India vs Australia: Virat Kohli & Co can take heart from their record in deciders

cricket

Updated: Mar 13, 2019 09:36 IST

Australia have roared back into the five-match ODI series against India with two back to back victories in Ranchi and Mohali. With the series locked at 2-2, Aaron Finch’s team will look to continue their winning run in the decider in Delhi and avenge the series loss to India at home earlier this year.

But beating India in an ODI series decider is not a cakewalk. India under Virat Kohli have won 11 out of the 12 bilateral series they have played and the team’s record in series deciders is something that the hosts will take a lot of confidence from.

Since their loss to South Africa in Mumbai, India have won all their deciding matches whenever they have played at home. The only loss came against England away from home, when Joe Root inspired the Three Lions to back to back victories.

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India’s impregnable domination of the 50-over format though is at risk and Kohli needs to pull out all the stops at his homeground to ensure the great run continues.

India read the conditions wrong in the last two matches as they were done in by the lack of dew in Ranchi and paid a heavy price for batting first at Mohali as dew set in late in the second innings.

But captain Kohli has said that the team needs to focus on things they can control and taking and a better fielding display from the team is a must.

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“The wicket remained good throughout. We’ve been on the wrong side of the dew twice in two games, but that’s not an excuse. Especially with five down, giving 10 runs an over in the end was a bit of a harsh pill to swallow, but, look, it was very difficult to bowl in the end,” Kohli said at the post-match presser.

After the heartbreaking loss in Mohali, the Indian team now need to regroup quickly in order to bounce back and win their final game before the all-important World Cup, and the senior players have to put their hands up and put in a performance in the decider.