IND vs AUS: 1st ODI Review – India prove too strong for Aussies
India and Australia locked horns in Mohali in the first ODI in a three-match series on Friday, September 22, ahead of the much-awaited 50-over World Cup and the hosts took a 1-0 lead with a five-wicket win. KL Rahul, who is in charge of the side for the first two ODIs in the absence of Rohit Sharma, won the toss and opted to field first. Mohammed Shami, who got a game as Mohammed Siraj was rested, started emphatically as he dismissed Mitchell Marsh off the fourth ball of the match. David Warner and Steve Smith stitched a 94-run stand to steady the Australian innings.
However, the former departed while trying to hit Ravindra Jadeja out of the park, soon after reaching his fifty. Smith, on the other hand, was dismissed by a pearler from Shami. Useful contributions from Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne, and Josh Inglis helped Australia get to a strong base. However, Shami returned at the death and picked up three wickets to stem the flow of runs. Cameos from Marcus Stoinis and Pat Cummins helped Australia get to a score of 276 in 50 overs. Shami ended with a five-for while other bowlers also provided good support. In reply, India got off to a flying start thanks to Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad. The two players formed a 142-run opening partnership inside 22 overs as the ‘Men in Blue’ were on course to win in a canter. However, they slipped to 185/4 in 32.3 overs courtesy of Adam Zampa, who dismissed both the openers.
The onus was on Rahul, who got an early reprieve, to take his team home alongside Suryakumar Yadav. The duo mixed caution with aggression and formed an 80-run partnership off 85 balls to take India to the brink of win. The Mumbai batter perished after scoring a half-century but Rahul and Jadeja took their team home with five wickets and eight balls to spare.
Best Batter of the Match
Shubman Gill:
The 24-year-old finished as the highest run-getter in the Asia Cup 2023 and continued his purple patch against Australia. He scored a fluent 63-ball 74 that comprised six boundaries and two sixes. His innings was filled with delightful strokes and fans will be happy to see the youngster performing so consistently ahead of a global event.
Best Bowler of the Match
Mohammed Shami:
The 33-year-old bowled a couple of peaches to dismiss Warner and Smith and used the slower delivery to good effect at the death to finish with career-best figures of 5/51 in 10 overs. This outing should give Shami a lot of confidence after he remained on the bench for the majority of the games in the Asia Cup 2023.
