Chennai: India's spin wizardry proved too hot to handle for Australia on Sunday as they were bundled out for a paltry 199 in the opening clash for both teams in this ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023. Later KL Rahul and Virat Kohli shone with the bat, stabilising India's shocker of a start and ensuring a victory for the team.
India hunt down the target for a loss of only four wickets with Kohli scoring 85 runs while KL Rahul's unbeaten 97 handed him the Player of the Match award.
Earlier, Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to bat first at MA Chidambaram Stadium here. Things didn't go as planned for the visitors, who were reeling at 119 for five in the 30th over. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (3/38) did the bulk of the damage with his middle-over blows. Steven Smith top-scored for the Aussies with 46 off 71 balls, while David Warner made 41 from 52 balls. This was the 150th ODI match between these two cricketing nations.
India spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin weaved the web around Australia never letting them have any control during their innings.
As India began their chase, it was a shocker of a start for the Men in Blue with Ishan Kishan, skipper Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer, all out on ducks. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul then steadied the ship even though the former was provided a lifeline after Mitchell Marsh dropped a sitter. The duo added 165 runs for the fourth wicket which put India in control of the game and the victory was within touching distance after that. Team India, as such, has continued their match-winning form from the Asia Cup and the bilateral series with the Aussies that concluded just before the start of the World Cup.
Australia, on the other hand, was handed their six ODI defeat on Sunday in the last seven games they have played
Second Innings updates as they happened:
- 9.50 PM
KL Rahul signs off the clash with a terrific inside-out shot clearing the fence and India wins the game by six wickets. - 9.47 PM
Both the batters are now looking to be in a hurry to finish the match and this time it was KL Rahul's turn to free his arms. He advanced down the track to Maxwell and tonked a maximum over long-off. - 9.42 PM
Hardik Pandya dances down the track and smashes a six over long-off. India are now just 18 runs away from the target. - 9.32 PM
A sad end to a promising knock. Kohli will be sad for not completing his ton but he has put India in control. Kohli tries to play a pull over mid-wicket but played it straight in the hands of Labuschagne. Australia got the breakthrough but it might be too late for them. - 9.22 PM
Both the players are now scoring with ease and the Indian team is now inching closer to their victory in the campaign opener. - 9.13 PM
Virat Kohli plays a brilliant square drive for four runs against Mitchell Starc and India are now within touching distance of a glory. Kohli's drop us costing Australians the game. - 9.05 PM
Adam Zampa was expected to be most effective in Chennai where the surface offer some help from spinners. However, he hasn't been able to find rhythm today. - 8.55 PM
Kohli and Rahul are slowly taking this game away from Australia. Adam Zampa hasn't been impressive so far adding to Cummins' troubles. India are 124/3 after 31 overs. - 8.40 PM
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul each have notched up a fifty slowly putting India back in control after the early tumult. It was Virat Kohli's 67th ODI fifty. He was equally supported by KL who brought up his 16th half-century in ODIs. - 8.20 PM
One's and two's have been the sole focus of the Kohli-Rahul duo in this partnership and they are slowly building a partnership which might help India seal a win. - 8.10 PM
Kohli-Rahul duo are taking a cautious approach as India is heading towards the and are building the innings with a focus on showcasing quick running between the wickets. - 8.02 PM
As soon as the Australian captain introduced Adam Zampa, KL Rahul took attack to the opposition smashing three boundaries from Zampa's first over. - 7.51 PM
Both Kohli and Rahul are getting into the grove notching a fifty-run partnership for the fourth wicket so far. - 7.37 PM
Virat Kohli has displayed some terrifc strokeplay on last couple of deliveries which included a glorious flick. Marsh dropping Kohli might turn out to be a fatal mistake for the Aussies. - 7.25 PM
A cautious approach from both Kohli and Rahul as they are staging a recovery. The Australian captain introduces Cameron Green to break the parternship. - 7.17 PM
Cummins introduces Glenn Maxwell into the attack as Kohli-Rahul duo look to build their parternship by showcasing some quick running betwen the wickets. - 7.07 PM
Mitchell Marsh dropped Virat Kohli in the eighth over and that could turn out to be a decisive moment for Australia as Kohli is the batter who posses ability to take the game away from the opposition. - 7.00 PM
Virat Kohli looks to settle in as he plays a textbook straight drive and his brilliance with the bat earns India a boundary. - 6.51 PM
A fine display of fast bowling from Starc and Hazlewood early in the innings. They have troubled the batters with sharp seam movement and continue to trouble Virat Kohli and KL Rahul who are in the middle as well. - 6.40 PM
Josh Hazlewood strikes yet again. A soft dismissal as Shreyas Iyer plays an aerial shot straight in the hands of the fielder placed at covers. - 6.36 PM
Josh Hazlewood bowls a delivery outside off and it nips back in. The ball crashes into Rohit Sharma's pads and umpire raises his finger. The Indian skipper took a review but no use of it as DRS upholds the decision. - 6.31 PM
Mitchell Starc strikes in the opening over and dismissed Ishan Kishan with a delivery outside off swinging away from the batter. Also, Starc has completed 50 wickets in the ODI World Cup becoming the second Australian bowler to do so. - 6.26 PM
Skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan are in the middle as India begin what should be an easy chase unless Zampa has a few tricks up his sleeve to trouble Indian batters.
First innings updates:
- 6:05 pm
Australia are all out for 199 with three deliveries to spare. This is some performance from the Indians especially the spin-trio. Brief scores - Australia: 199 all out in 49.3 overs (Steven Smith 46, David Warner 41; Ravindra Jadeja 3/38, Kuldeep Yadav 2/42, Jasprit Bumrah 2/35). - 5.58 PM
Mohammed Siraj shoves final nail in the coffin with a slower bouncer as Mitchell Star gets dismissed in an attempt to go for a big hit. - 5.50 PM
With only two overs to go, Adam Zampa tried to play an aerial shot over mid-off and the mistimed stroke went straight to Virat Kohli who was stationed in the 30-yard circle. - 5.38 PM
Mitchell Starc adds some valuable runs for the Australian team as he whacks a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah over deep square leg for a six. - 5.30 PM
Australia are on verge of getting bundled out but Adam Zampa and Mitchell Starc are aiming to play out all 50 overs which might help them reach the 200-run mark. - 5.21 PM
Jasprit Bumrah gets second wicket of the day as Pat Cummins tries to break the shackles. Bumrah bowled it full and the Australian skipper tried to clear the boundary at long-on. However, he mistimed the shot and Shreyas Iyer grabbed a low catch by diving forward in the deep. - 5.11 PM
Pat Cummins tries to inject some hope into the Australian innings with a six over mid-wicket on a short delivery bowled by Kuldeep. - 5.05 PM
Australian batters are looking clueless against Indian spinners as they are exploiting the spin-friendly condition fully. - 4.59 PM
Ravichandran Ashwin also joins the party as he bowled a good length delivery outside off and Cameron Green plays it straight towards Shubman Gill. Gill makes no mistake in grabbing the sitter an Australia loses their seventh wicket. - 4.54 PM
Kuldeep Yadav nullifies Glenn Maxwell's plans to take attack to the opposition as he bowls a back of length delivery to dismiss. Maxwell shifted his weight on backfoot to try a pull but the ball spun back sharply and disturbed the stumps. Australia in deep trouble. - 4.50 PM
The onus to recover the innings and take Australia to decent total is on Glenn Maxwell's shoulders now as he tries to build his innings along with Cameron Green - 4.36 PM
Cameron Green and Glenn Maxwell are now looking to steady the innings and forge a solid alliance in the middle. - 4.25 PM
Ravindra Jadeja is displaying a terrific spell of spin bowling as he takes his third wicket in two consecutive overs. He bowled a good length delivery to Alex Carey and it spun back into the left-hander. The ball hit Carey's pads and umpire didn't hesitate in raising the finger. Australia in deep trouble now. - 4.20 PM
Some extra bounce from the pitch for Ravindra Jadeja has done the trick and Marnus Labuschagne will take an exit walk. The Indian spinner bowled a full delivery just outside off and Labuschagne attempted a slog sweep. However, he failed to execute the shot and KL Rahul was quick behind the wickets to catch the deflection from top edge. - 4.08 PM
Ravindra Jadeja cleans up Steve Smith with a beauty which turned from the middle stump and crashed into the top of off. Australia looses an important wicket and they might face the danger of ending up on below par score. - 3.40 PM
Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are trying to build partnership with a cautious approach as spinners Jadeja and Kuldeep are operating in the middle on a surface which is offering some turn. - 3.20 PM
Kuldeep Yadav provides India a crucial breakthrough. He bowls a full length delivery to Warner and the Australian opener smashed it straight in the hands of the Indian spinner. Kuldeep made no mistake in taking the catch and Warner is on his way back to the pavilion. - 3.00 PM
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has introduced Kuldeep Yadav into the attack to break Warner-Smith partnership. - 2:44 PM
Senior Aussie duo Steven Smith and David Warner are stitching a partnership here even though this is a subdued start going by Australian standards. Ashwin and Bumrah are operating for India right now. - 2.25 PM
Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are bowling very tight lengths as Australian Batters are finding it difficult to find boundaries. Warner and Smith are trying to build a partnership after the early wicket of Mitchell Marsh. Hardik Pandya has come as the first change replacing Jasprit Bumrah. - 2.11 PM
Jasprit Bumrah strikes early for India as Mitchell Marsh walks back to the pavilion without scoring a run. Marsh tried to play towards third man for a single but only managed an outside edge and Virat Kohli took a brilliant diving catch in the second slip, his 15th in ODI World Cups. With this Virat has the highest number of catches by an Indian player in all ODI World Cups. - 2.00 PM
Pocket Dynamite David Warner and Mitchell Marsh are opening the innings for Australia while Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah is opening the attack for India.
