World Cup 2023 | Virat Kohli, KL Rahul Take India Home After Jadeja’s Spin Assault On AUS
Ravindra Jadeja celebrates an Australian wicket (x.com)
Brief Scores: Australia: 199 all out (49.3 overs) [Steve Smith: 46 (71), David Warner: 41 (52); Ravindra Jadeja 3/28 (10), Jasprit Bumrah 2/35 (10)] lost to India: 201-4 (41.2 overs) [KL Rahul: 97* (115), Virat Kohli: 85 (116); Josh Hazlewood 3/38 (9), Mitchell Starc 1/31 (8)] by six wickets.
Suave run-chase specials from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul guided India to a comfortable win against Australia on a turning Chepauk wicket in Chennai. Their six-wicket victory also handed the ‘Men in Blue’ their opening points of the 2023 World Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah, spinners fold Australia up for 199
Jasprit Bumrah bagged a wicket upfront by dismissing Australia’s makeshift opener Mitchell Marsh for a duck. Pat Cummins, who had opted to bat first upon winning the toss, lived to rue his call before opener David Warner and charismatic number three Steve Smith staged a calculated recovery with their 69-run second wicket stand.
Both cricketers slapped 40s each, with Smith top-scoring in the innings with his cautious 46. Warner’s dismissal at 74-2 invited Marnus Labuschagne into the middle, and the in-form right-hander instantly got into this groove with confident strokes.
However, Smith’s dismissal at the hands of Ravindra Jadeja triggered a colossal batting collapse within the Australian camp, as they soon slumped from 110-2 to 140-7. Jadeja himself snared three wickets in a space of 10 deliveries by packing Smith, Labuschagne and Alex Carey back to the pavilion.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav also reaped in the benefits of pristine spin conditions on offer at the Chepauk Stadium, as the two spin legends shared three wickets between them from their combined 20 economical overs. Handy runs from Cummins and Mitchell Starc eventually stretched Australia’s total to 199, leaving India to chase a modest total to bag early World Cup 2023 points upfront.
Virat Kohli, KL Rahul keep cool to guide India home
Chasing 200 to win, demons of the 2019 World Cup semi-final came back to haunt Team India as they lost each of their first three wickets for ducks against Australia’s new-ball attack, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
Captain Rohit Sharma, his temporary opening partner Ishan Kishan and number four Shreyas Iyer all failed to put a run on the board as the hosts slumped to 2-3 within the first two overs. Thereafter, batting veteran Virat Kohli staged a rebellious run-chase recovery with KL Rahul, as the two slapped sparkling half-centuries in their monumental 165-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
While Kohli was dismissed by Hazlewood against the run-of-play for 85, Rahul (97*) and Hardik Pandya guided India past the finishing line with more than eight overs to spare.
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