Rahul under pressure, artistic Shami stars in India’s five-wicket win

India now lead 1-0 in the three-match series.

After being put to bat, Australia suffered a dramatic collapse, losing six wickets for 19 runs inside eight overs to be bowled out for 188 in 35.4 overs courtesy Shami’s 3/17.

Mitchell Starc then tore apart the Indian top-order with some quick swing bowling as India collapsed to 39 for 4 just after the end of the powerplay.

Captain Hardik Pandya (25) stopped the rot, but India were not out of trouble when he was dismissed for 83 for 5.

But Ravindra Jadeja (45 not out, 69 balls) provided enough support in an unbroken 108-run partnership with Rahul, after bowling nine tight overs of left-arm spin.

India won the match in 39.5 overs.

But Rahul deserves credit for handling the innings in the face of the storm, and has played the No. 5 keeper-batsman role like a fish takes to water.

He enjoys low-scoring scary battles and Friday at Wankhede was one such occasion.

However, Twilight’s time belonged to Stark. The Australian quick took the new ball dangerously into the air as well as away from the surface. He pinned Virat Kohli (4) in front of the wickets on the last ball of the fifth over and dismissed Suryakumar Yadav leg before on the last ball of that over.

Right-arm pacer Sean Abbott also edged the ball back to Jag, dismissing Shubman Gill lbw, but the Indian batsman successfully reviewed after being dismissed.

Gill had luck in his favor as Australia squandered two tough chances behind the wickets, but the Indian could not capitalise.

Starc bowled a fuller ball outside off to drive the Indians, hoping to get an edge or shot in the air.

Deployed in a long burst of six overs, Starc finally succeeded after Gill hit the left-handed batsman for two boundaries. The bowler had him caught at point for 20 off 31 balls with four fours, leaving India in a precarious position at 39/4 in 10.2 overs.

It was then that Rahul showed his experience as he did not take undue risks but at the same time, punished loose balls whenever necessary. He hits Adam Zampa at deep mid-wicket stand. The key was strike rotation as Rahul and Jadeja scored 56 single runs between them.

But credit must be given to Pandya for managing resources well on his ODI captaincy debut, even if as a stand-in.

The idea of ​​bringing on Shami for an early second spell proved to be a masterstroke as Australia collapsed from 169/4 like a house of cards.

He got Jos Inglis to drag one back onto his stumps and then in his next over, the delivery to Cameron Green that sent him cart-wheeling off-stump was a real peach.

It pitched over the line of off-stump and Green had to settle but there was a shade late movement that beat the batsman and went past the off-stump.

The veteran fast bowler helped India pull things back after Mitchell Marsh’s 65-ball 81 set Australia up for a competitive total as his second spell of 3-2-8-3 got off to a great start. After broke the back of Australia’s resistance. ,

Shami ended with impressive figures of 6-2-17-3.

On the other hand, Siraj, who provided the opening wicket in the second over, also enjoyed success as he returned in his second spell with 5.4-1-29-3 and picked up the last two wickets of the Australian innings.

Marsh got Australia off to a great start – hitting 10 fours and five sixes in his first innings as an opener in ODIs – on his return international cricket After a three-month layoff following ankle surgery.

Marsh’s onslaught in the first half of the game ensured Australia kept marching towards a big total, but India continued to build on the lead at regular intervals and eventually bundled them out for a below-par score.

The text of this story is published from a wire agency feed without any modification.