A brief analysis: The standout Indian performers from the Zimbabwe series

Jun 16, 2016 at 12:11 PM

facebook iconlinkedin iconmail icontwitter iconWhatsApp iconTelegram icon
A brief analysis: The standout Indian performers from the Zimbabwe series

This Zimbabwe tour holds a great importance for both skipper MS Dhoni and Team India. Dhoni as a batsman has an opportunity to complete his 10,000 runs in ODIs and better his winning percentage overseas. With a comprehensively winning the ODI series, he is obviously full of confidence.

For Team India, which is full of debutants and new faces, it’s a great opportunity to test the bench strength. Historically, Men In Blue have enjoyed an upper hand over Zimbabwe, but some encounters between the two sides have had their share of excitements and setbacks.

After the 3-match One Day series win, here is a list of young guns from the Indian team who displayed some standout performances.

KL Rahul      5 youngsters who could play for India in 2019 World Cup

After becoming the first Indian batsman to hit a hundred on ODI debut, no one can deny KL Rahul his glorious chance in limited-overs cricket at the moment. Over the past few years, he worked really hard to tune himself up for the shorter formats. He is one of the few young players, who was earlier tipped to be fit only for Tests, and the shorter formats were believed farfetched for him. But in about 2-3 months’ of hard work, the young lad has put an end to all those suggestions.

Rahul with 196 runs is now second to Navjot Singh Sidhu’s 199 after first three ODIs.

Though it’s still early days in his career, the Karnataka batsman’s game has travelled a long way since his debut in international cricket, and it would always appear as if he has been driven by a firm resolve to prove his doubters wrong with his every performance.

KL Rahul is the only player from Zimbabwe tour, who will continue his journey to West Indies to play a four-match Test series. Very few can argue that he, with his limited opportunities, has done exceptionally well. However, he will have to maintain his consistency if he dreams to challenge for a permanent opening slot, with the likes of Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay occupying that spot.

Jasprit BumrahIndia Bumrah

Since making his international debut in January this year, Jasprit Bumrah has played as many as 30 Twenty20 matches (16 T20Internationals and 14 IPL 2016 games) and came to Zimbabwe with a glowing reputation. Even as he shifted his focus from bowling four-over spells in T20s to a longer quota of 10 overs in a more patient 50-over format, the transition looks seamless.

Bowling as a first-change, Bumrah managed to clog the already slow scoring rate and took 4 wickets to destroy Zimbabwean batting line-up in the first ODI. In the second, the pacer picked up just one wicket but was quick and very economical, conceding only 28 runs in six overs. In the third and final match, Bumrah yet again gave a stellar performance taking four wickets, and was even on a hat-trick, to jolt the hosts in the middle overs.

While his unique bowling action and speed give him an edge over a lot of his peers, the much-needed variations he also added to his armor has contributed a lot towards his success. While getting the ball to nip back dangerously into the right-handers has been his wicket-generating delivery, Bumrah has also got some to straighten after pitching which adds to the batsmen’s woes. This new addition earned the youngster two of his four wickets in Wednesday’s match.

Yuzvendra ChahalYuzvendra Chahal

Chahal’s ability to never look frazzled or overawed in any kind of situation or scenario he is put into has made him a consistent performer. For all his wicket-taking and batsman-deceiving skills, this is the composure which made him captain Kohli’s go-to man at Royal Challengers Bangalore over the last two years in the IPL—where he has sensationally picked up more wickets than any other spinner. And with this ODI series ending with so much joy, Chahal made a seamless transition from India hopeful to India player with his consistent performances of great control and maturity, returning figures of 1/27 in 10 overs on debut. In the last match, his bowling figures say it all – 2/25 in 8 overs, while in the second match it was 3/25 in 6 overs.

It’s still very early days though for Chahal in the Indian dressing-room. For now, he’s glad to have overcome the nerves of that first meeting with his new captain. But if his recent rise is any sort of indication, he could well be the stand out one to watch out for as the winds of change take over Indian cricket in the coming days.

Karun NairZimbabwe India Cricket

Karun Nair made his first international appearance and put up decent performances throughout the series. He didn’t play the third ODI but from the first 2 ODI matches of his career, he scored 46 runs with an average of 23.

Though Delhi Daredevils failed to make it to the play-offs of this year’s IPL, Karun Nair succeeded in impressing the national selectors with his magnificent batting performance. The middle-order batsman scored 357 runs in 14 matches with an average of 35.70 and a strike rate of 120 in IPL 9. He hammered three half-centuries, including his fiery 83-run inning against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Playing domestic cricket for Karnataka, Nair smashed three consecutive centuries in the quarter-final, semi-final, and final of the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy season. He also made a marathon triple hundred in the Ranji final against Tamil Nadu in 2015.

This Zimbabwe tour definitely taught him some significant lessons. Let’s see how he capitulates in the coming days.

Faiz Fazalfazal

Faiz Fazal displayed an impressive catalogue of strokeplay on his ODI debut, making the 30-year old opener standout performer from this series. The Vidarva batsman didn’t get a chance to play the first two ODI but in the third one Dhoni selected him in place of Karun Nair and Fazal with an impressive 55 showed his brilliance. Despite the target being small, there was just enough time for Fazal to demonstrate his footwork. The veteran stroke player had waited a long time for the national call-up, but he had made a definite impression when the chance finally came. Those who saw his batting will remember his upright, bat-up stance and his easy, fluid strokeplay.  

Barinder Sran244971h

Barring the third and final ODI, Barinder both in the first two matches produced some excellent spells. The left-armer often troubled the Zimbabwe openers with the ball which swung back into them. His figures of 2/42 and  2/17 proved to be decisive in order to dismantle the nervous Zimbabwe batting order. With the help from the conditions in Harare, the young pacer showed what the selectors had seen him when they included him in the Indian squad for that Australia tour earlier this year.

Dhawal Kulkarnikulkarni

Bowling in the right channel and troubling the incompetent Zimbabwe batsmen right from the word go, Dhawal Kulkarni ended the ODI series with 5 wickets. His consistent performances in the Domestic arena over the past few seasons helped him haunt Indian squads in all formats but he has often struggled to make the final eleven. Kulkarni’s last international match dated back to India’s last Zimbabwe tour. With BCCI keen to rebuild the bowling department and giving ample opportunity to the young generation, Kulkarni might prove to be the lucky charm if he continues his recent run of form.

Related Article
Shaun Pollock Reckons There Must Be A Self Belief In Shardul Thakur’s Performances After The Pacer Picks Career Best Figures Of 7/61
Shaun Pollock Reckons There Must Be A Self Belief In Shardul Thakur’s Performances After The Pacer Picks Career Best Figures Of 7/61

Jan 5, 2022, 12:36 PM


Dhawal Kulkarni Traded To Mumbai Indians By Rajasthan Royals
Dhawal Kulkarni Traded To Mumbai Indians By Rajasthan Royals

Nov 14, 2019, 7:35 PM


IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians Release Evin Lewis, Acquire Dhawal Kulkarni From Rajasthan Royals
IPL 2020: Mumbai Indians Release Evin Lewis, Acquire Dhawal Kulkarni From Rajasthan Royals

Nov 13, 2019, 10:44 PM


Rohit Sharma Reveals Funny Sleding Incidents of Indian Cricketers
Rohit Sharma Reveals Funny Sleding Incidents of Indian Cricketers

Jun 1, 2019, 9:57 PM


IPL 2019: Three Players Rajasthan Royals Can Release Before The New IPL Auction
IPL 2019: Three Players Rajasthan Royals Can Release Before The New IPL Auction

May 5, 2019, 3:17 PM


IPL 2019: Jos Buttler Is A Special Player For Rajasthan Royals – Dhawal Kulkarni
IPL 2019: Jos Buttler Is A Special Player For Rajasthan Royals – Dhawal Kulkarni

Apr 14, 2019, 12:36 PM


Desktop Banner
Mobile Banner