India will lock horns with Australia in the second ODI of the three-match series on Sunday at the YS Raja Reddy Cricket Stadium.
Following a 2-1 win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Men in Blue continued their scintillating run in 2023 by defeating Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Wankhede Stadium.
After a rather uneventful end to an otherwise effervescent test series, the ODI series too didn’t start off in a manner the visitors would’ve been hoping for. The hosts won the toss and stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya asked the visitors to bat first.
Sadly, despite the firepower the Australian roster possesses, they were just able to muster 188 runs, which the Indian line-up, besides a few hiccups here and there, was able to overcome. Ravindra Jadeja was the man of the match, as he picked two crucial wickets in the game and also guided the team to victory following a colossal top-order collapse.
What have they done so far?
After being put to bat first, Australia lost opener Travis Head pretty cheaply. However, Mitchell Marsh accelerated his innings alongside Steve Smith, who was happy to play second fiddle.
Australia’s innings had a promising beginning but ran out of steam in the middle overs. When Marsh sped forward after scoring his half-century, Australia appeared to be headed for a big score. He first put up a 72-run partnership with Steve Smith off 63 balls, and then a 52-run partnership with Marnus Labuschagne off 43 balls.
Marsh missed out on a well-deserved century but scored a handy knock of 81 runs, which included 10 boundaries and five maximums.
Marsh scored a knock of 81 runs, which included five maximums
The Kangaroos’ performance in the first ODI summed up their India tour. They started the game in extraordinary fashion, thanks to a blistering performance by Marsh. Sadly, the other batsmen failed to convert his start into a big total, as has been the case for them thus far.
From 125 for the loss of two wickets, Australia was bowled out for a mere 188. While Steve Smith and Josh Inglis showed some restraint, scoring 22 and 26 runs respectively, they were no match to a lethal Indian bowling attack that just ran through Australia’s batting order.
As for India, Mohammed Shami was the pick of the bowlers. Shami picked three wickets, including the crucial scalps of Josh Inglis and Cameroon Green. Each Indian bowler, besides Shardul Thakur, managed to pick a wicket.
Mohammed Siraj, too, picked three wickets and his wicket of Travis Head was more or less a catalyst for the Australian collapse. Jadeja has been absolutely unplayable since his return and picked two wickets. Kuldeep Yadav was a little expensive in the first ODI but managed to find his name on the scorecard as well.
Interestingly, what once looked like a one-sided affair, turned on its head as the Indian batting, too, fell flat like a lead balloon. Mitchell Starc went past the Indian top order and managed to get rid of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav after Ishan Kishan was dismissed by Marcus Stoinis.
The Indians had lost three wickets for just 16 runs. Shubman Gill showed some restraint, but could only manage 20 runs. It was KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya who steadied the Indian chase and put the hosts back on top.
India lost Pandya to the run of play and with five players back in the pavilion, Jadeja joined Rahul at the crease. However, five wickets were as far as the Australians went, as Jadeja and Rahul took India to victory in the first ODI, scoring 45 and 75 runs respectively.
Head to Head record
When it comes to 50-over cricket, these two teams have a vast and famous history. Australia and India have faced off against one another 144 times in total, with the Aussies holding a considerable advantage with 80 victories to the Men in Blue’s 54.
It’s interesting to note that despite 10 matches being cancelled without a conclusion, not one of their games has ever resulted in a draw. Over the years, India has managed to establish itself as a force to be reckoned with. India also won the last bilateral ODI series fixture by 13 runs in December 2020 against Australia.
Key Players
Shubman Gill (India): Ever since he announced his arrival on the international scene, Gill has been absolutely phenomenal. More recently, he scored a century in the shortest format of the game against New Zealand and became only the 5th Indian batsman to score a century in all formats of international cricket.
Gill scored a double-century against New Zealand earlier this year
Gill wrecked havoc in the series against the Kiwis and also managed a double century in ODI cricket. Since then, he has been unstoppable and has cemented his position in the Indian top order.
More importantly, he also scored a brilliant knock of 128 runs in the penultimate test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and despite falling cheaply in the first ODI, he remains a danger for the Kangaroos.
Cameroon Green (Australia): Green has been impenetrable off-late. After joining the team after the third Test in Indore, the Australian all-rounder has shown grit. He has already experienced the thrill of slamming runs in plenty, having done so when Australia visited Indian shores prior to the T20 World Cup last year.
He was also the second-most expensive player sold in an IPL auction after he was purchased for a whopping ₹17.5 crore by the Mumbai Indians. While Green was bowled out to an impressive delivery by Shami in the first ODI, he is a destructive batsman, especially in the dying embers of the game.
Predicted XIs
India: Rohit Sharma ©, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Umran Malik, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
Australia: Travis Head, Cameron Green, Steve Smith ©, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott
Prediction
While Australia bats deep and has a history of making extraordinary comebacks, India has looked in good touch for the last few months. The Kangaroos will give a solid fight to the Men in Blue, but India will emerge victorious in the second ODI as well, to put an end to an amazing series.