Australia v New Zealand, ODI Series - Combined XI

Team Australia got back to winning ways and in grand style. They thumped the visiting New Zealand 3-0 in the ODI series. With a clinical 117 run win in the final ODI, the hosts completed the whitewash. Nothing went right for the visiting Kiwi team in the series. They were outclassed by some sheer brilliance in batting by the Australians.

The last ODI, when the Aussie batting failed to click, the bowlers put their hands up and did the job for them. New Zealand were thoroughly outplayed in all departments of the game in the series. The first ODI was the only match where New Zealand got close to the target. They lost by 68 runs in the series opener. An 116-run defeat followed in the Canberra ODI and now a defeat at the MCG.

Australia reinstated their dominion due to some stellar show from their players. The Kiwis, too, despite bowing out meekly, had a few heads proud and ahead when it came to individual performances. Here is the combined XI of the ODI series between Australia and New Zealand:

1. David Warner

David Warner was the hands down player of the series. The Aussie opener rattled the Kiwi bowling attack in a brutal manner. He hammered a belligerent 156 off just 128 balls in the last ODI to end a brilliant series for himself. He notched up 2 centuries in the series and that is a testimony of how well things went for him.

He amassed 299 runs at an average of 99.66 in the 3 ODIs with 31 fours and 5 sixes to his name. He had a strike rate close to 110 in the series. Warner finished as the leading run-getter of the series.

2. Martin Guptill

Martin Guptill was perhaps the lone ranger with the bat in the 3 ODIs against Australia. The veteran opener was under the scrutiny prior to the commencement of the series. This was due to his poor show in the recently concluded India tour. However, the big man was back with a bang.

He scored a century that went in vain in the first ODI at Sydney. He followed it up with another quick cameo in the next one. with 193 runs at an average of 64.33, he emerged as the leading run scorer for New Zealand in the series.

3. Steve Smith

It was the Australian skipper Steve Smith who set the series on fire in the first ODI. He led from the front to seek the revival of Australian winning ways. A knock of 164 in the Sydney ODI was a testimony of pure class and elegance. Smith plundered 236 runs in the series at an average of 78.66.

He scored a fifty in the second ODI. A rare failure for the Aussie skipper came in the last ODI. He finished as the second leading run scorer in the series, next to only David Warner.

4. Kane Williamson

Although Kane Williamson struggled to make a mark as a captain on the tour, the young man showed maturity in his batting. He gave apt support to Martin Guptill in the first ODI when New Zealand had a daunting chase in hand.

He scored a fighting 81 that went in a losing cause. With 103 runs in 3 matches, Williamson finished as the third highest scorer for the visitors in the series. It was his heroics in the first ODI that sees him feature in this list of performers of the series.

5. Travis Head

Travis Head found a place in the side ahead of all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. Head made the most out of the opportunity that he got. He struck consecutive fifties in the Sydney and the Canberra ODIs. Both fifties came in quick time too. He scored 146 runs in 3 matches at an average of 48.66.

He had a healthy strike rate of 90.12 to back up his run scoring in the series. He bagged a couple of wickets in the final ODI to dent the Kiwi batting as well. He finished with 2/37 in the Melbourne ODI.

6. Jimmy Neesham

Jimmy Neesham was effective with both bat and the ball in the first two ODIs that he featured in. He failed to make it to the playing XI for the third ODI following an injury that he sustained while playing the second ODI.

Neesham scored 108 runs in the two ODIs that he played to finish with an average of 54 in the series. His top score was of 74. With a strike rate as healthy as 90.75, he was a good prospect for the Kiwis. He bowled just 7 overs across two ODIs and ended up scalping 2 wickets.

7. Matthew Wade

Matthew Wade was the better among the two wicket keepers involved in the series. BJ Watling’s struggling time with the bat and behind the stumps aided Wade’s cause to make it to the combined XI. Matthew Wade did not get a lot to bat in the series. This was largely due to the Australia top order clicking really well.

Wade hit a quick 38 in the first ODI to help Australia finish on a high. He is turning out to be a good finisher with the bat for the Australians. His wicket keeping was fair too with no major blips to talk about.

8. Mitchell Marsh

Mitchell Marsh is turning out to be one good all-rounder for Australia. Although he could not do much with the ball in this series, his exploits with the bat is worth a mention. The first ODI was an average one from his hitting standards.

His best came in the second ODI when he clobbered an unbeaten 76 off 30 odd deliveries to propel Australia over the 350-run mark. He ended up with a strike rate of 171.11 in the series, the highest by any player in the 3 ODIs. He smashed 7 sixes and 2 fours in that knock.

9. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc continued his good run with the ball. The young pacer showed why he is the spearhead of this bowling line up. In the 3 ODIs, he scalped 6 wickets with an economy rate of 4.55.

His best figures in the series were 3/34 in the final ODI. He bowled 4 maidens in the series, which was unmatched by any other bowler featuring in these 3 ODIs.

10. Josh Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood emerged as the most economical bowler of the series. He bowled with an economy of 4.34 – which remains to be the best among all the bowlers who had at least one wicket to their name in the series.

Hazlewood bowled 26 overs across 3 ODIs and scalped 6 wickets with a strike rate of 26. He had 2 maidens to boast of under his name as well.

11. Pat Cummins

Pacer Pat Cummins proved why he is being rated as the next big thing in Australia bowling. Cummins emerged as the leading wicket-taker of the series. The tall pacer bagged 8 wickets in 3 matches after having bowled a cumulative of 24.1 overs.

He averaged 16.12 with the ball – the best in the series. He had the most effective strike rate with the ball in the series – that of 18.1. His best figures were 4/41 as he bowled at an economy of just over 5.