Australia thrashed India by 51 runs in the second ODI at SCG on Sunday (November 29) and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Opting to bat first, the hosts piled up a mammoth 389/4 in 50 overs on the back of Steve Smith’s dazzling ton (104 off 64 balls) and stunning half-centuries from David Warner (83 off 77 balls), Marnus Labuschagne (70 off 61 balls), Glenn Maxwell (63* off 29 balls) and Aaron Finch (60 off 69 balls).
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It was a listless bowling performance from India as Hardik Pandya (1-24) and Ravindra Jadeja (0-60) were the only two bowlers to concede runs with the economy-rate below 7.
In reply, the visitors could manage 338/9 in 50 overs. Skipper Virat Kohli (89 off 87 balls) and wicketkeeper KL Rahul (76 off 66 balls) were the lone warriors for India during the chase.
Addressing the press conference after the game, Rahul reflected on the loss and said: “I would not agree when you say they are struggling. It’s different conditions, different format. It’s learning for us to sit back and think of how to do better when playing on such good batting wickets.”
“In white-ball cricket, it is vital to get wickets regularly, then only you can keep the run-rate under check…We have to find (our) mantra to get wickets and the batting unit has to think about how to stretch the 30-40-run partnerships,” he added.
Rahul said Australian bowlers could do well because of the familiarity with the conditions.
“We did not adapt quick enough. it’s a learning curve for the bowling group to adapt quicker.”
Asked if it’s just a bad phase for Jasprit Bumrah, who struggled even in New Zealand earlier this year, Rahul said the speedster will bounce back strongly.
“We all know Jasprit is very fiery and competitive on the field. He means a lot to this set up, we know the value of Jasprit. It’s about time that a champion player comes back and delivers and gets wickets for us.
“In New Zealand and Australia, the wickets are too good to bat, you will see that bowlers will not get wickets, that’s acceptable.”
Team India might have lost the series but Rahul said it has not affected the dressing room morale.
“The mood in the camp is still very positive, Sometimes, as a team you can learn to accept that the opposition played better cricket. It’s home conditions for them. Quite honestly, we played 50-over cricket after a long, long time.
“We are doing lot of things right, we just need to learn how to bowl better on such beautiful batting wickets. Not a lot that we have done wrong, we need to get better with skills and execution,” he remarked.
(With PTI inputs)
