KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja light up the Wankhede Stadium as India win first ODI against Australia

KL Rahul is back in form. That’s the best news India could get in white-ball cricket as the wicket-keeper batter and Ravindra Jadeja pulled off a superb five-wicket victory for India against Australia in the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.

The shift from red-ball cricket to white-ball cricket was swift. The nuances of Test cricket and shorter formats are very different. In white ball cricket, there are field restrictions and so on. Yet, when Australia were shot out for a meager 188 in 35.4 overs, it was shocking. Given the predictions of a high-scoring match, the way the Aussie batters struggled against Mohd Shami, Mohd Siraj, and then Ravindra Jadeja was an indicator that India have the bowlers to fire from the word go.

But then, when India began their reply, it was mayhem, thanks to one man who was on the rip-roaring form — Mitchell Starc. Between Starc and Marcus Stoinis, the way they cleaned up the Indian top order was shocking. At the Wankhede Stadium, when the team bowls second, there is a gentle breeze as help.

Trust the Aussies to hit back after being bundled out for their lowest ODI total against India. Their bowling had India on the back foot as Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav, all were blown away like a candle in the wind. The platform was ideal for KL Rahul, battling a crisis of sorts in terms of his own draught of runs, to get going. This was not a turbocharged knock, really. Rahul showed technique and how to come out firing under pressure. Perhaps, this one knock will mean a lot more to him than all his other performances.

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The way KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja batted showed energy, enthusiasm, and the skills to take on the Aussie bowlers

But you have to salute the man making a comeback from injury. The way Sir Ravindra Jadeja had shown his class in Tests during the BGT Series was awesome. To burst onto the stage in the first ODI, with bat and ball is what India needed. The way Rahul and Jadeja batted showed energy, enthusiasm, and the skills to take on the Aussie bowlers. Agreed, they were not in full force on Friday, but to get a head start in the three-match ODI series is great for Team India.

No narration is complete without a mention of the role played by stand-in captain Hardik Pandya. With Rohit Sharma out for one game, Pandya grabbed the leadership chance. He picked the right men and led them from the front. There was a debate if he would bowl, before the match. He showed he was more than willing to chip in, as he bowled five overs for 29 runs and took one wicket. For someone who is ready for T20 cricket as a full-time captain, Pandya taking on the leadership role in ODI, as a stand-in leader, was good.

After all, since the time KL Rahul was stripped of vice-captaincy, the onus has been on Hardik Pandya to show he is ready and greedy. The Wankhede Stadium is a great arena to perform. Pandya scored a breezy 25 runs as well, which was stroke-filled.

But then, the two batters who stayed unbeaten — KL Rahul (75 not out) and Jadeja (45 not out) showed that they are here to grab chances and perform for India. The five-wicket win with a 108-run partnership between the two stars on Friday night showed that India are ready to challenge the Aussies. This is the build-up series for the ICC World Cup later this year. A good beginning, where a few boxes have been ticked. Most importantly, to see KL Rahul perform as a pure player minus any leadership load is a good sign.

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