BAN vs IND, 2022-23 ODIs, Takeaways: India seek expressive batting from top and middle order
India tour of Bangladesh, ODI Series 2022-23, Top Takeaways: India seek expressive batting from top and middle order. India lost three-match ODI series to Bangladesh by 2-1 margin.
Before the start of the three-match One Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh, India were expected to have a cakewalk against the hosts with the senior players back in the team, besides the presence of some young bowlers in the mix. But the home side under a new captain, Litton Das blew away India in the first couple of games at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Even though the demoralised tourists, thanks to some lightning batting from Virat Kohli and Ishan Kishan, saved themselves from ‘Banglawash’ during the final game of the series at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram on Saturday, India have lots of questions to answer before hosting the upcoming ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023.
Let’s take a look at a few takeaways from the recently concluded ODI series where Bangladesh won a successive home ODI series against India after seven years, by a margin of 2-1.
India seek expressive starts from top order
India seems to be lacking some fire at the top order in providing them a good platform to put up a winning score. The game has changed a lot in the last few years and any score under 300 in most cases in the 50-over game is highly achievable. The fair example of this scenario is England where the top three batters always look for boundaries from the very first over to put the opponents under pressure straightaway, and the results have shown how great a side they have become in the recent years.
In contrast, in the 24 innings India have played in 2022, they have scored at a run rate of just 4.83 in the first ten overs, while England who after their horrible 2015 ODI World Cup have changed their whole structure of playing the ODI form of the game. The Three Lions have scored at a run rate of 5.58 in the same period in 11 innings. Last year, England were scoring at 7.12 rate in the first 10 overs of the ODI game.
It's time for India to change their old school mindset of starting slowly and then trying to express at the backend; the issue of these tactics are that after playing a certain amount of deliveries, the moment the set batter gets dismissed, the whole pressure gets upon the next batter. Also, persistence with the opening combination of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma may need to be reviewed.
The way Ishan Kishan played, coming during the third ODI of the series against Bangladesh as the injury replacement of Rohit Sharma, was the exact way the whole top order requires to adapt. Even after an early wicket loss, Kishan kept on nailing the big shots which eventually helped him in scoring the fastest ever ODI double century, in the 35th over of the game as India posted 409 on the board.
So, India should look to give chances to more of these sort of players who without much fear can look to smash the ball from the very first over of the game.
Read More: BAN v IND, 3rd ODI, 2022-23: Fastest ODI double ton by Ishan & Virat's 72nd ton ravage Bangladesh