#IndvsAus: Why Dhoni will be cheering India's T20 win the loudest

India's facile win against Australia in the first match of the T20 series at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday is surely a cause for celebration. Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team has finally found a way to win Down Under, and the last match of the ODI series, one hopes would have opened the floodgates, as it were. Tuesday's win was a great present on India's Republic Day.

A good T20 series in trying conditions in Australia would augur well for India's prospects in the World T20 that is just round the corner, in a similar way perhaps a rigorous tour of South Africa helped Dhoni's boys prepare well for the ODI World Cup in 2011 that it won.

However, Tuesday's victory throws up a few questions, which may strike a discordant note, but which can't be avoided.

Even a casual analysis of today's match would tell you that the victory was in no small measure crafted with the help of seniors like Suresh Raina, Ashish Nehra and Yuvraj Singh, all of whom were left out of the ODI squad that lost so comprehensively in the just-concluded series. The seniors versus youngsters debate has dogged Indian cricket for a long time. It is well known how Greg Chappell sought to sideline seniors like Sourav Ganguly when he called the shots in Indian cricket.

There is no gainsaying that the best team to field on any given day would be one which maintains a balance between youth and experience. Raina, Yuvraj and Nehra have loads of experience and know how to win matches. While Raina and Yuvraj are proven finishers with the bat, Nehra does so with the ball, and is a fine bowler in the death overs. Furthermore, both Raina and Yuvraj are more than useful bowlers, at least, in limited overs cricket.

All three showed on Tuesday exactly why the team needs them. They proved that they are far from finished, unlike what the selectors would have perhaps wanted to believe. Raina gave able support to a marauding Virat Kohli with a 34-ball 41, Yuvraj took a fine catch and Nehra did pretty well with the ball, conceding just 30 off his quota of four overs, while taking a wicket - a successful outing by T20 standards.

The selectors missed a major trick by leaving out the trio for the ODIs. It is not as if they had suddenly lost their ability to sustain themselves in a format which would have wanted them to be on the field a bit longer. We did not go to the ODIs with our best available team, that too against a top side like Australia, and we paid the price. This after Yuvraj had been doing well in domestic cricket, with some brilliant ODI innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Coming back to Tuesday's win, it is not often that an Indian team wins so easily against the Aussies. But the 37-run win on Tuesday was a win at a canter. Virat Kohli is getting unstoppable. With two centuries and a ninety in the ODIs and another ninety in the first T20, Kohli looks to be in scorching form. So does Rohit Sharma, though he missed out on a big score today.

And the new kid on the block Hardik Pandya played a good hand with two crucial wickets, though was a touch expensive. He made a mark as much with his celebrations as with his bowling.

Importantly from Dhoni's point of view, a good showing by the team in the T20 series may just silence those calling for his sacking as the captain of India's limited overs sides, though Kohli is snapping at his heels with one marquee performance after another. So if anybody is really happy at India's win on Republic Day at Adelaide, it may just be Dhoni.

There was some excitement on Twitter after today's match and it was understandable. Here is a collection of tweets to highlight it:

Double delight on Republic Day. Fine display by the women and the men took it ahead.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 26, 2016

It went straight to Yuvraj but was hit as hard as possible. Top catch

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 26, 2016

MS Dhoni in PC: "I think they are naming a stand after Virat Kohli here in Adelaide." #AusvInd

— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) January 26, 2016

And you were superb champ! https://t.co/Dfo6J2Djj7

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) January 26, 2016

Pic 1: Indian Team After first ODI Pic2: Indian Team After first T 20 #IndvsAus pic.twitter.com/ajPxedN0gr

— The-Lying-Lama (@KyaUkhaadLega) January 26, 2016

Yuvraj just reminded me of this with the catch...!! #IndvsAus . pic.twitter.com/4DxNWDU4oc

— PhD in Bakchodi !! (@Atheist_Krishna) January 26, 2016

Dhoni is like that kid who managed to get two candies with one khota sikka. #indvsaus

— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) January 26, 2016

Gf: What are those 3 magical words you want to hear ? Pandya: That's the over. #IndvsAus

— The-Lying-Lama (@KyaUkhaadLega) January 26, 2016