3 big areas of concern for India from their ODI series loss to Australia ft. Nitish Kumar Reddy

India secured a nine-wicket victory in the third and final ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. However, the Men in Blue went down 2-1 in the series, suffering a rare bilateral defeat against an Australian side that wasn't at full strength.

There were some positives for India. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli turned back the clock with a vintage partnership in Sydney, while others like Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh were impressive. But it's safe to say that the visitors finished the rubber with more questions than answers.

On that note, here are three big areas of concern for India from their ODI series loss to Australia.

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#3 Nitish Kumar Reddy didn't seem particularly convincing

Australia v India - ODI Series: Game 1 - Source: Getty

Playing instead of the injured Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy didn't have a great series. He is rather inexperienced in the format, having made his debut in the Perth ODI, but it didn't feel like he added much to the team.

Reddy contributed a couple of sixes in the rain-curtailed first ODI before falling cheaply to Adam Zampa in the second. Concerningly, India didn't view his batting as reliable enough to be used ahead of Washington Sundar's. Moreover, the fast-bowling all-rounder wasn't penetrative with the ball and finished without a wicket to his name.

India have been searching for a Hardik backup for a long time, and Reddy might have to develop significantly before he can be viewed as a bankable one.

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#2 Are the Indian fast bowlers good enough at this point?

Australia v India - ODI Series: Game 3 - Source: Getty

Another player who missed out on the ODI series was Jasprit Bumrah. Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana formed the first-choice pace attack in his absence, with Prasidh Krishna replacing the left-armer in the Sydney ODI.

On the whole, the pacers weren't terrible. Siraj kept things tight, while Arshdeep threatened to pick up wickets in both the matches he played. Rana, meanwhile, finished the series with an impressive four-fer.

However, did these names do enough? They were clearly outbowled by Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Ellis and even Xavier Bartlett, who made the most of the friendly conditions on offer. Rana leaked runs in the first two matches, while Siraj didn't appear to be penetrative enough despite keeping runs down.

India's fast bowling seems to pale in comparison to the best teams in the world, especially if they are without Bumrah. In the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup, this is definitely something they will need to keep an eye on.

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#1 India's team balance in ODIs seems off, even with Hardik Pandya

Asia Cup Cricket - Source: Getty

Gautam Gambhir values batting depth, and rightly so. Most top teams bat at least until No. 8, due to the presence of fast bowlers who can tonk a few down the order or top-order batters who can roll their arms over.

India, however, have neither. Their batting ends at No. 7 if Kuldeep Yadav plays, and leaving him out isn't an option given the kind of bonafide match-winner he is. Moreover, the Men in Blue are far too dependent on Hardik to be consistent in both departments.

India need to find a solution for this. Rana scored a few important runs in Adelaide, and ensuring that he fulfils his potential with the willow would be high on the team's priority list. Others like Washington Sundar may also need to step up, while giving Yashasvi Jaiswal a few overs to bowl might not be the worst idea.