'We Kept Talking About..,' KL Rahul Reveals Key Strategy After Win Over Aussies
Ruturaj Gaikwad & Shubman Gill led the foundation of India's successful chase (Twitter)
India secured a comprehensive victory against Australia by five wickets in the opening match of the three-game ODI series in Mohali.
India's impressive chase cemented No.1 ODI spot
This win not only gifted India the lead in the series but also propelled them to the top of the ICC ODI rankings. Notably, they already hold the No. 1 position in both Tests and T20Is.
Post-match, Indian captain KL Rahul expressed his contentment over the team's performance. He mentioned his familiarity and affinity for the captaincy role.
Reflecting on the game's conditions, Rahul emphasized the challenges posed by the hot and humid weather, lauding the team's fitness levels. He commended the performance of the bowlers, given that only five of them played, requiring each to complete their full quota of overs.
“(On captaincy) Not the first time, always happens with me. I'm used to it, I love it. I think the intensity in the afternoon was great, after Colombo this felt like heaven at the start but it was really hot and humid. It gets tough and physically challenging, but we've all worked on our fitness and that's showing on the field. We only played five bowlers, so they had to bowl 10 overs,” said Rahul.
The Indian skipper also appreciated the crucial partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, stressing the importance of good cricket shots and strike rotation, which has been a focus area for all Indian batters. He also opened on how they were focused on taking the game deep.
“After Shubman got out, it was a bit tricky with the set batter out. But managed to build a good partnership with Surya, need to put myself in such challenging situations. We kept talking about hitting good cricket shots, rotating the strike and this is something all our batters are working on. We didn't want to get bogged down, we were always on par so we wanted to take it deep,” added the 31-year-old.
On the field, after being put to bat, Australia could only muster 276 runs before being bowled out. While David Warner's resilient half-century stood out, the other batsmen faltered, failing to convert their starts. India's Mohammed Shami was particularly impressive, achieving a career-best figure of 5/51 in his allotted 10 overs.
In reply, India's chase was anchored by strong contributions from Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 74 and 71 respectively. After a minor hiccup that saw a loss of quick wickets, the experienced duo of KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav forged an 80-run partnership, stabilizing the innings. Even though Yadav departed after a commendable half-century, captain Rahul's steadfast 58* ensured India's victory.
The teams will face off next on Sunday, September 24, in Indore, with India looking to build on their lead in the series.
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