia to chase down the target easily. Between 40 and 46.3 overs, India's bowlers conceded 57 runs, allowing Australia to take control of the match and effectively seal the series, underscoring the need for strategic and disciplined death over planning.

India’s death bowling has been a weak link in the series, with inconsistent yorkers and poor variations under pressure allowing Australian batters to score freely in the final overs, highlighting the urgent need to practice and execute precise death-over strategies.

5. Enhance Adaptability to Australian Conditions

Team India’s management decision to go with three specialist pacers and as many all-rounders while leaving out the wrist spin option in Kuldeep Yadav exposed the team’s lack of adaptability to Australian conditions. When Australia spinner Adam Zampa picked four wickets in Adelaide, India missed the trick by not wrist spinner like Kuldeep, who has a strong record against Australia, to counter spin.

India’s lack of a balanced approach, with two spin all-rounders and three specialist pacers in the Perth and Adelaide ODI matches, limited their tactical options in crucial situations, making it difficult to adapt to varying pitch conditions and exploit Australia’s weaknesses effectively.