Ahead of the T20I series against Australia, it was important for Virat Kohli’s side to finish the ODI series on a high. At Canberra, Kohli, who made four changes to his side, opted to bat first. After a few starts were thrown away and three half centuries from Kohli, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja propelled India to 302/5. In response, Australia could not match up to their lofty standards and were handed a 13-run defeat.
This was India’s first win in six ODI matches.
Hardik and Jadeja had put on a record 150-run partnership for the sixth wicket with the right hander scoring ninety plus for the second time in the series.
Australia, who had been rampant in the first two games were without David Warner, could not repeat their heroics with the bat. Debutant T Natarajan and Shardul Thakur pegged them back with early wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, before everyone else chipped in with wickets at crucial times. Once Glenn Maxwell was castled by Jasprit Bumrah for 59, it became a tough ask for Australia.
Hardik Pandya
One of India’s stars in the ODI series, Pandya held the innings together after Virat Kohli’s dismissal. Pandya, who confirmed that he would not be bowling in the game, was part of a record 150-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja which took India past 300.
Pandya, who really went through the gears after completing his half century at less than run-a-ball, smashed four boundaries and a six during his unbeaten knock of 92. It was his second ninety plus score in the series.
Pandya, who was playing his first international games since the 2019 ODI World Cup and was in a new role for most of the series as a batsman only, finished as India’s highest run getting in the three games with 210.
Ravindra Jadeja
While Pandya, anchored the innings after Kohli’s dismissal, it was the final flourish from Ravindra Jadeja that propelled India to the 302-run mark.
Much like, Pandya, Jadeja started cautiously and absorbed the pressure before taking advantage of the absence of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. He smashed Hazlewood for a couple of huge sixes before taking Sean Abbott to the cleaners with three consecutive boundaries and yet another six in the final stages of the innings.
Jadeja, who finished with 66 off 50 deliveries and stayed unbeaten, also picked the crucial wicket of Aaron Finch for 75. And took a good catch to end Cameron Green’s debut innings for 21 to give Kuldeep Yadav a wicket. Maxwell however wasn’t very kind to Jadeja and smashed him for a couple of sixes and four to spoil his figures with the ball.
Virat Kohli
Not the smoothest innings as per his high standards, Kohli found it hard to pierce the gaps during his record-breaking knock. Kohli, who became the fastest to reach the 12,000-run mark in ODI cricket when he reached 23, scored 63 off 78 balls with five boundaries to his name.
Kohli was also not helped by the dismissals of Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, which forced him to curb his attacking instincts a bit. However, while trying to go through the gears, Kohli fell prey to Hazlewood for a fourth successive time in ODI cricket.
Shardul Thakur
Brought in as the third seamer in place of Navdeep Saini, he responded to his captain’s call with aplomb. Easily the best bowler on display for India, Thakur mixed it up well and used all his variations to fox the Australian batsmen.
His early scalp of Steve Smith really got India going after which he accounted for Moises Henriques too put Australia in a spot of bother. The hosts never really recovered from the early blows as Thakur added the scalp of Sean Abbot to finish up his spell.
Aaron Finch
The Australian captain scored a second half century of the series and kept the side in the hunt after Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith were both dismissed cheaply. Finch kept chipping away from his end and finished with 75, with seven fours and three sixes.
Finch however could not kick on for a second century in the series as Australia’s much changed side, fell short in Canberra.
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