Amongst runs: Rahul was in his aspect with an unbeaten 75.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
After the rank turners and a docile pitch through the Test collection, the pacers lastly had one thing going for them on a typical Wankhede Stadium monitor.
Despite the speedsters from each side ruling the roost, Ok.L. Rahul’s standout knock turned out to be decisive as India took the lead within the three-match ODI collection versus Australia.
Fine present: Jadeja’s all-round present helped India take a 1-0 lead.
| Photo Credit:
EMMANUAL YOGINI
Rahul’s unbeaten 75 (91b, 7×4, 1×6) — ably aided first by stand-in captain Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja with the willow — meant India overhauled the goal of 189 with 5 wickets and 61 balls to spare.
Marsh on tune
Rahul was the second-highest particular person scorer of the evening behind Mitchell Marsh who notched up a marvellous 81.
Rahul got here in to bat with India tottering at 16 for three and when he took guard an over later, his first goal was to avert Mitchell Starc’s hat-trick with the pacer having accounted for Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav with inswingers off the final two balls of his earlier over.
The hat-trick ball — Rahul’s first — was crunched via covers for a 4. From then on, till Jadeja whipped Starc for a 4 via mid-wicket to finish the formalities, Rahul was in his aspect within the format that he finds most comfy with the willow.
It wasn’t straightforward although. While he noticed off Starc’s opening burst, Shubman Gill’s scratchy knock ended within the left-armer’s sixth over, with an uppish minimize to backward-point.
Just when Rahul and Hardik — who had taken India to security in the same low-scoring affair versus Sri Lanka in Kolkata in January — appeared to close the door on Australia, Marcus Stoinis introduced Australia again within the sport.
Stoinis, who had removed Ishan Kishan with the brand new ball, returned to lure Hardik with a short-ball ploy. However, as soon as Jadeja and Rahul staved off Starc’s two-over burst, the writing was on the wall as Rahul went after leggie Adam Zampa.
Similarly, India’s wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav bore the brunt of Marsh’s wrath. The burly all-rounder — taking part in as a specialist batter within the collection having recovered from an ankle surgical procedure — opened the innings together with Travis Head.
Despite Head taking part in Mohammed Siraj on to his stumps within the second over, with captain Steve Smith holding on to the opposite finish, Marsh drove Mohammed Shami and Siraj with finesse.
Even Hardik and the magical arm of Shardul Thakur couldn’t cease his onslaught as he tonked the duo for three sixes on the on-side.
Once spin was launched, Marsh freed his arms additional. Kuldeep suffered essentially the most, as he was clobbered for 21 runs off the 11 balls he bowled to Marsh.
Eventually, Marsh’s tried hoick off a tossed-up supply by Jadeja was top-edged to brief third-man. Jadeja was quickly again in motion, taking a lunging catch to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne.
Shami and Siraj wiped off the decrease middle-order as Australia misplaced the final six wickets for simply 19 runs, which meant the 27,000-odd spectators may return house properly in time after an early end.
