3 talking points: Aaron Finch, Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma-Australia love story

Indore: Sixth successive ODI series win, ninth ODI win on a trot, twelfth consecutive win in international cricket, third series win in a row against Australia across formats, India’s juggernaut in the bilateral series continues after Virat Kohli and co won the Indore ODI against Steve Smith-led to clinch the five-match ODI series.

Here are the three talking points from the match:

The Australian implosion:

37.4 overs gone, Australia, 224/1, Aaron Finch has gone past his hundred and has started to go bonkers. Steve Smith is at the other end, calm, in the zone and looking set for his first big score in the series. Indian wrist spinners – Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav – are virtually being made ineffective. 9 wickets in hand, Finch and Smith in the middle, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis waiting in the wings, oh dear, Lord, India, you have a tough road ahead. If Australia had dreamt of a moment to hold the series by the scruff of its neck and turn it around, this is it.

Kuldeep has fired one in the line of the stumps, Finch has cleared his left leg to clear the deep square-leg, it seems the crowd too is clearing some space for the ball to land... Hang on a second, Finch has not timed that that well. Kedar Jadhav is moving in from the boundary line. Kedar Jadhav is on his knees. The ball is feeling safe in his hands. The Finch show is over. The Smith show is cut short 4 overs letter, the Big ‘Maxwell’ Show has never taken off. Stoinis is left on his own. Indian spinners have turned the tide.

From 224/1 in 37.4 overs, Australia have only scored 69 in the last 12.2 overs, losing 5 wickets. The Australian dream is was on, the series is was on… no longer now.

Rohit Sharma’s love affair with Australia:

Rohit Sharma loves Australia. Australia do not love him back. But he is like that always-pursuing lover. He is turned down twice in the series by Australia, but he seems to believe in being third-time lucky. He can’t give in. India need him to fire today. He does not give in. India love him. He loves Australian bowlers. Australia don’t really like it. But for the nth time, he seems turned on by the sight of them. It’s a one-sided love story that Australians hate but Indians love.

He has flirted with them in Chennai. But they managed to shoo him away. Rohit Sharma is back to try his luck again. He flirts with Australia again. He starts his touch play. A caress here, a caress there and a bit of a ‘big hit, crisp hit, class hit’ show off in between. Australia are not liking this one bit. They want to see his back. They can’t. Rohit Sharma, the batsman, is not going anywhere. Not anytime soon.

He has a witness cum partner in crime with him in Ajinkya Rahane. He is unlike Rohit. He is shy to the fault. The Australians like him, in fact. But he is not in a mood to pay any heed to their fondness for him. Like always and like he did in Kolkata at the Eden Gardens (or as they say at the Rohit Gardens) a few days back, he is doing his job. There’s no swag about it. But that’s secondary, like always. He has scored 70, his little flamboyant partner and fellow Mumbaikar has scored 71. They together have knocked out 141 runs off the 294-run target. Australia did not love Rohit, Australia don’t love Rohit and Australia, most probably, won’t love Rohit…ever.

Rahane could not care less about the Rohit-Australia love story but he is a part of it today. For all those Indian fans present at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, that matters. For sealing the series, that matters. For Rahane, that matters. For Rohit, that matters. For India, that surely matters.

The Hardik Pandya segment:

Hardik Pandya is on strike. Ashton Agar gives the ball some air. In other words, it is a honey trap of sorts. Come, hit me, the ball says. Hardik Pandya is not the hunted though. He is a hunter. He strikes. Once. Twice. Thrice. Four times for six. Hardik can go big. Hardik has gone big. Australia are gone. He walked in at number four today – ahead of Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni – on Ravi Shastri’s suggestion and the move has knocked Australia out of the series. He has anchored the innings and attacked at will and well.

He had done that in Chennai last Sunday and he is doing it again in Indore after India have lost their top three in quick succession. Australia had suffered in Chennai and Australia are suffering again. The bowler changes from Adam Zampa to Ashton Agar, their fortunes don’t. Hardik Pandya is here to stay.

MS Dhoni rates him. Virat Kohli rates him. Indian team management rate him. All of them rate him very highly. He is an IPL find. He can bowl fast. Not medium fast, mind you. He can hit big. He can field. He is a fast-bowling, big hitting all-rounder, India always craved for since Kapil Dev. Hardik Pandya has arrived.

He has tattoos. He has swag. He is a walking-talking style bhai as Ashish Nehra calls him. He does not miss a chance to show off his new funky hairstyle. He has an x-factor about him. He knows that. He shows that. But more importantly, he can play and he is doing that really well off late. He did that at The Oval in the ICC Champions Trophy final against Pakistan. He did that in Pallekele during his maiden First Class and Test hundred against Sri Lanka and he did that against Australia twice in the space of seven days.

Since the last three months or so, Hardik Pandya’s stock in the Indian cricket is on the rise and 1/58 with the ball and 78 off 72 balls with the bat has helped India seal the five-match ODI series and done his cricketing reputation a world of good.