Mohali ODI talking points: Dhawan’s return, Pant’s blunders, Australia’s rise and more

India, at home, is a force to contend. They are tough to beat when their spinners are firing but Australia has not been intimidated. Perhaps they have played each other so many times in the recent past that India just doesn’t seem as scary anymore.

There was a time, not very long ago, when a tour of Australia would raise the level of the visitors. Playing India does the same for many countries now and the Aussies are clearly better off due to the experience.

Peter Handscomb [117], Usman Khawaja [91] and Ashton Turner [84 off 43 balls] played starring roles as Australia chased down India’s total of 358 to emerge victorious.

Here are the talking points from the game:

Dhawan roars back to form

It had been 17 innings without a century for Shikhar Dhawan – his last ton had come against Pakistan in the Asia Cup in September 2018. His average during the period had dropped to 24.50 and there was genuine concern over his form. His record in ICC tournaments has always been very good but this run didn’t look like a mere blip, it looked like something more.

But when the chips are down, Dhawan usually finds a way to come through. The return to form is just as surprising as the loss of it. In the previous matches, he was playing far away from the body, not moving his feet well, trying to hit the ball too hard and not finding the gaps. On Sunday, it seemed to magically come together. Australia didn’t help their case by bowling onto his legs early in the innings and he ended up scoring a career-best 143.

It was an innings of sublime quality and one that followed the template that has made his partnership with Rohit Sharma so successful. The right-hander from Mumbai likes to take his time before he starts playing the shots so the job of scoring the quick runs usually falls to Dhawan. He did that and everything seemed to flow like clockwork.

The duo have now put on 4571 runs together at an average of 45.25. Their 193-run stand took them past the Sachin Tendulkar-Virender Sehwag partnership [4387 runs] to become the second best ODI partnership India has ever had. Only Tendulkar-Sourav Ganguly [8227 runs] are ahead of them. The record highlights not just how successful they have been but also why they remain vital for India’s World Cup campaign.

Pant still a work in progress

There was a point in the match when the crowd started chanting Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s name. The, they did it again and again. Each outbreak of chants coincided with a mistake that Pant made behind the stumps. He missed two stumpings, including that of Turner, and then a backflip missed the stumps and the batsmen scampered through for a single. To his credit, Pant smiled after he heard the chants but the treatment from the crowd was very harsh on a young man who is still making his way into international cricket.

Earlier, he had impressed with the bat. His 36 off 24 balls had given the Indian innings a nice push just when it seemed to be losing steam. The shot selection still seems to not be great and he doesn’t middle the ball as often as he would like. But more the experience with his batting and his keeping, the better.

More than a back-up

Vijay Shankar was supposed to be just a backup for Hardik Pandya. Just someone who would help keep the balance of the side in case the all-rounder from Baroda got injured. But he has proved to be a lot more in recent months. His batting has been a revelation – to such an extent that if the conditions are conducive to swing bowling in England during the World Cup, India might even consider playing him ahead of a Kedar Jadhav.

On Sunday, he made 26 off 15 to help take India past 350 and then came back to bowl five overs for 29. With every match, he seems to grow in stature and it feels like he still has another gear in both his batting and his bowling.

Australia turning it around

Till a few months back, Australia didn’t look like they would stand a chance in the World Cup but now, they are suddenly starting to look the defending champions part. Not so much because of what 26-year-old Ashton Turner did on Sunday night, but more because of the quality that they will have joining the squad soon.

India hasn’t been able to blow Australia out of the water. If anything, the matches have been tightly fought and the arrival of Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc might see their battle strength go up exponentially. Finch’s form will remain a big worry but if Warner takes his place at the top of the order and Smith slips into the middle, the team will wear a very different look.

Turner may or may not play regularly after this but his performance over the next couple of months will decide whether he can be a regular option for Australia. His 84 off 43 balls was a knock for the ages and it took Australia to a win which will boost their morale no end.

The Aussies were hit hard by Sandpaper Gate but they are now, just in time for the World Cup, finding their feet again.