India vs Australia: 2nd ODI report card – Virat Kohli, Vijay Shankar double hosts’ lead

India pulled off an eight-run victory in a low-scoring thriller after all-rounder Vijay Shankar picked two wickets in the final over of the second one-day international against Australia on Tuesday. The Australians needed 11 runs from the last over with two wickets in hand but Shankar kept his nerves to pick a wicket off his first and third balls in Nagpur.

Skipper Virat Kohli, who struck 116 in India’s modest total of 250, asked Shankar to bowl the final over ahead of the regular Kedar Jadhav, and he was rewarded amply for his move. Let’s take a look at how the eleven Indian players performed in this clash to help the hosts take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Also Read: Statistical highlights of Nagpur ODI – Virat Kohli steals the show

Shikhar Dhawan – Rating: 3/10, Verdict: Poor

Opener Shikhar Dhawan’s poor form continued in this clash as he was dismissed for just 21 of 29 deliveries. Although he looked good early on and hit few boundaries as well but couldn’t convert his the start into a big score. The southpaw was trapped LBW by part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell.

Rohit Sharma – Rating: 0/10, Verdict: Very poor

Vice-captain Rohit Sharma had a very poor game as he was dismissed for a duck on the sixth ball of the first over. Rohit’s dismissal meant India were once again devoid of a good start, same as the first ODI where Dhawan was dismissed for 0. Rohit fell for the trap set by Pat Cummins as the right-hander hit the ball straight into the hands of Adam Zampa at third man.

Virat Kohli – Rating: 10/10, Verdict: Excellent

The thing that sets skipper Virat Kohli apart from mortals is consistency. While wickets kept falling on one end, Kohli remained unperturbed and completed his 40th ODI ton and his 7th century against Australia. He now has scored the joint 2nd most century against the Australians in ODI cricket. Sachin Tendulkar is the leader with 9 and Rohit Sharma is joint 2nd with 7.

Also Read: India become second team ever to achieve this milestone in ODI cricket

As captain, Virat also completed 9000 runs in international cricket (Tests + ODIs + T20Is). He became the 6th player to complete 9000 international runs. His tally of 36 centuries as captain in international cricket is the 2nd best only after Ricky Ponting’s 41.

Ambati Rayudu – Rating: 2/10, Verdict: Poor

After the loss of two big wickets in quick succession, the stage was set for Ambati Rayudu to rebuild the Indian innings and end further speculation regarding the number four slot. However, Rayudu fluffed his chances once again and was dismissed for 18. In the previous ODI, the same opportunity had presented itself in front of Rayudu but the right-hander had failed to grab it in Hyderabad as well.

Vijay Shankar – Rating: 9/10, Verdict: Very good

All-rounder Vijay Shankar had one of his finest games in the Indian jersey as he came up with the goods with both bat and ball. Shankar put together a brilliant partnership with Kohli after India had lost their third wicket under 100. Shankar must be kicking himself after being run-out for 46 as a big score would have done his World Cup chances a lot of good.

Also Read: Vijay Shankar reveals how he felt before bowling the final over in Nagpur

With the ball, Shankar was given the responsibility of defending 11 runs off the last 6 deliveries but he ended the match in just three balls. He dismissed dangerous Marcus Stoinis off the first ball and then a ball later, he made a mess of Adam Zampa’s wickets to star in India’s famous win.

Kedar Jadhav – Rating: 5/10, Verdict: Average

Middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav had a quiet game with the bat but with the ball he once again put in a good shift for the team. Jadhav was dismissed for just 11 when India needed a big innings from him after the loss of Shankar but he failed to do so and was dismissed for just 11. During the Aussie innings, Jadhav bowled 8 overs and ended with figures of 1/33.

MS Dhoni – Rating: 2/10, Verdict: Poor

After the high of Hyderabad, came the low of Nagpur where wicket-keeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni was dismissed for a golden duck. Dhoni tried to cut a Zampa delivery but gave away an easy catch to Usman Khawaja in the slips. Behind the stumps, Dhoni was as steady as ever as he took the two catches that came his way.

Ravindra Jadeja – Rating: 6/10, Verdict: Good

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has a good outing with both bat and ball. Jadeja put together a decent partnership with Kohli to take India over the line after the dismissal of Jadhav and Dhoni. With the ball, he once again bowled economical 10 overs where he gave away just 48 runs and also picked the crucial wicket of Shaun Marsh. Jadeja also affected a brilliant run-out of Peter Handscomb.

Also Read: ‘It’s just a number’ - Virat Kohli on his 40th ODI hundred

Kuldeep Yadav – Rating: 8/10, Verdict: Very good

Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav once again illustrated his importance to the team as he ended with outstanding figures of 3/54 in 10 overs. Although he proved to be a bit expensive as he gave away runs at a rate of 5.4 per over, he did managed to snare three wickets. Kuldeep got rid of skipper Aaron Finch and then returned into the attack during the latter stages and castled both Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey to set-up India’s win.

Mohammed Shami – Rating: 4/10, Verdict: Average

After a good performance in the first ODI, fast-bowler Mohammed Shami was rather ineffective in this clash. Shami bowled his full quota of 10 overs and gave away 60 runs without picking a single wicket. Shami was a bit erratic as well as he gave bonus runs in five wides.

Jasprit Bumrah– Rating: 9/10, Verdict: Very good

There is a reason why pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is the number one ODI bowler in the world and this match was the perfect example for it. In his 10 overs, Bumrah gave away just 29 runs and scalped two late wickets to peg back the Aussies in the dying stages of the match. An economy rate of 2.9 is unheard of in ODIs these days but Bumrah managed to come up with the goods when it mattered the most.