Rousing knock: Shreyas made his aggressive intent clear proper from the phrase go.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
With a mighty batting line-up excessive on confidence, on a monitor flatter than an LED display screen the match being televised on, and in opposition to an assault of which 4 bowlers had performed simply 35 ODIs amongst them, the query was if the Men in Blue might contact 400.
No, they didn’t. They solely made 399 for 5. How disappointing.
That was nonetheless 10 runs greater than they made, at the starting of the yr, in opposition to New Zealand on this floor, the Holkar Cricket Stadium. It proved greater than sufficient to win the second ODI earlier than a full home on Sunday, by 99 runs (DLS), and thus the series with a recreation to spare.
Revised goal
Australia, set a revised goal — due to rain — of 317 off 33 overs, might handle solely 217. The ultimate match of the series will probably be performed at Rajkot on Wednesday.
The victory additionally ensured India would retain its No. 1 rating going into subsequent month’s World Cup. More importantly, a few males from the squad for the quadrennial match got here up with knocks that ought to make them, and the workforce administration, slightly happy.
Shreyas Iyer (105, 90b, 11×4, 3×6) obtained the Indian innings going with a flurry of high quality strokes and Suryakumar Yadav (72, 37b, 6×4, 6×6) completed it off in spectacular fashion. And sure, in between, there was a customary, sensible innings from Shubman Gill (104, 97b, 6×4, 4×6). Not to say a second captain’s innings in as many matches from Ok.L. Rahul (52, 38b, 3×4, 3×6) and an 18-ball 31 (2×4, 2×6) by Ishan Kishan.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was the solely man to overlook out on the feast, although the opener had begun with a few sweetly struck boundaries in the opening over, bowled by debutant left-arm fast Spencer Johnson. But he quickly was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood.
Out got here Shreyas to the center. He appeared in nice contact, and decided to make a giant rating, after being troubled by a painful again harm for a number of months.
Along with Gill, who would make his fifth ODI century of the yr, he destroyed the inexperienced Australian assault — skipper Pat Cummins sat out — as the duo added 200 off simply 164 balls for the second wicket. They took turns to develop into the aggressive batter and the extra aggressive batter, at the same time as they ran their singles properly. Then Rahul, Kishan and Suryakumar, whose fifty in the final match appears to have given him loads of confidence, exploded, and took India to its highest ever whole in opposition to Australia.
Quick wickets
Australia’s chase, which was at all times going to be steep, was made steeper by Prasidh Krishna, who struck twice in succession in his first over, as he eliminated Matthew Short and the day’s captain Steve Smith.
The third-wicket stand of 80 off 68 balls between David Warner (53, 39b, 7×4,1×6) and Marnus Labuschagne (27, 31b, 4×4) was damaged by R. Ashwin, who bowled slightly properly to complete with three for 41.
Even India’s back-up males are in kind.