IND vs AUS: Three major takeaways from the series

Kohli and Surya Kumar led India to victory in the 3rd T20I [PC: Twitter]

India defeated Australia by four wickets in the final T20I in Hyderabad to clinch the three-match series by 2-1 on Sunday. 

After their Asia Cup debacle, such a commanding victory over a robust Australian unit is a morale booster for the Men in Blue before the T20 World Cup. On the other hand, although Australia ended up being on the losing side, they emerged as a fierce competitor and gave the hosts a run for their money. 

As the hard-fought series has marked its conclusion, let's jot down the key takeaways for both teams. 

Axar Patel won't let India miss Ravindra Jadeja in the T20 World Cup

Axar Patel was the best bowler in the series [PC: Twitter]

Axar Patel, the backup for Ravindra Jadeja in India's T20I team a few days ago, has suddenly become their go-to man with the ball in the middle overs. 

The wily spinner bamboozled the mighty Aussies with his variations, scalping eight wickets at a surreal economy of 6.30 in the series. Moreover, he recorded such astounding figures on batting beauties against a power-packed Australian lineup. 

So, Axar's performance has brought a sigh of relief to the Indian camp, assuring them of his capability to be India's spin in-charge in Jadeja's absence. 

Australia missed the trick by excluding Cameron Green from the T20 WC squad

Green played a brutal knock last night [PC: Twitter]

Cameron Green finished the series as the highest run-scorer, amassing 118 runs at an average of 39.33 and a blistering strike rate of 214.55. 

His brilliant 30-ball 61 seized the day for Australia in Mohali, while his breathtaking 21-ball 52 propelled the visitors to 186 in Hyderabad. 

The most impressive thing about Green was the way he excelled in his new job as an opener. He understood his role pretty well and executed it quite brilliantly in the aforementioned matches. He didn't even spare India's finest pacer Jasprit Bumrah, hammering him for 16 runs in his first over last night. 

Besides being a clean striker, Green proved his mettle with the ball in the series. He managed to generate steep bounce off the surface, making things tough for the Indian batters in the decider. 

Therefore, I feel Australia probably missed the trick by not picking him in the World Cup squad. 

India should test themselves more as a defending unit

IND lost the first T20I while defending [PC: Twitter]

The surfaces provided in the first and last matches of the series assisted the batters to the core, while the Nagpur track, which was a bit two-paced and hence could have been more challenging, witnessed a rain-curtailed encounter. So, the chasing team won on all three occasions, which is a norm in modern-day cricket. 

Meanwhile, the issue remains the same for India, i.e. defending a target. They bowled second just once in the series and lost that game comprehensively. Death bowling, their nemesis in the Asia Cup, is still their biggest woe in the shortest format. 

So, with the World Cup being around the corner, India should test themselves more as a defending unit in the upcoming South Africa T20Is. 

Also Read: IND vs AUS, 3rd T20I: Jasprit Bumrah registers his most expensive T20I bowling figure