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Canberra, <keyword id="10378287" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="australia-skipper-aaron-finch">Australia skipper Aaron Finch</keyword> on Friday won the toss and elected to bowl against India in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Manuka Oval. D'Arcy Short will open the innings alongside Finch, the Australia skipper informed. "It's been quite a big build-up anyway (for the T20 World Cup). We don't have many changes, Short opens the batting, (Matthew) Wade bats at three," Finch said. The Australian team is wearing an indigenous jersey to pay tribute to country's indigenous people. The jersey has been designed by Kirrae Whurrong woman Aunty Fiona Clarke, great great-grand daughter of Grongarrong (Mosquito), who was one of the members of the team that played in England in 1868, designed the original Walkabout Wickets artwork that will feature on the front of the playing shirt. It has been co-designed by Courtney Hagen, Butchulla and Gubbi Gubbi woman and <keyword id="44302" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cricket-Australia">Cricket Australia</keyword>'s Indigenous Engagement Specialist. "It's a phenomenal design, grateful to be able to wear it (the indigenous kit)," the Australian captain said while talking about the kit. For India, left-arm pacer T Natarajan is making his <keyword id="754653" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="T20I-debut">T20I debut</keyword>. "Its' a great chance to have a look at a few guys. We have managed workloads of the bowlers nicely so far. We've been playing good T20 cricket, we just have to continue that," said India skipper Virat Kohli. "Natarajan is making his debut today. He looked composed in the third ODI. There was a reason I went to him," he added. Playing XIs India: Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul(w), Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, T Natarajan Australia: <keyword id="6248623" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="d-arcy-short">D Arcy Short</keyword>, Aaron Finch(c), Matthew Wade(w), Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Mitch Swepson, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sbis-mobile-banking-app-is-down-for-the-third-time-in-last-30-days/articleshow/79548953.cms">SBI’s mobile banking app is down for the third time in 30 days — digital services take a hit for the 25th time this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/rbi-governor-shaktikanta-das-believes-that-inflation-is-likely-to-remain-elevated-in-the-winter-months/articleshow/79559454.cms">RBI governor believes inflation is likely to remain elevated this winter</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-added-3-77-million-and-jio-added-1-46-million-new-subscribers-in-september-month/articleshow/79558962.cms">Airtel records 3.8 million new subscribers in September – more than two times of Reliance Jio’s additions</a>

India vs Australia 1st T20: Australia choose to bowl, Natarajan makes debut

<keyword id="19895799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="australia" source="keywords">Australia</keyword> named a 13-player squad for a two-match Test series against the West Indies, kicking off on January 17. Australia also named a 13-player squad with <keyword id="19942563" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="steve-smith" source="keywords">Steve Smith</keyword> as the skipper of the Baggy Greens. Young all-rounder <keyword id="19999898" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cameron-green" source="keywords">Cameron Green</keyword> has found his way back to the Test squad, while <keyword id="20133433" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="matthew-renshaw" source="keywords">Matthew Renshaw</keyword> has also been added to the mix as a possible cover for David Warner, who recently retired from red-ball format. Renshaw was given a nod to be included in the Test squad ahead of the likes of Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft. Ahead of the first Test, Chair of Selectors George Bailey confirmed Green would feature in the playing XI. Bailey also confirmed that Renshaw (Brisbane Heat) and <keyword id="19948028" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scott-boland" source="keywords">Scott Boland</keyword> (Melbourne Stars) will play for their respective Big Bash League franchises before joining the squad for the first Test. "Cameron Green will come into the playing XI for the Test in Adelaide in a squad also containing Scott Boland and Matthew Renshaw," Bailey said, as quoted from cricket.com.au "We have selected a team we believe contains the best six batters in the country. Scott Boland and Matt Renshaw will join the squad prior to the first Test after playing for the Melbourne Stars (Jan 15) and Brisbane Heat (Jan 13) in the BBL," Bailey added. With Renshaw acting as Warner's cover, there is also a possibility of the Australian team resorting to Steve Smith in the opening slot. The veteran batter expressed his interest in taking on the role of opener after the conclusion of the third Test in Sydney. After the conclusion of the two-match Test series, Australia will play a three-match ODI series against the Caribbean team. While Pat Cummins will be leading the team in Test format, Steve Smith will take charge in the ODI series as the World Cup-winning captain will be rested. Australia Test Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head (vc), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc Australia ODI Squad: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head (vc), Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matt Short, Adam Zampa. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sony-inzone-h5-review-lightweight-gaming-headphones-for-your-pc-and-ps5/articleshow/106670882.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sony-inzone-h5-review-lightweight-gaming-headphones-for-your-pc-and-ps5/articleshow/106670882.cms" target="_blank">Sony Inzone H5 review – lightweight gaming headphones for your PC and PS5</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/rog-phone-8-phone-8-pro-gaming-smartphones-are-now-lighter-more-powerful/articleshow/106656807.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/rog-phone-8-phone-8-pro-gaming-smartphones-are-now-lighter-more-powerful/articleshow/106656807.cms" target="_blank">ROG Phone 8, Phone 8 Pro gaming smartphones are now lighter, more powerful</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/moto-g34-5g-is-the-latest-affordable-5g-smartphone-with-a-large-battery/slidelist/106659727.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/moto-g34-5g-is-the-latest-affordable-5g-smartphone-with-a-large-battery/slidelist/106659727.cms" target="_blank">Moto G34 5G is the latest affordable 5G smartphone with a large battery</a>

Steve Smith gets nod to take over opening duties from David Warner in Test cricket

Sydney, <keyword id="6355478" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="australia">Australia</keyword> captain Aaron Finch on Friday won the toss and elected to bat against India in the first <keyword id="40478" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ODI">ODI</keyword> of the three-match series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). "We will bat first. It's great to have cricket back in Australia and to play in front of crowds will be nice," said Finch. "The wicket looks good. Hopefully, we can put runs on the board and defend. Steve Smith is back and he replaces Mitchell Marsh," he added. For India, Mayank Agarwal will open the innings alongside Shikhar Dhawan, informed India skipper <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword>. "It's important to start well as a team, we need to start strongly and set the momentum for the matches ahead. The preparations have been nice, we got some valuable time (on account of the quarantine)," Kohli said. Manish Pandey, Shubman Gill, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan, Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav are the players who missed out on being part of the Indian XI. Playing XIs Australia: Aaron Finch(c), David Warner, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood India: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini

India vs Australia 1st ODI: Australia wins the toss, opts to bat against India at Sydney Cricket Ground

With every team playing at least one game in the IPL 2023 they have given a peek at their strengths and weaknesses in the early stage of the tournament. With their performances, all ten teams in IPL have displayed their game plans and strategies they will apply in the marquee competition. Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) - who won their opening games quite convincingly and ticked off all the boxes with their all-round show - look like a team to beat and in their early predictions the experts have backed these two sides to make it to the playoffs stage. Speaking to <keyword id="421566" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="star-sports" source="Orion">Star Sports</keyword> former Australia all-rounder David Hussey said, "RR and <keyword id="777538" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lsg" source="Orion">LSG</keyword> to are looking to finish as the top two teams at the end of the league stage." Speaking to Star Sports, legendary South Africa cricketer Jacques Kallis - who apart from playing in the IPL has been a coach of KKR in the past - said, "I think RR and DC have it in them to finish as the top two teams in TATA IPL 2023." Former West Indies cricketer Daren Ganga has gone with RCB and GT as the top two teams. Speaking to Star Sports the former West Indies captain said, "RCB and GT according to me will end up finishing as the top-two teams in this season." Former Australia cricketer Tom Moody has backed RR and LSG to finish as the top two sides at the end of the league stage. Speaking to Star Sports, the official TV broadcaster of TATA IPL, Moody said, "Early stages but LSG and RR look like the teams to beat. They can be the top two teams in the group stage." Australia's T20 World Cup-winning captain Aaron Finch backed the finalists of the last IPL season to once again dominate the league stage. Speaking to Star Sports, Finch said, "I think Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will end up finishing as the top two teams. They again seem very strong teams." Former <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> pacer S Sreesanth feels LSG and RCB have it in them to finish as the top two sides in the team standings. Speaking to Star Sports, the right-arm quick - who has been a part of India's World Cup-winning sides - said, "LSG and RCB are the two teams I am going to back them to end the league stage as top two." Speaking to Star Sports former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta said, "RCB and GT, these two teams can finish as the top two teams in TATA IPL." Former India cricketer <keyword id="7639" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sanjay-manjrekar" source="Orion">Sanjay Manjrekar</keyword> believes RR and RCB will be the top-two teams at the end of the league stage. Speaking to Star Sports Manjrekar said, "<keyword id="956633" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sanju-samson" source="Orion">Sanju Samson</keyword>'s Royals and Faf du Plessis' Royal Challengers look like a great side. They can finish as the top two teams." Former India cricketer and former chairman of selectors, Sandeep Patil has predicted that GT and RCB will finish at the top. Speaking to Star Sports Patil - a member of the 1983 WC-winning Indian side - said, "RCB and GT will be the top two teams in TATA IPL." Former India cricketer Mithali Raj believes LSG and RR have it in them to be the top two teams. Speaking on Star Sports the legendary batter said, "Lucknow and Rajasthan - these two teams are looking very strong. They can finish in the top position." Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also agreed with fellow commentator Sanjay Manjrekar's observation and backed RR and RCB as favourites. "Bangalore and Rajasthan have started strongly and looked a very balanced side. They should finish in the top two in the league stage, " said Irfan Pathan claimed. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has predicted that RCB and LSG will finish in the top two. Speaking on Star Sports the former India cricketer said, "Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore will finish as the top two sides." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/extraction-2-spider-man-other-anticipated-hollywood-sequels-in-2023/slidelist/99242837.cms">Time for round 2: Extraction 2 &amp; other Hollywood sequels to hit the screens in 2023</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/disaster-and-climate-resilient-infrastructure-put-under-spotlight-at-indias-icdri-2023-international-conference/articleshow/99243251.cms">Disaster and climate resilient infrastructure put under spotlight at India's ICDRI 2023 international conference</a>

IPL 2023: Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore emerge as experts' top picks

Two of the most prolific batters in Indian cricket in the last decade <keyword id="6354486" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="virat-kohli" source="Orion">Virat Kohli</keyword> and <keyword id="13937" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rohit-sharma" source="Orion">Rohit Sharma</keyword> will be up against each other on Tuesday. But both iconic batters are going through contrasting journeys in the ongoing competition. Rohit has been struggling for runs this season but Virat is in brilliant form and scoring runs prolifically. Former India cricketer <keyword id="7567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="virender-sehwag" source="Orion">Virender Sehwag</keyword> reckons Rohit's problem isn't technical and a lot mental. Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live, Sehwag said, "Rohit Sharma is not battling with the bowlers but with himself. There is a mental block. There's no problem with his batting technique. Some confusion is going on in his mind. But the day he gets going, we will make up for all the previous matches." Former South Africa cricketer <keyword id="93360" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Imran-Tahir" source="Orion">Imran Tahir</keyword> has lauded Kohli for consistently scoring runs and termed it a result of his hard work and dedication. "Virat Kohli has always had the urge to score runs. You can score maximum runs in one season, two or three seasons, but if you are successful in doing this for 15 consecutive seasons, then it can be attributed to the result of your hard work and dedication. What Virat has done in the last 15 years is really commendable." Former Australia cricketer Aaron Finch claimed Mumbai Indians' opening batters look confused and that they need to learn from the way CSK opener <keyword id="4238575" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ruturaj-Gaikwad" source="Orion">Ruturaj Gaikwad</keyword>. "MI's opening combination looks confused they are taking a lot of risk. They were looking to hit all the balls. They should learn from Ruturaj Gaikwad, he remains so calm in the middle and hits the loose balls." RCB find themselves at the bottom half of the points table but former India cricketer S Sreesanth has backed Faf du Plessis &amp; Co. to bounce back and regain their form. "RCB still has many matches. This team will definitely win. You look at Delhi itself. After losing six matches, this team is now winning. RCB is already winning. I think RCB will regain its rhythm." Meanwhile, the match between KKR and PBKS ended in the latter's win in a last-over thriller and it was their star duo of Andre Russell and Rinku Singh who took KKR home with the latter hitting the winning run on the last ball of the match. Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif hailed Rinku Singh for continuously growing his stature. "Credit to Rinku for asking a player like Russell to rotate strike on the fifth ball of the delivery. An uncapped Indian player like Rinku Singh asking a finisher like Russell to come to the non-striker's end shows the confidence this player has in his game. This for me, is a story of IPL." Harbhajan Singh, meanwhile, claimed Russell finding his form back is good news for KKR. "The win against PBKS will give a lot of confidence to KKR. Their star players Andre Russell and Rinku Singh finished the game for them. Russell regaining his form is big news for them." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/condom-maker-mankind-pharma-lists-at-20-premium-beats-grey-market-expectations/articleshow/100090002.cms">Condom maker Mankind Pharma lists at 20% premium, beats grey market expectations</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/fy23-scorecard-tvs-motor-fares-better-than-bajaj-auto-hero-motocorp-on-profits-and-margins/articleshow/100082560.cms">FY23 Scorecard: TVS Motor fares better than Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp on profits and margins</a>

Rohit Sharma's struggle with the bat is mental, not technical: Virender Sehwag

<keyword id="1641060" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gujarat-lions">Gujarat Lions</keyword> began its IPL journey on a winning note after they defeated Kings XI Punjab at the Mohali stadium in their maiden game. Aaron Finch and Dwayne Bravo roared the team into victory by five wickets. 
 New entrant Gujarat Lions, which is owned by the youngest IPL team owner, Keshav Bansal (24), has an impressive team with skipper <keyword id="14587" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Suresh-Raina">Suresh Raina</keyword> leading from the front. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/IPL-9-We-bring-you-Delhis-team-and-the-Daredevilry-theyre-capable-of-with-Rahul-Dravid-as-their-mentor/articleshow/51780040.cms">IPL 9: We bring you Delhi’s team and the Daredevilry they’re capable of with Rahul Dravid as their mentor</a> 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Cricketers-who-turned-millionaires-thanks-to-IPL-9/articleshow/51748652.cms">Cricketers who turned millionaires, thanks to IPL-9</a> 
 
A lot of responsibility lies on players such as Brendon McCullum, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, and James Faulkner, there are Under-19 players, too, who have emerged as winners for their respective teams. 
 
Dwayne Bravo, who had the Purple Cap in IPL 2015, holds the record for taking the most wickets in a calendar year; he took 69 wickets in 47 T20 matches in the year 2015. It remains to see whether his charm will work for Gujarat too. 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/ShahRukh-Khans-Kolkata-Knight-Riders-are-all-set-to-fire-up-IPL-9-Have-a-look-atthe-star-squad/articleshow/51742365.cms">Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to fire-up IPL 9. Have a look at the star-squad</a> 
 
READ ALSO: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/IPL-Season-9-A-peek-inside-MS-Dhonis-brand-new-Rising-Pune-Supergiants-squad/articleshow/51713737.cms">IPL Season 9: A peek inside MS Dhoni’s brand new Rising Pune Supergiants squad</a> 
 
As many more matches are to be played, it is yet to see whether Gujarat Lions script history in IPL-9 or not. 
 
Here is the line up 
 
(Images: Indiatimes, IPLT20)

IPL 9: Know the players behind the powerful roars that newbie Gujarat Lions are packing

2020 IPL auction will see these 332 players trying their luck under the hammer

NEW DELHI: The huge demand at the <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> <keyword id="1639" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Auction">auction</keyword> for Kevin Pietersen, the biggest national team reject around these days, isn't the only instance of franchises taking decisions contrary to those made by country selectors. While the dynamics of IPL team building are different, a look at the top 15 Indian players auctioned on Wednesday reveals little regard for choices made by Team India selectors. 
 
 
IPL 7 Auction: <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/IPL7-players-auction-live/liveblog/30258096.cms">Day 1 coverage</a> | <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/ipl-7-auction/IPL-7-Auction-Players-List/articleshow/29961389.cms">Who got whom </a>| <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/ipl-7-auction/ipl-team-wise-players/IPL-Team-Composition/articleshow/30274615.cms">Team compositions</a> 
 Sure, the core of the Indian T20 team — Dhoni, Kohli, Jadeja, Dhawan, Rahane, <keyword id="13937" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rohit-Sharma">Rohit Sharma</keyword> etc — were all retained by their franchises. But of those auctioned, only four of the 15 Indians who fetched the highest prices —Yuvraj, Bhuvneshwar, Amit Mishra and Shami — find a place in the India squad for the upcoming World T20 in Bangladesh. 
 
The remaining 11 — Karthik, Murali Vijay, Uthappa, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan, Ojha, Sehwag, Vinay Kumar, Manoj Tiwary, Unadkat and Ishant — were neither retained by their franchises nor picked for India's T20 squad. But in the IPL, they are trusted and high-value property. 
 Mohit Sharma and Varun Aaron, who do find a place in the India squad, commanded a lower price than Unadkat, Ishant, Zaheer or <keyword id="149050" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Umesh-Yadav">Umesh Yadav</keyword>, who have been discarded by the national selectors while looking for T20 fast-bowling options. Sharma and Aaron are only 20th and 21st on the list of top Indians auctioned in Bangalore, well below the others. 
 
Of course, the dynamics of team building in the IPL are very different from picking a national squad — with clear cut brackets for 4 foreigners and 7 Indians in the XI — but logic would suggest that those in the national team should get more attention at the auction than rejects with similar skill sets. 
 This variance with choices made by national selectors isn't repeated with other teams like Australia, probably because their top players were not all retained by franchises. Of the top 10 Aussies auctioned on the first day — Mitchell Johnson, Glen Maxwell, <keyword id="60604" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="David-Warner">David Warner</keyword>, Mitchell Starc, <keyword id="6377175" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Michael-Hussey">Michael Hussey</keyword>, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, George Bailey, Brad Hodge — all except Smith and the retired Hussey are headed for Bangladesh. But that Aussie squad also includes 43-year-old spinner Brad Hogg, who went unsold at the auction.

IPL Versus Selectors: Who Knows Best?

It has been widely said that having the best batsman or the best bowler in the side isn't alone going to help a team win tournaments and no one exemplifies this theory more than Sunrisers Hyderbad. Boasting one of the stronger sides on paper, they had the firepower required to go all the way but were incapable of repeating last year's success and crashed out in the league phase of <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> 7. Their campaign was marred by a few bizarre decisions taken by the team management, which eventually led to their demise. They swapped <keyword id="17805" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shikhar-Dhawan">Shikhar Dhawan</keyword> with Darren Sammy as the captain at the fag end of the tournament, sent <keyword id="60604" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="David-Warner">David Warner</keyword> - one of the most destructive openers of the current era - down the order for most of the season and experimented with the batting order repeatedly. All these factors combined with over-dependence on reputed names did them in. 

	Provided they had delivered the goods, SRH could have finished a lot better than what they did - sixth in the points table - if not lift the trophy.
 

	IPL 7 record: Played 14, Won 6, Lost 8, Points 12
 Sunrisers didn't quite start their IPL 7 crusade in a manner they would have liked. A lukewarm start in the UAE, where they lost three of their first five matches, denied them the early momentum they would have hoped for. The wins came against a muddled <keyword id="6354884" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Delhi-Daredevils">Delhi Daredevils</keyword> and a then-woeful Mumbai Indians. The India leg too didn't witness much of a difference and they could manage only four wins out of nine. However, a late surge saw them beat <keyword id="6354506" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers-Bangalore">Royal Challengers Bangalore</keyword> and Chennai Super Kings in back-to-back games but it came a little too late as the equation got stiffer. In their last league match, they need to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by a massive margin, which in the end proved too much. 

	High point
 By the time it arrived, matters were already out of hand. After an average UAE leg, the last few matches in India saw Sunrisers live up to their batting-heavy reputation. Prior to their second match against <keyword id="13883" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kings-XI-Punjab">Kings XI Punjab</keyword> in Hyderabad, SRH's previous best was 184/1 against DD - one of the weaker sides in the tournament. But against KXIP they notched up 205/5 - their highest total in the IPL - but unfortunately ended up second-best. With their backs to the wall, SRH pulled off back-to-back wins against RCB and CSK to give themselves a chance for a play-off spot, be it a slight one. 

	Low point
 

	When they were bundled out for their lowest total this season - 121 against KXIP. Chasing 194 was always going to be a tough ask but no one expected their batting to do this badly. Only Lokesh Rahul spent time at the crease and top-scored with 27. As many as five batsman fell between 10-20. L Balaji took 4/13 and got the all-important wickets of Aaron Finch (19), Warner (8) and Sammy (15).
 

	Captaincy verdict
 

	The appointment of Dhawan as captain was perhaps not a wise decision considering the kind of form he was in prior to the tournament. His initial few scores were 38, 1, 33, 7 and 6 for an average of 17. It took Dhawan 12 innings to register his first half-century of the season and it came when Sammy was given charge of the team. Dhawan ended IPL 7 with 377 runs in 14 matches at an average of 29. His form was a major setback and it reflected in his captaincy as well. When Glenn Maxwell and David Miller went hammer and tongs, Dhawan looked listless as a leader and his shoulders dropped. The body language didn't indicate the best of signs either. Perhaps Sammy should have been the first choice for the post considering his experience leading West Indies.
 

	Most valuable player
 

	Not too many might have expected Bhuvneshwar Kumar to put up a show like he did: 20 wickets from 14 games at an economy of 6.65. His bowling had rhythm and he got the ball to swing both ways. He stood out in the Powerplays - his dot balls accounting to almost 60 percent - and was exceptional in the death overs.
 

	Also, not many SRH batsmen delivered but the David Warner batted, he clearly seemed to be in the wrong team at the wrong time. Despite being shuffled in the line-up, the Australian opener managed to hit a purple patch with 528 runs from 14 matches at an average of 48. He scored six half-centuries, the most by any batsman this season and his 90 against CSK was a pioneer innings.
 

	Major disappointment
 Not one but two. While IPL's second-highest wicket-taker <keyword id="74737" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Amit-Mishra">Amit Mishra</keyword> was far from his best, Dale Steyn leaked runs frequently. SRH played Mishra in 10 games, in which he scalped seven wickets at an average of 48.57. He went wicketless in four consecutive games and his economy-rate has been 9.06 - an alarming stat considering Mishra has never gone above 8.02 in the last six editions. On the other hand, with 11 wickets from 14 games, Steyn has gone at an economy of 7.69. Thrice was he taken for above 20 runs in an over - 24 by <keyword id="77602" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="AB-de-Villiers">AB de Villiers</keyword>, 23 by MS Dhoni and 26 by Yusuf Pathan, all of which Sunrisers lost. Another telling stat being he has conceded 46 boundaries this season - the most by any bowler. Clearly, not something people want to associate with the world's No. 1 ranked bowler. 

	Verdict
 

	An overall disappointment. SRH were expected to pose some real threat to their oppositions in the beginning of the tournament but instead fell flat in their approach. The big guns failed to step up to the occasion as no one except Warner has performed consistently. The No. 1 ranked Twenty20 batsman, Finch, managed only 309 runs from 13 innings with two half-centuries. Also, the inability to strike a correct team composition in the initial stages was a big letdown and that is what stopped them from setting the right tone.
 

	Must do for 2015
 

	First and foremost, the skipper needs to lead from the front and make sure his side sticks to the basics. Then, make sure his best batsmen open the innings and face the maximum number of balls. Third, persist with the opening pair of Warner and Finch with Dhawan at No.3 and not tinker with it. SRH would also expect more of the domestic crop to leave an impact and not rely too much on reputed foreign names. This might sound easier than done but once executed, they might do what their successors Deccan Chargers did in 2009.

IPL Review: Irrational Choices Cost SRH

Following an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to England, Gocricket.com has the Indian players' report cards ready here. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>: 5/10 
 Dhawan was India's highest run-scorer in the two-Test series against New Zealand with 215 from four innings. However, the Delhi batsman couldn't create the same impact against England: he managed 122 runs at an average of 20 with a highest of 37. His technical flaws were widely exposed by <keyword id="80896" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="James-Anderson">James Anderson</keyword>, who gave Dhawan a tough time outside the offstump. While he looked good in patches during his innings of 29 at Trent Bridge, 31 at Lord's and 37 at The Ageas Bowl, he couldn't convert them into anything productive. Most of his dismissals came in the initial part of the innings which dented India's hopes of getting off to a decent start. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a>: 7/10 
 
Dhawan's opening partner got off to a start few imagined him to. His 146 at Trent Bridge was his fourth century in Tests and first in England. He followed it up with consecutive half-centuries - 52 in the second innings and 95 at Lord's - but lost his bearings thereafter. In the next seven innings, Vijay made just 109 runs and his average - which at one point in the series touched 80 - dropped to 40.20. He wasn't troubled much at Trent Bridge and Lord's but in Southampton, Vijay was unlucky to play on and get run out. It was at Old Trafford and The Oval that he looked out of sorts, throwing his bat at away-going deliveries and flummoxed by those that darted in. A decent series all in all, but it could have been better. Considering the way his team-mates performed, Vijay was one of the few positives for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Gautam Gambhir</a>: 0/10 
 
Returning after an 18-month absence, Gambhir showed so signs of improvement. He was the most unconvincing among the Indian batsmen. His replacing Dhawan for the last two Tests raised many eyebrows. He remained persistent with his tendency to poke at balls outside offstump and looked like a sitting duck in each innings. An edge to gully, a run-out and a caught behind while trying to leave the ball, such dismissals indicate that Gambhir may have played his last Test for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a>: 4/10 
 
Pujara has endured one of the toughest series of his young career. He started off well with scores of 38, 55, 28 and 43 but Southampton, much like it did for India, led to his downward spiral. He had problems with the incoming delivery and even his rock-solid forward defence couldn't come to his rescue. Pujara was out caught behind on six occasions and fell prey to Moeen Ali's offspin twice. With a total of just 222 runs in 10 innings, India's No 3 looked very shaky. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a>: 2/10 
 
The first real forgettable tour for India's most prolific batsman of the current era. The fact that Kohli couldn't score even a single half-century in 10 innings speaks volumes about his failure. With 134 runs at an average of 13.40, statistically he is India's worst batsman on tour. James Anderson had his number throughout the series, dismissing him four times. Kohli was twice out without troubling the scorers and the cobwebs in his head were clearly visible. Twice he was dismissed offering no shot - bowled by Liam Plunkett at Lord's and out lbw to Chris Jordan at The Oval. 
 
Apart from his batting, his goof-ups in the slip cordon added to Kohli's woes. A gloomy series like this can be excused, especially after the string of success he has experienced, but Kohli must realise that a major chunk of India's batting revolves around him. His getting back among the runs is crucial if India are to have any chances in Australia later this year. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a>: 7/10 
 
Another example of a batsman who squandered away a decent beginning. Rahane, in only his second Test in England, registered his name on the Lord's Honours Board, courtesy a match-winning century on day one to revive India splendidly. Two fifties followed in Southampton but the promising run was brought to a halt in the last two Tests with Rahane managing 21, 4, 0 and 1. He showed a lot of promise with 299 runs at 33.22 and but the team needs more from him. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a>: 2/10 
 
Much was said about Binny after his selection in the 18-member squad, and as it would turn out, he was another hyped-up player. His only substantial knock came at Trent Bridge - a match-saving 78 in the second innings. He played a horrible shot in the first innings at Lord's and his credentials of an allrounder also took a big blow as he struggled with the ball and went wicketless in all three Tests he got. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a>: Batting 7.5/10, Captaincy 5/10 
 While <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword> the batsman raised his game in England, Dhoni the captain was another major setback in away matches. With four half-centuries in five matches, the India skipper had one of his best overseas series. His 82 at Trent Bridge was followed by 50 in Southampton where his biggest slip was falling early on day four when India needed him to stay in the middle. At Old Trafford and The Oval, his innings of 71 and 82 were one of only three Indian scores in double digits as the rest of the batsmen crumbled around him. 
 Dhoni's captaincy though looked lifeless yet again. His five-bowler strategy never really came to India's aid, and the decision to ignore Ishwar Pandey raised questions. After leading India to their fifth consecutive overseas series loss, this might mark the end of the road for Dhoni the <keyword id="195040" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Test-captain">Test captain</keyword>. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a>: 5/10 
 
Despite the fact that he and Anderson kept on getting each other out, Jadeja's only meaningful contribution came in the second Test at Lord's, where his counter-attacking fifty set the game up in favour of India. With the ball, he was inconsistent. His wickets either were down to poor shots or the need for quick runs. Ian Bell and Jos Buttler took him apart in Southampton, where he was either too short or generous down the legside. Jadeja remains a strong contender at home but a doubtful starter for away matches. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a>: 1/10 
 
Our very own flat-track bully was drafted into the team at The Ageas Bowl in place of Binny and what did he do? Played a silly shot to Ali in the first innings and fell early on day five to Anderson in the second. Might be a cinch to play on Indian wickets, but his modes of dismissal are only worsening his case of playing abroad. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">Ravichandran Ashwin</a>: 6/10 
 
Ashwin managed to surprise in a role-reversal of sorts. While at Old Trafford he impressed one and all with his batting, The Oval saw Ashwin get back among the wickets. He forged a 66-run partnership with Dhoni for the seventh wicket in the fourth Test and played textbooks shots. Ashwin played second fiddle to Dhoni, who at the other end took calculated risks. Ashwin scored 46 in the second innings as India went down by an innings and 54 runs. At The Oval, Ashwin finally took his first wicket since 2012 and his 3/72 kept things tight. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a>: 8/10 
 
The conditions in England were supposed to ideal for Bhuvneshwar's style of bowling and he proved the theory right with figures of 5/82 and 6/82 in the first two Tests. But as soon as the English batsmen came into their own, the Uttar Pradesh bowler was a tired figure out in the middle. Once the batsmen negotiated with his early movement, scoring became easy. And even though in the third and fourth Test he took 3/101 and 3/75, Bhuvneshwar lacked support at the other end. 
 
To see him bat nicely in the series was a pleasant surprise. Scores of 63, 58 and 52 in the first three innings of the series were an added bonus for the team. With 19 wickets at 26.63 and 247 runs at 27.44, Bhuvneshwar had a series to remember. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>: 7/10 
 
Ishant was supposed to spearhead the Indian attack in England and many believed that the win at Lord's - where he took a career best 7/74 - had finally established Ishant as India's premier fast bowler. But an unlikely injury after the historic triumph was a case of bad luck for India. And when Ishant came back, it was fairly evident that he wasn't the same bowler who etched his name of on the Lord's Honours Board. At The Oval, he was predictably short and Stuart Broad took the attack to him despite batting with a broken nose. Ishant looked a bit ragged in his 4/96. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron: 5/10</a> 
 
The Jharkhand fast bowler made a return to Tests after December 2011 with plenty of calls for his inclusion for the fourth Test, in Ishant's absence. And even though he dismissed Ali with a peach of a delivery and broke Broad's nose, Aaron was mostly erratic, wasting energy on bowling far too many short balls. He bagged five wickets at an average of 50 - which included him conceding runs at over five an over at The Oval. But there is no doubt that he caught a few eyes with his pace. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a>: 4/10 
 Known as a workhorse in domestic circuit, Pankaj bowled with a lot of heart in Southampton after getting a debut in place of an injured Ishant. He was unlucky twice after Jadeja put down <keyword id="9234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alastair-Cook">Alastair Cook</keyword> in the first session followed by an umpiring error that reprieved Bell. Pankaj finally tasted success after toiling for 47 overs in Southampton and almost 23 overs in Manchester, where he bowled bad balls too frequently and went over four an over. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>: 2/10 
 
Shami bowled with good pace in three Tests but was overall ordinary. His five wickets in the series came every 115 deliveries and at the cost of 73.20 runs. But with the next series taking place against the West Indies, he might return on the basis of what he did against them last year.

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