Team India’s ODI bowling attack dominates the middle overs — discover how they’ve achieved the best average and economy since 2023.
Since the start of 2023, Team India are the second-most successful ODI side with the ball in the middle overs (11-40). They have collected 215 wickets in 45 innings and are only behind Sri Lanka’s 282 scalps in 57 innings. The Blue Brigade enjoys an average of 26.42 and an economy rate of below five in this period. This shows their strength of restricting the opponent batters’ power-hitting in the middle overs.
For bowling teams, this is the phase where they regain control of the game. Even if they have a poor power play (1-10 overs), their smart field placements and disciplined bowling performance can drag the scoring rate back. Dot balls create pressure and pressure leads to unforced errors. This is where the bowling side goes ahead of the opposition.
India’s successful performance in middle overs’ bowling since Jan 2023
India, on October 19, will start their new journey in the 50-over format in Perth. Under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, they will start preparations for the Cricket World Cup 2027. Both of their veterans, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will return to the national side after more than six months.
Since the beginning of 2023, the Blue Brigade has earned 35 victories in 46 encounters at a win-loss ratio of 3.89. In this phase, they have performed better with the ball in the middle overs than Australia, the current ODI champions. The Mitchell Marsh-led side is not even in the top five wicket-takers in the list. In 41 innings, they have collected 165 wickets at an economy rate of 5.56 in this phase.
Read More: Rohit (1714) & Virat (1710) are the fifth & sixth-highest run-scorers in ODIs from 2023 onwards
Most wickets for teams in ODI middle overs (11-40) since Jan 2023:
| Team | Inns | Wkts | Avg | SR | Eco | BBI |
| Sri Lanka | 57 | 282 | 28.04 | 30.94 | 5.44 | 9/52 |
| India | 45 | 215 | 26.42 | 32.57 | 4.87 | 9/126 |
| S Africa | 45 | 208 | 33.28 | 35.48 | 5.63 | 9/122 |
| N Zealand | 48 | 199 | 36.47 | 39.92 | 5.48 | 10/182 |
| Pakistan | 45 | 183 | 38.15 | 41.59 | 5.50 | 8/93 |
Since January 2023, for India, their left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, leads the table with 48 wickets at an average of 24.75 in the middle overs (11-40). He has an economy rate of 4.40. The 30-year-old will have a key role to play in the upcoming series down under.
India’s bowlers with most wickets in ODI middle overs (11-40) since Jan 2023
| Player | Inns | Wkts | Avg | SR | Eco | BBI |
| K Yadav | 38 | 48 | 24.75 | 33.77 | 4.40 | 5/25 |
| R Jadeja | 30 | 34 | 30.26 | 40.59 | 4.47 | 4/27 |
| M Shami | 24 | 20 | 16.30 | 20.10 | 4.87 | 3/8 |
| H Pandya | 21 | 18 | 23.44 | 26.33 | 5.34 | 3/3 |
| S Thakur | 15 | 14 | 23.43 | 26.79 | 5.25 | 4/31 |
Out of India’s 215 ODI wickets in the middle overs since the start of 2023, they have earned 184 scalps in victories. The average goes under 24. The strike rate is 29.33. Even their economy rate remains below five, which is an incredible sign in this phase.
Read More: Since 2023, India have struck at SR of 100.26 in PP1 in ODIs, bettered only by Australia (107.05)
Secret behind India’s middle overs’ bowling success in ODIs
In the middle overs, it’s the spinners who contribute immensely in limited-overs cricket. The spread field gives them protection on the boundary. With the old ball, they extract grip and turn off the 22-yard while the batters get into an accumulation mode. The best spinners don’t just contain runs; they take wickets.
This is where Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja have been successful in ODIs. Both have picked wickets consistently for India in the middle overs. Their superb economy increases the pressure on the batters.
Since the beginning of 2023, India have had multiple options in the bowling attack. They can use their pacers in a partnership with spinners in the attack. This allows the fast bowlers to try and find reverse-swing with the old white-ball. They also use the change of pace to fox the batters.
For the 2023 ODI World Cup runners-up, they have different skills in the line-up. Apart from Kuldeep’s left-arm wrist spin and left-arm spin of Axar Patel and Jadeja, they have Varun Chakravarthy as the mystery spinner. Out of 46 clashes since Jan 2023, India have played 26 encounters at home, where they experienced only four defeats. These spinners know how to use the condition on the slow surfaces.
Moreover, they had Rohit Sharma’s leadership. The former captain always had a pulse of the strengths of his bowlers. He also used to analyze the weaknesses of the batters, which displayed his expertise in bringing the right bowler against an individual batter.
For Gill, it will be a challenge to maintain the same success. On top of it, he won’t have Jadeja, Pandya, Shami and Bumrah for his debut ODI series as captain. But Australia looked fragile in recent ODIs with three successive bilateral series defeats against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. It will be interesting to see the bowling changes Gill makes in the middle overs.
India play Australia in a three-match ODI series starting with the first ODI in Perth on October 19.
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