Latest updates: India vs Australia — India beat Australia by 26 runs

Yuzhvendra Chahal wreaked the most havoc, picking up the wickets of Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade and Pat Cummins.

September 17, 2017 01:48 pm | Updated 10:35 pm IST - Chennai

M.S. Dhoni plays a shot in the first ODI match  between India and Australia at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

M.S. Dhoni plays a shot in the first ODI match between India and Australia at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

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A first innings that needed rescue, a two-and-a-half hour delay of the second innings and several touch-and-go moments later, hosts India beat Australia by 26 runs by the Duckworth Lewis method in the first ODI at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

Australia struggled to find their footing after India's total of 281 was revised to 164 in 21 overs. The visitors were to begin batting at 6 PM IST but mild showers kept the players in the pavilion till 8.30 pm.

Opener Hilton Cartwright went cheaply for one run, as did captain Steve Smith who came in at number 3. The other opening batsmen David Warner held on a little longer, but got out at 25 to Kuldeep Yadav at the eighth over.

Yuzhvendra Chahal wreaked the most havoc, picking up the wickets of Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade and Pat Cummins.

Earlier, all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s blistering 83 complemented by a responsible 79 from Chennai’s resident ‘Super King’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni saw India score a respectable 281 for 7 against Australia.

Pandya and Dhoni scripted a brilliant recovery act after India’s top-half was blown away for only 87 runs — courtesy some controlled swing bowling from Nathan Coulter-Nile (3/44) and Marcus Stoinis (2/54).

The duo added 118 runs for the sixth wicket with Pandya taking the attack back to opposition with some brilliant sixes while Dhoni once again played the role of sheet anchor to perfection.

Pandya’s 66-ball innings had five boundaries and five sixes — four of which were hit off leg-spinner Adam Zampa’s over.

India vs Australia first ODI

Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the first ODI match between India and Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai on Sunday.

 

Dhoni on his part hit four boundaries and two sixes —— both coming down the track and lofting over extra cover off pace bowling. The former skipper played 88 balls. The two sixes were the kind of shots that one doesn’t associate with Dhoni — maximums over extra cover.

Dhoni also added 72 runs for the seventh wicket with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (32 off 30 balls) in only 8.5 overs which took India beyond 280 plus total — something that looked unlikely at the halfway stage.

The turning point of the innings was the 37th over bowled by Zampa (1/66 in 10 overs) when Pandya launched into him.

India were 148 for 5 at that stage and the pressure was on Pandya and Dhoni, who were trying to rebuild the innings.

Pandya started with a boundary off a full toss and followed it up with three huge sixes as 24 runs came off that over. Australian bowling attack suddenly felt the pressure after that.

Earlier, Coulter-Nile, making a comeback to the team after being dropped from Australia’s Champions Trophy squad, made early inroads by removing Ajinkya Rahane for 5.

Australian players celebrate after dismissing Ajinkya Rahane during their first ODI against India at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai on Sunday.

Australian players celebrate after dismissing Ajinkya Rahane during their first ODI against India at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai on Sunday.

The Mumbai batsman didn’t look very convincing in his brief stay. He was dismissed going for a drive off a swinging delivery from Coulter-Nile only to be caught behind by Wade.

Skipper Kohli shaped for a drive and missed off the second delivery he received after having left the first one alone.

After playing the third towards cover quietly, the captain was on his way after being snapped up the athletic Glenn Maxwell at point going for an expansive drive off Coulter-Nile.

Maxwell did well to time his jump and take a one-handed catch to cut short Kohli’s stay at the crease.

Manish Pandey, who got the nod ahead of his Karnataka state-mate K.L. Rahul, lasted just two balls. He was out fishing at a delivery on fifth stump. India were in dumps at 11 for 3 when Rohit Sharma (28) and Kedar Jadhav (40) revived the innings with a 53-run stand.

Both were out trying to pull short deliveries from Stoinis before Pandya-Dhoni took over.

Teams:

India: Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli (c), Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (w), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.

Australia: David Warner, Hilton Cartwright, Steven Smith (c), Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (w), James Faulkner, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa.

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