Shami, batters help India go 1-0 up

When the chances finally came though with the introduction of Adam Zampa, India had a solid foundation already but it threatened to be shaken albeit briefly. Gaikwad was out LBW trying to sweep Zampa before Shreyas Iyer was run out after a big mix-up with Gill. Zampa brought Australia firmly back into the game when he rattled the stumps by going past Gill’s cut with a flipper. Losing three wickets for nine runs left India in a jittery position, and was amplified when Ishan Kishan was out caught behind on 18. But the nerves were put to rest by an assured partnership between KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav for the fifth wicket.

Suryakumar, after three golden ducks in previous ODI outings against Australia, found his tempo by tempering his sweep shots and concentrating on playing straight right through. Resultantly, a couple of crisp straight drives put his innings on course alongside a solid Rahul. Suryakumar brought up his third ODI fifty, and first in 11 innings, that ticked another box in India’s preparation for the World Cup. Even as he departed, with India a couple of hits away from the win, the chase was finished off in style by Rahul who got to his 14th ODI fifty with a couple of clean lofts in the long off area.

That the chase was completed without breaking much sweat thanks to the bowling performance earlier in the day, with Shami starring right through.

Shami kick-started the innings on a good note after India opted to bowl, having Mitchell Marsh caught in the lone wide slip in just the first over. However, Australia fought back through a sprightly 94-run stand between David Warner and Steve Smith. The former was put down on 14 by Shreyas Iyer at mid off, and made India pay for it with his 29th ODI fifty. Along with Smith, who kept one end busy, Warner was threatening to up the ante in the middle overs with not much assistance on offer for the bowlers.

But Warner fell, holing out to long on against Jadeja while Shami came back for another spell and got the better of Smith with a sharp incoming delivery. Australia recovered from the double blow with a steady stand between Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green before a brief rain interruption halted play.

Soon after the break, R Ashwin got another ODI wicket against his name when Labuschagne was a trifle unlucky to be out stumped off a ricochet from Rahul’s pad. India’s largely lacklustre fielding efforts did not prevent the run out of Cameron Green after a big mix-up with Inglis.

Inglis made amends though with Marcus Stoinis as Australia hit back with a counterattacking partnership worth 62 runs in 41 balls. The duo were lethal with their power-hitting with Inglis’ slashed six over extra cover against Bumrah being the pick of the innings.

But just as Australia were threatening to get away, Shami came back to first have Stoinis bowled and then Inglis caught at deep midwicket. He finished up with a well-deserved second five-fer in ODIs when Sean Abbott dragged on against a slower delivery. Cummins chipped in with a 9-ball 21 that lifted Australia past 270 eventually.

Brief Scores:
Australia 276 all out in 50 overs (David Warner 52, Josh Inglis 45; Mohammed Shami 5-51) lost to India 281/5 in 48.4 overs (Shubman Gill 74, Ruturaj Gaikwad 71, KL Rahul 58*, Suryakumar Yadav 50) by 5 wickets

(Cricbuzz)