In a highly anticipated showdown at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, the five-time champions Australia, having won the toss, opted to set a target in the 150th One-Day International (ODI) clash between cricketing powerhouses India and Australia. The stage was set for a thrilling encounter as both teams embarked on their campaigns in this prestigious event.
However, the Australian innings were brought to a close in the 49.3rd over, with Ravindra Jadeja emerging as the standout performer with figures of 3-28 from his mesmerizing left-arm spin, delivered over ten probing overs. Notably, he received support from fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav and the exceptional pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah, both of whom clinched two wickets apiece.
Australia’s innings commenced with an early setback, but the veteran duo of David Warner (41) and Steve Smith (46) orchestrated a commendable partnership worth 69 runs. It was during this phase that former Indian captain Virat Kohli exhibited his fielding prowess with a diving slip catch that sent Mitchell Marsh back to the pavilion without contributing a single run, courtesy of Bumrah’s brilliance.
Warner’s resilient left-handed innings saw him surpass the 1,000-run milestone in World Cup competitions, surpassing the illustrious Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record, requiring 19 innings as opposed to Tendulkar’s 20.
Throughout this challenging batting pitch, Warner and Smith demonstrated their experience with a methodical approach while India deftly rotated their bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav, a left-arm wrist spinner, eventually dislodged Warner through a spectacular caught-and-bowled effort that ignited an eruption of applause from the capacity crowd, a stark contrast to the empty seats witnessed in previous matches.
Smith, paired with Marnus Labuschagne, toiled for runs in a scenario where scoring was a formidable task. In this challenging environment, the economical Jadeja celebrated his initial wicket by dismissing Smith, thus preventing the former captain from reaching his half-century. Moreover, he orchestrated two more breakthroughs in his subsequent over, accounting for wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey, who departed without a single run to his name, thereby causing significant disruption to the Australian batting order.
As wickets continued to tumble, Australia plummeted from a promising 110-2 to a perilous 140-7, culminating in skipper Pat Cummins’ departure after a brief display of aggression that included the match’s first six. Cummins contributed 15 runs before his ambition to clear the boundary was foiled.
In a late resurgence, the ninth batsman, Mitchell Starc, demonstrated resilience, accumulating 28 runs to restore a semblance of respectability to the Australian total.
To sum it up concisely, Australia was dismissed for 199 runs in 49.3 overs, with Steve Smith contributing 46 runs and David Warner notching up 41 runs, while Ravindra Jadeja’s spin wizardry claimed three vital wickets.
