Indore (Madhya Pradesh): India rode on blazing centuries by opener Shubman Gill (104) and Shreyas Iyer (105) as they posted a mammoth 399/5 in the second ODI against Australia at the Holkar Stadium here on Sunday. Gill and Iyer, who added 200 runs for the second wicket, took a listless Australian attack to cleansers.
It was raining fours and sixes in Indore as Gill hammered six boundaries and four sixes, while Iyer's knock was laced with eleven fours and three maximums. The duo used the flat nature of the surface in Indore to their full advantage and played all around the park.
Australia's stand-in skipper Steve Smith's decision to put the hosts into bat backfired, courtesy Gill and Iyer show after opener Ruturaj Gaikwad fell cheaply. The duo was dismissed after scoring their hundreds soon but the damage had been done.
While skipper KL Rahul (52 off 38 balls; three boundaries and three sixes) and Ishan Kishan (31 off 18 balls; 2 fours and 2 sixes) played their roles to perfection, it was once again flamboyant Suryakumar Yadav who stamped his class and provided the final assault.
Surya, whose fifty had taken India home in the first ODI in Mohali last Friday, was in his usual elements. The Mumbaikar blazed his way to an unbeaten 71 off 37 balls, hitting six fours and as many sixes. He was brutal on all-rounder Cameron Green, whom he hammered four successive sixes as all the Australian bowlers had an off day on the field.
Green, who conceded 103 runs in 10 overs, was the most expensive bowler. Australia will need to put on a special show with the bat to chase the target and stay in the three-match series.
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