Full match report:
Chennai: The Indian batting unit once again choked under relentless pressure from the Australian spinners as the visitors clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1 with a comfortable 21-run victory, here on Wednesday. Chasing a stiff target of 270 on a tricky pitch, India were all out for 248 in 49.1 overs as Australia came back in the series after losing the first ODI by five wickets.
The series defeat is an indicator that the Indian team is far from prepared for the World Cup and there are too many loose ends that needs to be tied. The match turned out to be an anti-climax in the final 15 overs as Australian spinners Adam Zampa (4/45) and Ashton Agar (2/41 in 10 overs) snared as many six Indian wickets, giving away only 86 runs in the 20 overs between them.
The Chepauk track got slower and slower and post 35th over in the Indian innings, it became very difficult to hit the big strokes. Once Zampa bowled a couple of googlies to force Hardik Pandya (40 off 40 balls) and Ravindra Jadeja (1 off 33 balls) hit against the turn, the writing was on the wall.
It was Zampa's best figures against India and he certainly was the hero for the Aussies. Incidentally, Australia were the last international team to beat India in a bilateral ODI series back in 2019. The score-line back then was 3-2. Since that series defeat four years back, India have won seven back-to-back bilateral ODI rubber at home.
It was three games in a row that the Indian top-order flattered to deceive and that too in home conditions. They could have been blanked 3-0 in the series had Australia scored at least 235 in the opening ODI. The highest run-getter for India in the series was KL Rahul with 116 runs and that tells the story.
Between overs 35 to 43, India managed only 31 runs and that was where the game turned on its head. Skipper Rohit Sharma (30 off 17 balls) started well but played one pull shot too many to be holed out at deep square leg fence while an alert Alex Carey's decision to convince Steve Smith into taking a DRS saw the back of Shubman Gill (37 off 49 balls).
Rahul (32 off 50 balls) joined Virat Kohli (54 off 72 balls) and the duo added 69 runs in 15.3 overs but were never able to dominate as such on a track that got slower with passage of time. Kohli's first boundary came in his 21st delivery, a pull shot off Agar and two balls later of Tamil Nadu he hit a regal six off Agar over extra cover.
Rahul's first boundary came in his 45th ball when he hit Zampa over his head for a four. Next over, Starc fired from wide off crease but the length ball was hit for a straight six. However, a ball fired by Zampa into the blockhole was dug-out by Rahul but Abbot timed his jump well to hold onto it at the boundary.
Then it was the turn of Agar to quickly send back Kohli and the out-of-form Suryakumar Yadav (0) for his third first-ball duck in as many games. From 146 for 2, India had slumped to 185 for 6 when Pandya and Jadeja joined forces with the Australian close-in fielders making it infinitely difficult.
But Pandya, however, maintained a 100-plus strike-rate despite tight bowling by the opposition. Earlier, a fine opening spell by Pandya and a probing effort by Kuldeep Yadav put a tight leash around the Australian batters before its tail wagged considerably to take the visitors to a fighting 269 all out in 49 overs after opting to bat first.
The five wickets added 131 to keep Australia in the game. While Pandya (3/44 in 8 overs) shaved off the top half, Kuldeep's (3/56 in 10 overs) rhythm and guile on a helpful Chennai track was the biggest takeaway as the latter's delivery to remove Carey was the ball of the series.
It was a classical left-arm wrist spinner's leg-break that beat the southpaw all ends up and Kuldeep's ecstacy was there to be seen. India were in control after pegging Australia back at 138 for 5 but a 58-run stand between Carey and Marcus Stoinis for the sixth wicket and 42 for the eighth wicket between Sean Abbott (26) and Ashton Agar (17) took them close to 250 while Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa added 22 precious runs for the final wicket.
What looked like a good toss to win for Australia after Mitchell Marsh (47 off 47 balls) and Travis Head (33 off 31 balls) put on 68 for the opening stand didn't seem so as Pandya bowled three different deliveries in his first three overs to completely seize the momentum in favour of the hosts.
David Warner (23 off 31 balls) and Marnus Labuschagne (28 off 45 balls) paid dearly for their indiscreet shot selection off Kuldeep's bowling before Carey (38 off 46 balls) played his first innings of substance on the final day of a long near two-month tour. (PTI)
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- Trying to pull the ball by Sean Abbott, Rohit Sharma loses his wicket at the score of 30.
- Shubman Gill (29) has provided India a glorious start while Rohit Sharma (13) is slowly getting into the groove. However, the opening stand that Rohit is stitching with Gill is crucial in India's chase of 270.
Innings report:
Chennai: A fine opening spell by Hardik Pandya and a probing effort by Kuldeep Yadav put a tight leash around Australian batters before its tail wagged considerably to take the visitors to a fighting 269 all out in 49 overs against India in the third and final ODI here on Wednesday. While Pandya (3/44 in 8 overs) shaved off the top half, Kuldeep's (3/56 in 10 overs) rhythm and guile on a helpful Chennai track was the biggest takeaway as the latter's delivery to remove Alex Carey was the ball of the series.
It was a classical left-arm wrist spinner's leg-break that beat the southpaw all ends up and Kuldeep's ecstacy was there to be seen. India were in control after pegging Australia back at 138 for 5 but a 58-run stand between Carey and Marcus Stoinis for the sixth wicket and 42 for the eighth wicket between Sean Abbott (26) and Ashton Agar (17) took them close to 250 while Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa added 22 precious runs for the final wicket.
What looked like a good toss to win for Australia after Mitchell Marsh (47 off 47 balls) and Travis Head (33 off 31 balls) put on 68 for the opening stand didn't seem so as Pandya bowled three different deliveries in his first three overs to completely seize the momentum in favour of the hosts. David Warner (23 off 31 balls) and Marnus Labuschagne (28 off 45 balls) paid dearly for their indiscreet shot selection off Kuldeep's bowling before Alex Carey (38 off 46 balls) played his first innings of substance on the final day of a long near two-month tour.
Earlier, Marsh, who has had a good first two games, started from where he left in the last game and struck a flurry of fours and a six within the first Powerplay and Head also chanced his arms and got a few runs in the process. After Shubman Gill dropped a sitter at square leg fence off a mistime pull from Head, Pandya did get the breakthrough with another back-of-the-length delivery that was slashed hard and Kuldeep didn't make any mistake at deep third man fence.
Steve Smith's (0) horrendous tour, perhaps his last full series in India, ended on a sour note as Pandya bowled a fuller delivery and the resultant snick was a regulation catch for KL Rahul behind the stumps. After getting wickets with back-of-length and fuller delivery, Pandya bowled the conventional good length to Marsh, who played on as he approached his hat-trick of half-tons in the series.
Warner, playing at an unfamiliar No. 4 position, along with Labuschagne added 40 runs before the former gave Kuldeep the charge without reaching to the pitch of the delivery. The result was an easy catch for Pandya in the long-off region. Labuschagne didn't learn from Warner's follies and also perished going for the glory shot. However, the lower-order fought admirably to give Australia a chance to get back into the game. (PTI)
Scoreboard of 3rd ODI between India and Australia
Australia:
Travis Head c Kuldeep Yadav b Pandya 33
Mitchell Marsh b Pandya 47
Steven Smith c Rahul b Pandya 0
David Warner c Pandya b Kuldeep Yadav 23
Marnus Labuschagne c Shubman Gill b Kuldeep Yadav 28
Alex Carey b Kuldeep Yadav 38
Marcus Stoinis c Shubman Gill b Patel 25
Sean Abbott b Patel 26
Ashton Agar c Patel b Mohammed Siraj 17
Mitchell Starc c Jadeja b Mohammed Siraj 10
Adam Zampa not out 10
Extras: (LB-4, NB-1, W-7) 12
Total: (All out in 49 overs) 269
Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-74, 3-85, 4-125, 5-138, 6-196, 7-203, 8-245, 9-247, 10-269
Bowling: Mohammed Shami 6-0-37-0, Mohammed Siraj 7-1-37-2, Axar Patel
8-0-57-2, Hardik Pandya 8-0-44-3, Ravindra Jadeja 10-0-34-0, Kuldeep Yadav
10-1-56-3.
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- Mitchell Marsh (47), who looked well-settled at the crease and was approaching his half-century, has been bowled by Pandya. Third wicket for the Indian all-rounder.
- Australia has so far lost Travis Head for 33. His wicket was taken by Hardik Pandya, and caught by Kuldeep Yadav. The second wicket fell in skipper Steve Smith whose dismissal came by Pandya, his second wicket so far.
Toss report:
Australian skipper Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat first against India in the third ODI at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Wednesday. Australia brought the series back on level in the second ODI with help from Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head. Their spirits will be high as they walk into the stadium for the final ODI. On the other hand, India will be keen to bounce back after suffering defeat in the previous ODI.
Australian skipper Steve Smith said at the toss, "We are gonna have a bat. Looks like quite a dry surface, it is pretty hot out here. Will look to put a good total on this surface. We have had good fun and it will be exciting in the decider. David Warner is back and Cameron Green is feeling unwell, so there are changes."
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said at the toss,"We were looking to field first. It's an important game and the deciders are always interesting. It's always good to put us in this situation. It's a challenge for us to come back and play some good cricket under pressure. Hopefully we can put our best foot forward. Australia are a good team and you can always test your depth. We are playing with the same team. We were thinking of playing with four seamers but the conditions here are suitable for the spinners, so we go with three spinners."
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith(c), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey(w), Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Agar, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj. (Toss report ANI)
