India's tour of Australia 2016: SWOT Analysis of the Indian team

India is all set to tour Australia for 5 ODIs and 3 T20I matches in January 2016. With the selectors making six changes to the T20 squad that lost 2-0 to South Africa in October, the stylish left-hander Yuvraj Singh and pacer Ashish Nehra have both returned to India’s T20I squad for the upcoming series Yuvraj has not played for India since the World T20 2014 final, while Nehra’s last international game was in 2011. There was no place in either the ODI or T20I team for Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny and Amit Mishra while Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja were recalled to both squads.

Here’s a SWOT analysis of the Team India:

Strengths:

Bowling:

With the fit again Mohammad Shami and Test spearhead Ishant Sharma back in the team, India’s bowling appears to be its biggest strength. While Shami has been picked for both formats, Ishant has been selected for the ODIs only. Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will also feature in both the formats. Ishant has fond memories of touring Australia and will be looking to cement his place in the team. The bounce on Australian pitches is ideally suited for a bowler like Ishant who loves uses his tall frame to great effect. Veterans Ashish Nehra, who last played for India in 2011, and Harbhajan Singh have been included in the T20I squad only. Axar Patel, who has been selected only for the ODIs, has done well in the limited opportunities presented to him. Overall India has better-balanced bowling attack for both formats compared to the series against the Proteas at home.

Ishant has fond memories of touring Australia and will be looking to cement his place in the team. The bounce on Australian pitches is ideally suited for a bowler like Ishant who loves to use his tall frame to great effect. Veterans Ashish Nehra, who last played for India in 2011, and Harbhajan Singh have been included in the T20I squad only. Axar Patel, who has been selected only for the ODIs, has done well in the limited opportunities presented to him. Overall India has better-balanced bowling attack for both formats compared to the series against the Proteas at home.

New Comers:

Rishi Dhawan and Brainder Singh Sran are a part of the ODI team only. Punjab’s left-arm fast bowler, Sran was a part of Rajasthan Royals and is a fine prospect who has managed to impress the likes of Rahul Dravid with his pace and accuracy. Himachal Pradesh’s seam bowling all-rounder, Dhawan has been in fine form in domestic cricket. The young Baroda all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who plays for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, is a part of the T20I squad. An attacking batsman, brilliant fielder and a fine medium-pace bowler, Pandya is a dynamic cricket who has earned a well-deserved selection.

Manish Pandey, who has been in fine form for Karnataka and played for India against Zimbabwe on an away tour, has been given a chance in the ODI team in place of Suresh Raina. Gurkeerat Mann Singh, who was part of the squad for the home series against SA, has been included in the ODIs and should get a chance to showcase his talent. The newcomers make it an exciting lineup overall. If encouraged to play fearless cricket, they can do wonders and surprise the ODI world champions in their own backyard. Unlike the seniors, the newcomers carry no baggage of reputations and this can work in the team’s favour.

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Weaknesses:

Batting:

India’s batting has been a major concern in recent times. The form of opener Shikhar Dhawan has been patchy while the lower order lacks big-hitting ability. Constant chopping and changing of a batting line-up in cricket can have adverse effects in the long run and India hasn’t helped its cause in the ODIs by making too many batting order changes.

Virat Kohli is India’s best ODI and T20I batsman and should ideally be batting regularly at the number 3. He and Ajinkya Rahane have unnecessarily been moved to different batting positions in almost every other game which has made matters worse for the team in recent times. With the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina a part of only the T20I squads, the ODI team also looks short on big hitting ability.

Adaptability:

The Australian pitches are generally good for batting in the limited overs matches. In recent years even the Test matches have produced high scoring draws indicating the true nature of the surfaces down under. Indian batsmen shouldn’t have too much of a problem dealing with the pace of the pitches, however handling the extra bounce, compared to the subcontinental surfaces, has always been a major challenge for all touring Indians teams of the past. Indian batsmen will need to work on this aspect in order to succeed in Australia. The team is generally a slow starter when touring overseas however in a short series like this the players will have to be on their toes from the first game against a strong Australian side.

Opportunities:   

New Combinations:

The team’s recent inconsistent performances with the bat in the ODIs and T20Is once again opened up the debate about the team’s composition. The T20Is and the ODIs highlighted several flaws which prompted the captain to accept that the team doesn’t appear to be settled and finds itself in a difficult position. MS also mentioned that a few different things will have to be tried else it may be difficult to get the desired results on a consistent basis. India had also lost the ODI series away to Bangladesh that preceded the series at home against the Proteas. This is a golden opportunity for the team to try new combinations in both formats.

Chance for Young and Old:

The experienced players like Nehra, Yuvraj, Raina, Harbhajan and Ishant will want to stamp their class and keep themselves in the reckoning for all formats, while the young players Pandey, Sran, Pandya, Gurkeerat and Rishi Dhawan will want to make the most of every given opportunity. There is a good balance between youth and experience in both the squads. With the WorldT20 in India just a few months away, a solid performance in Australia can be a huge morale booster for the team.

Threats:

Inexperience of playing down under:

Australia is a challenging country to tour for any cricketer, let alone newcomers. The hostile crowds, aggressive opposition and fast pitches can be difficult to handle at times. The youngsters in the team will be put under stress by the Aussies with their verbal volleys. They will need to keep their emotions in check, focus on the task at hand and ensure that they do not implode under pressure. It will be the responsibility of the senior guys to ensure that this doesn’t happen. A series between these two cricketing powerhouses is never short of drama and aggression, and generally, the team that manages to keep calm in tense situations is the one that enjoys greater success.

The Australian Batting:

In the shorter formats of the game, Australia posses some big hitters who can take the game away from the opposition in no time. Their opening combination is well settled with David Warner and Joe Burns providing flying starts. With Aaron Finch having fully recovered from injury the team will be further strengthened and may face the problem of plenty. If Steve Smith is declared fit for the series, he will look to continue being India’s nemesis. The Australian captain may not be a big striker of the ball, however, scores at a brisk pace using his wonderful hands and nimble footwork. Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh and James Faulkner are all massive hitters of the ball. The Indian bowlers will need to be on top of their game in order to keep this powerful batting lineup in check.