Australia 269 overall (Marsh 47, Hardik 3-44, Kuldeep 3-56) beat India 248 (Kohli 54, Zampa 4-45) for 21 runs
Australia snatched the ODI No. 1 ranking and snapped India’s four-year unbeaten series run at home with a thrilling 269 defense win in Chennai. Australia went all-in from the moment they won the toss and bet against the dew choosing to bat on a dry soft surface. They attacked the new ball on the powerplay, but kept attacking, which resulted in quite a few starts but not fifty.
The bowlers then held on despite a fast start from India, their two spinners Adam Zampa and agar ashton they took six wickets between them to drag India from 65 for 0 and 146 for 2. The defending was all the more remarkable as Cameron Green’s illness left Australia with Marcus Stoinis the fifth bowler. However, Stoinis was a revelation, bowling 9.1 overs for just 43 runs and one wicket.
Both innings progressed similarly: a fast start to maximize the power play and new ball followed by trick pitching, and some aggressive options taken by hitters that resulted in soft-seeming dismissals. The least characteristic perhaps was virat kohli scoring for long range in Ashton Agar’s final over after scoring the only half-century of the match, with Hardik Pandya scoring quickly at the other end, and the requirement under a run a ball.
Kohli’s dismissal, followed by a third successive golden duck for Suryakumar Yadav, left India needing 85 for 88 with four wickets in hand. It seemed that Pandya, who had previously dragged Australia off a fast start with figures of 8-0-44-3, would help India through, but he too chose the big shot rather than deepen the game. His Zampa slog with 52 required of 39 brought the tail. Needing to do all the scoring himself, even Ravindra Jadeja fought off a Zampa error, leaving the tail at an unlikely 45 to go off 29.
These risks were largely uncharacteristic of India, coming from both ends and at a time when India had the interest rate under control.
As Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma hit a flyer, scoring 65 in 9.1 overs, it looked as if the bowling had been sped up under the lights. The first two wickets didn’t have much to do with the pitch. Rohit went down trying to maximize the last power play, and Gill got the bag from him en route to a Zampa half-volley.
See – Kohli leaves after half a century
After that though, Kohli hit beautifully to run a ball without taking any chances, even as Agar turned some alarming balls through right-hand batsmen. Even as Kohli and KL Rahul made eight no-capping overs, there was no panic. Rahul then pushed India ahead with a flurry of sixes and two fours and a six from Zampa and Mitchell Starc.
Now it seemed the plan was for Kohli to anchor the chase and for the other end to go for big shots. One of those shots came off the tip of Rahul’s bat and settled with plenty of time. Axar Patel was promoted and immediately run out thanks to a brilliant performance from Steve Smith and defending from Alex Carey.
Pandya again calmed the chase by hitting a six and a four on the first five balls he faced. With Pandya scoring quickly at the other end, perhaps Kohli didn’t need to start doing it himself. Especially in the last over of the dangerous Agar. But he did, maybe because he wanted to score before the extra fielder came out in the back 10.
Australia’s batsmen might be asking similar questions, but they had more depth in their batting than India. They also didn’t know the total they needed to get.
When it started, the first goal was to make the most of the power play, which Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head did despite the first puff of surface dust being seen as early as the fourth. India had to turn around in the sixth over to have their first over no cap. Marsh was brutal, Head kept finding square areas at the wicket. However, once the effects kicked in, it was apparent that the score would have to slow off the power play, bringing Australia to 61 for 0.
The Pandya presentation stopped immediately. Head found a deep third when he made a top cut, Smith drove up but the cross delivery drifted away after throwing to take his lead, and Marsh played on to be fired for under 50 for the first time in the series.
David Warner, playing for only the second time in the middle order of his ODI career, and Marnus Labuschagne finally seemed to go into build-up mode, but it did not continue for long. With Jadeja denying them runs by pitching accurately, they took Kuldeep Yadav in.
Despite a slog-sweep by Labuschagne going for six just because the fielder was off the rope, the two kept attacking. Warner found a long shot trying to hit over a long shot, and Labuschagne holed in for long shots, both against the spin.
Even at 138 for 5 on the 29th, Australia kept attacking. However, Stoinis and Carey did it differently, sweeping and reverse sweeping. A no-ball for not following the fielding restrictions helped when Carey banked the free throw for a six. Presumably to capitalize on the last few overs before an extra fielder returns, Stoinis and Carey began to take greater risks. Stoinis went long at the bottom of the 37th. Carey lucked out in the next over with his blade gleaming, but a great spin from Kuldeep brought him down in the 39th. The two hit 58 from 53 legal deliveries.
Down seven before 40, Australia were again under threat of having aimed too far and ultimately posting a disappointing score. However, Sean Abbott led the lower order with 26 of 23, and the numbers 9, 10 and 11 notched 17, 10 and 10 not out. The last wicket added 22. Australia won by 21.
