Finance
Australia won the series 2-1 after leg-spinner Adam Zampa took four wickets and left-arm spinner Ashton Agar took two.
After posting 269 in 49 overs on a slow pitch where strokeplay was difficult, Zampa and Agar helped Australia fight back in the middle overs to break India’s batting. Despite Mitchell Starc’s wicketless performance, the rest of the bowlers, combined with a fiery fielding display and spot-on fielding placements, led to India being bowled out for 248 in 49.1 overs.
Despite a 65-run opening partnership, India lost four wickets for 43 runs after Virat Kohli and KL Rahul had put on 69 runs for the fourth wicket. But after Rahul and Kohli fell, the chase went downhill and India ended up on the losing side, which meant they lost an ODI series at home after four years.
With the pitch providing little assistance for fast bowlers, Shubman Gill was drawn to Mitchell Starc’s pace. His trademark short-arm jab and two leaning drives were followed by a whipped six over deep mid-wicket to pick three boundaries off the left-arm pacer.
In the seventh over, Rohit Sharma joined the boundary-hitting party with an elegant loft over long-off for six against Starc, followed by a pre-mediated scoop and pull off Sean Abbott for two boundaries. Rohit couldn’t keep a swipe down after lofting Adam Zampa over long-on for six, and was caught at deep square leg off Abbott.
Three overs later, Gill misjudged a drifting in delivery from Zampa and was caught on pad first, with Australia getting him out after taking the review. Kohli took time, before pulling Agar off backfoot through mid-wicket and followed it up with a beautiful inside-out loft over extra cover for six.
After 49 balls, Rahul hit India’s first boundary with a smash over Zampa’s head for four, bringing his partnership with Kohli to fifty. When Starc pitched it full, Rahul smashed it down the ground for six and then unfurled a loft over extra cover for four.
Rahul had just begun to change gears when Zampa took him out in the 28th over, as the right-hander failed to get the elevation on a googly and toe-ended loft to long-on. After facing four balls, Axar Patel was run out by a brilliant diving throw from Steve Smith at midwicket in the next over.
Hardik Pandya got off to a flying start after Kohli reached his fifty in 61 balls with a pulled six off Abbott, followed by a punch through extra cover for four. Agar produced a twist in the 36th over – Kohli chipped a drive to long-off.
It was immediately followed by a skiddy delivery that beat Suryakumar Yadav on the cut and got him out for a first-ball duck for the third time in the series. With a 33-run partnership, Pandya and Jadeja kept India in the game as Australia put pressure on the duo.
With the asking rate increasing and the pressure increasing, Hardik attempted to slog across the line off Zampa in the 44th over. The ball, however, took the leading edge, and Smith made the catch at cover. Jadeja danced down the pitch to slog across the line against Zampa in the next over, but sliced to backward point.
Mohammed Shami stood out with a six and a four off Marcus Stoinis. But it was the all-rounder who had the last laugh by rattling Shami’s off-stump. A mix-up between Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj resulted in run-out of the former, bringing the Indian innings to an end.
Brief Scores: Australia 269 all out in 49 overs (Mitchell Marsh 47, Alex Carey 38; Hardik Pandya 3/44, Kuldeep Yadav 3/56) beat India 248 in 49.1 overs (Virat Kohli 54, Hardik Pandya 40; Adam Zampa 4/45, Ashton Agar 2/41) by 21 runs
Source:OCN
