IND vs AUS: 3rd ODI Review – Australia seal a memorable series win

Australia clinched the three-match ODI series after an impressive win in the third ODI against India by 21 runs. The two cricketing powerhouses squared off at the M.A. Chidambaram stadium for the third and final ODI match on Wednesday, March 22.

Steve Smith won the toss and decided to put on a target for the home side in the decider clash in Chennai. Similar to the second ODI, Mitchell Marsh opened the innings along with Travis Head. The duo put up a solid 68-run stand and seemed pretty comfortable out in the middle. However, the deputy of the side, Hardik Pandya had other ideas as he swiftly struck three vital blows removing the top-order in quick time.

Marsh, Head, and skipper Smith were sent back to the pavilion for scores of 47, 33, and 0 respectively. Warner, who made his comeback into the XI, could manage to get 23 runs before Kuldeep Yadav got his scalp. Down the order, Marcus Stoinis and Alex Carey stitched 58 runs during their time at the crease. The Aussies concluded with a competitive score of 269 runs. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya picked up three wickets apiece in the innings.

In response, The Men in Blue started decently as openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill hit the ground running. Just when they seemed to be getting in their zone, Sean Abbott and Adam Zampa got the wickets of the duo openers.

Virat Kohli stepped up and scored a delicate 72-ball 54, getting the boundaries at regular intervals. However, a mistimed shot off Ashton Agar saw him head back to the dugout too. The onus was then on Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik to steer the side to a potential win. However, the duo could only momentarily hand India some hope but their dismissals led to the Aussies taking complete control. Australia eventually sealed the contest by 21 runs and thereby the series 1-2.

Top performers

Hardik Pandya

The star all-rounder played a decent knock of 40 runs from 40 balls. In addition to this, he scalped a three-wicket haul in the first innings. Notably, he got the vital breakthroughs of Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh and skipper Steve Smith to hand India some momentum in the contest.

Adam Zampa

Zampa bamboozled the rival unit with a four-wicket haul. Although India looked steady in their chase, Zampa struck the blows during the crunch moments to tilt the game in his team’s favour before eventually leading them to a victory.