That’s it for tonight’s blog, but we’ll be back on Sunday for the second ODI. Goodnight!
KL Rahul’s verdict
Starc was swinging the ball dangerously so I just wanted to bat through the first 15-20 balls and take it from there. I wasn’t really thinking about runs. I wanted to give myself time and play normal cricket shots.
The minute a left-hander walked in [Ravindra Jadeja], I got a few loose balls. That happens to the best bowlers. He batted beautifully and he knows exactly what to do in that position. I love someone who can run fast and put the pressure on the fielding team.
A word for Mitchell Marsh, whose coruscating 81, with five sixes, was easily the most fluent innings of the match. His dismissal in the 20th over precipitated a match-losing collapse of eight for 59.
India were in big trouble at 39 for four after a scorching new-ball spell from Mitchell Starc. But KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja batted with clarity and maturity, minimising risk throughout a superb partnership of 108 in 20.3 overs.
#TeamIndia go 1⃣-0⃣ up in the series! 👏 👏
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 17, 2023
An unbeaten 1⃣0⃣8⃣-run partnership between @klrahul & @imjadeja as India sealed a 5⃣-wicket win over Australia in the first #INDvAUS ODI 👍 👍
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/BAvv2E8K6h @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/hq0WsRbOoC
Updated
INDIA WIN BY FIVE WICKETS!
39.5 overs: India 191-5 (Rahul 75, Jadeja 45) Starc is caked in sweat but he’s going to bowl out, just in case something absurd happens.
It doesn’t. Jadeja finishes the match with a couple of leg-side boundaries, and India have won with more than 10 overs to spare.
39th over: India 181-5 (target 189; Rahul 74, Jadeja 37)
Updated
38th over: India 176-5 (target 189; Rahul 70, Jadeja 36) Starc returns, his weary limbs doubtless begging for mercy. Even now, with victory so close, India’s batters treat him with caution – three runs from the over.
Updated
37th over: India 173-5 (target 189; Rahul 68, Jadeja 35) Sean Abbott returns, but the horse has long gone. Jadeja times a cut towards the point boundary, where the sprawling Mitchell Marsh does very well to save a couple of runs. An entirely futile gesture, but admirable nonetheless.
India get a bonus run in strange circumstances after Labuschagne waits for Jadeja to wander out of his crease, throws the ball at the stumps and misses. The ball wasn’t dead so Jadeja would have been out had the throw hit.
36th over: India 167-5 (target 189; Rahul 66, Jadeja 32) Rahul opens the face to wave Zampa past backward point, another masterful stroke from a player who looks in complete control.
A loose delivery runs away for three wides, then Rahul launches Zampa over midwicket for six!
Seventeen from the over. India are rushing towards the finish line.
35th over: India 150-5 (target 189; Rahul 54, Jadeja 32) Rahul works Green for a single to reach a responsible half-century from 73 balls. It’s been a low-key performance, almost anonymous, but that’s exactly what India needed after slipping to 39 for four. He’s played expertly.
A flashing back cut for four off Green’s last ball takes India to within 39 of victory. Australia made an admirable fist of defending such a small target, but it’s getting away from them now.
34th over: India 143-5 (target 189; Rahul 49, Jadeja 30) Steve Smith can’t hold Zampa back any longer. He returns in place of Maxwell but is expertly milked for five more singles. India are cruising to victory, or so it seems.
Updated
33rd over: India 138-5 (target 189; Rahul 47, Jadeja 26) At the risk of stating the offensively obvious, Australia need a wicket here. Green’s fifth over passes without alarm for Rahul and Jadeja, and now India’s target is 51 from 102 balls.
32nd over: India 133-5 (target 189; Rahul 44, Jadeja 26) Zampa has six overs remaining, which Smith would ideally save for the lower order. ‘Ideally’ is working like a dog in that sentence.
Stoinis continues and is cut easily for four by Jadeja, who looks into control of this runchase. Five singles make it a terrific over for India, the most productive of the innings.
31st over: India 124-5 (target 189; Rahul 42, Jadeja 20) Steven Smith makes an aggressive move, bringing Cameroon Green on for Glenn Maxwell. It almost has the desired effect. Rahul is beaten by a rare old jaffa, then edges a drive just wide of the flying Smith at slip.
In fact Smith got fingertrips on it, so it goes down as a dropped catch. But as with the Shubman Gill chance in the fourth over, it would have been an outrageous catch.
“Not sure India are pacing this right,” says Gary Naylor. “They should chase down the target as if they were playing a Test match.”
Arf. I said earlier in the innings that it felt a little like a white-ball Test; I should have added “circa 2011”. There is no Test cricket anymore, just hits and giggles whatever the weather.
Updated
30th over: India 122-5 (target 189; Rahul 41, Jadeja 20) Stoinis replaces Starc, who has two overs remaining, and beats the wafting Jadeja with his first delivery.
Jadeja then cuts for two, and there’s a leg-side wide later in the over. India, who were 39 for four at one stage, continue to inch their way to victory. They need 67 from 120 balls.
29th over: India 119-5 (target 189; Rahul 41, Jadeja 18) Maxwell continues after drinks. I’m not sure this the best option for Australia, because all Rahul and Jadeja need to do is take a few low-risk singles. So that’s exactly what they do.
Rahul has 41 from 62 balls, Jadeja 18 from 33.
28th over: India 114-5 (target 189; Rahul 39, Jadeja 16) Rahul, hit in the delicates earlier in the Starc’s over, responds with a beautiful drive to the right of mid-off for four. In a slightly skittish team innings, Rahul’s judgement of which balls to attack – especially against the dangerous Starc – has been almost flawless.
Time for drinks.
Updated
27th over: India 108-5 (target 189; Rahul 34, Jadeja 16) Zampa on, Maxwell on, presumably with the left-handed Jadeja in mind. There’s a bit of turn, nothing much off the straight, and there are two runs from the over.
Updated
26th over: India 106-5 (target 189; Rahul 33, Jadeja 15) Mitchell Starc is back in the attack. He starts with a yorker that is squeezed confidently for a single by Rahul; then Jadeja flirts with an outswinger before thinking better of it.
Starc, striving for another LBW, drifts onto Jadeja’s pads and is whizzed through square leg for four. Shot! India need 83 from 144 balls.
25th over: India 100-5 (target 189; Rahul 32, Jadeja 11) Jadeja works a rare errant delivery from Zampa to fine leg for four, though he’s fortunate later in the over when he tries to cut a quicker ball and is beaten. Lovely bowling.
24th over: India 94-5 (target 189; Rahul 31, Jadeja 5) Mitchell Starc still has four overs remaining, and Steve Smith’s mind will be whirring over when to use them. For now Abbott continues his thrifty stylings, two from the over.
23rd over: India 92-5 (target 189; Rahul 30, Jadeja 5) It’s worth a reminder that no team has defended an ODI score of less than 200 agianst India in India since 1989, so this would be some victory for Australia.
Rahul drives Zampa to wide long-off to bring the target into double figures: India need 97 from 162 balls.
22nd over: India 88-5 (target 189; Rahul 28, Jadeja 3) Stoinis off, Abbott on. Pandya’s wicket has changed the mood again, and now Australia are putting the squeeze on. Jadeja steals a single to mid-off, then Rahul – who has generally played with commendable estraint – is beaten on the drive
21st over: India 87-5 (target 189; Rahul 28, Jadeja 2)
20th over: India 83-5 (target 189; Rahul 26, Jadeja 0) Having seen the replay, that was a seriously good bit of bowling from Stoinis – the bouncer took Pandya by surprise and, crucially, the line was so tight that he couldn’t free his arms or control the shot.
Updated
WICKET! India 83-5 (Pandya c Green b Stoinis 25)
Pandya has given it away! He was surprised by a bumper from Stoinis and flapped a hook towards deep backward square leg, where Cameron Green ran round the boundary to take a good catch.
19th over: India 83-4 (target 189; Rahul 26, Pandya 25) With the match starting to drift, Steve Smith brings Adam Zampa into the attack. Pandya gets a late and crucial inside-edge after almost being duped by a skiddy delivery. Without that touch he would have been plumb.
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18th over: India 81-4 (target 189; Rahul 25, Pandya 24) The bowler Stoinis fields in his follow through and shapes to throw the ball back at Pandya, who finds the whole thing hilarious. He finds it even funnier when the no-ball siren goes off, although he only pull a single from the resulting free hit.
This has been a game of dramatic moodswings and momentum shifts. At the moment, India are in control.
17th over: India 78-4 (target 189; Rahul 24, Pandya 23) Pandya uses Green’s extra bounce to uppercut thrillingly for six, the first of the innings. There was a fielder on the third boundary but Pandya didn’t care, the first of the innings. He is batting with impressive authority, and almost gets four more with a powerful cut that is superbly stopped by Stoinis in the covers.
16th over: India 70-4 (target 189; Rahul 21, Pandya 18) Stoinis replaces Abbott, who bowled a good spell of 5-0-18-0. Rahul pushes his second delivery towards mid-on, where a misfield from Maxwell allows the ball to run away for four. All of a sudden, India are only 119 runs away from victory.
15th over: India 64-4 (target 189; Rahul 18, Pandya 16) Pandya looks in the mood to take this runchase by the scruff. He forces Green square on the off side for four, a sweetly timed stroke off the back foot. It was in the air but well wide of the fielder.
A couple of singles makes it a good over for India, who have scored 19 off the last three. It surely won’t be long before we see Adam Zampa.
14th over: India 58-4 (target 189; Rahul 17, Pandya 11) Abbott nips a full-length delivery back into Rahul, who drags the ball off middle stump for a single. For a split-second Abbott thought he had him.
Later in the over Pandya gets his second boundary with a wristy flick between midwicket and mid-on. That was a gorgeous stroke.
Time for drinks.
13th over: India 52-4 (target 189; Rahul 16, Pandya 6) Cameron Green replaces Mitchell Starc, who has given Australia a chance with a volcanic spell of 6-0-24-3.
KL Rahul, despite having almost no room to work with, back cuts superbly for four to take India past fifty. He’s playing very well here, and it’s starting to feel like India are through the new-ball storm.
12th over: India 45-4 (target 189; Rahul 11, Pandya 4) Unlike those before him KL Rahul is batting responsibly, trying to see off Starc and Abbott before addressing the actual target. He gets a couple of runs with a work off the pads.
11th over: India 43-4 (target 189; Rahul 9, Pandya 4) The captain Hardik Pandya reaches outside off stump to squirt his first ball through backward point for four.
It’s rare for somebody to bowl such a long new-ball spell in an ODI, but today it made perfect sense to keep Starc going He might get a seventh over as well.
“This game is a good indicator of how flat pitches propel reputations in white-ball cricket,” says Digvijay Yadav. “Maxwell and Stoinis looking all at sea earlier, SKY in this innings plus also against Lyon on a turner in the Tests. Not sure also, looking at the way Australians have bowled, that England will (in the words of one Ollie Robinson) give them ‘a good hiding’.”
Yeah, I admire Robinson’s fearlessness but I barely slept a wink after reading that last night.
WICKET! India 39-4 (Gill c Labuschagne b Starc 20)
Mitchell Starc has his third wicket! Gill sliced a risky drive towards point, where Labuschagne swooped to his left to take a beautiful two-handed catch. Starc finally gets Gill, and India are in appreciable bother.
10th over: India 39-3 (target 189; Gill 20, Rahul 9) Rahul plays and misses at Abbott, who is quietly bowling a terrific spell of his own. Saying which, the last ball of the over is a stinker: short, wide and slapped behind square for four by Rahul.
9th over: India 33-3 (target 189; Gill 19, Rahul 5) Gill edges Starc wide of second slip for four, another dramatic moment in this compelling head-to-head. That aside it was a relatively poor over from Starc, with most deliveries too wide of off stump. But the ball that found the edge was a cracker.
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8th over: India 28-3 (target 189; Gill 15, Rahul 5) Rahul, playing with soft hands, edges Abbott well short of second slip. At the moment this is white-ball Test cricket, with Australia hunting wickets and India content to bat time.
Abbott ends a terrific over by straightening one past Rahul’s outside edge.
There’s a break in play while KL Rahul receives treatment to his neck. Starc, meanwhile, has outstanding figures of 4-0-15-2. They could be even better, because he had Shubman Gill dropped in his second over.
7th over: India 27-3 (target 189; Gill 14, Rahul 5) Starc’s hat-trick ball is a widish inswinger that KL Rahul push-drives gloriously for four. Aaron Finch makes the point that, given the match situation and the swinging ball, Starc may bowl as many as seven overs in his first spell.
India only need to bat sensibly against Starc, which is exactly what Gill and Rahul do in that over.
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6th over: India 20-3 (target 189; Gill 13, Rahul 0) This, dear reader, is cracking entertainment.
REVIEW! India 20-3 (Gill not out 13)
This is incredible stuff. Sean Abbott has struck with the last ball of his first over, trapping Shubman Gill with a big nip-backer. It looked slightly high, in truth, and Gill has decided to review.
Good job he did: replays show it was bouncing over the stumps. Crikey, India needed that.
5th over: India 16-3 (target 189; Gill 9, Rahul 0) Mitchell Starc has bowled 920 overs in ODIs. That’s one of the best: one run, two wickets, five false strokes and a whole lotta heat and inswing.
WICKET! India 16-3 (Suryakumar LBW b Starc 0)
He’s out! Height didn’t save Suryakumar Yadav, who goes for a golden duck. Starc has two in two balls, and Australia are well and truly brawling.
Mitchell Starc is on fire! 🔥
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 17, 2023
He's also on a hat-trick next over#INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/O5hBvyyhaB
Updated
I think this will be umpire’s call, and therefore not out…
Australia review for LBW against Suryakumar! Starc might have two in two balls! It was another classic inswinger to the right-hander, and only height can save Suryakumar.
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WICKET! India 16-2 (Kohli LBW b Starc 4)
Now Kohli knows why everyone is so hot and bothered! This is sensational stuff from Mitchell Starc. He gave Kohli a serious working-over – inside-edge, LBW appeal, play and miss – before picking him up with a full-length inswinger that hit Kohli bang in front. Kohli didn’t even consider a review.
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4th over: India 15-1 (target 189; Gill 8, Kohli 4) Another dropped catch! Gill edges Stoinis to the right of second slip, where the diving Smith can’t hold on to an extremely difficult chance. That would have been a screamer, so there’s no reason to blame Smith.
As if to ask why everyone is so hot and bothered, Kohli gets off the mark with a pristine off-drive for four. Glorious.
This far away from a Steve Smith screamer #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/OjSHtvcK2J
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 17, 2023
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3rd over: India 10-1 (target 189; Gill 7, Kohli 0) Gill is dropped by Inglis! Australia have started impressively with the ball and should have had their second wicket there. Gill snicked a ferocious inswinger to the right of Inglis, who couldn’t hang on to a trickyish diving chance.
The next ball, a wide half-volley, is pinged sweetly through extra-cover for four.
2nd over: India 5-1 (target 189; Gill 3, Kohli 0) That wast an indulgent review from Kishan. The ball was hitting middle stump four-fifths of the way up, which means India have only one review remaining.
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WICKET! India 5-1 (Kishan LBW b Stoinis 3)
For the first time in his international career, Marcus Stoinis takes the new ball. Aaron Finch, who has been predictably good in the commentary box, points out that Stoinis swings the ball more than Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh, which is why he is opening the bowling.
And there you go! Kishan pushes around a beautiful inswinger to the left-hander and is trapped in front. He reviews, hoping the ball might have been bouncing over the top. It wasn’t.
Aussies get their first wicket!
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) March 17, 2023
📺 Watch #INDvAUS on Ch. 501 or stream via @kayosports
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Updated
1st over: India 2-0 (target 189; Kishan 1, Gill 1) There’s a hint of swing for Starc, which Australia, and both batters get off the mark with singles on the leg side. The last ball of the over, just back of a length, swings away and is left at the last minute by Kishan.
Right, Mitchell Starc has the ball in his hands, and India’s innings is about to begin.
What a treasure Shami is!
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 17, 2023
I do occasionally wonder whether a great fast bowler is hiding in plain sight. He is a formidable all-weather bowler.
“Not sure why it is grim to see India bowling and fielding well...” says Chris Morris. “Unless you are a one-eyed Australia fan of course.”
I’m an Englishman writing for Guardian Australia, so I’m afraid I must reluctantly question your use of the phrase “of course”.
Thanks Geoff, evening everyone. How grim was that? This isn’t a rhetorical question; I want it quantified within the hour. I suppose the first thing to say is that India’s fast bowlers were terrific on a lively pitch. But when you pick a team with a never-ending middle order, a collapse of eight for 59 – including a mini-collapse of six for 19 – just isn’t going to get the job done.
The last time a team defended a total of under 200 against India in India was on 23 October 1989, when Viv Richards took 6/41 to give West Indies victory during the beloved Nehru Cup. Call me defeatist if you must, but I’m not sure it’s going to happen today.
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Australia all out 188
Has your head stopped spinning? When Mitchell Marsh was pounding away at the Indian bowling, hitting five balls over the fence in his innings of 81 from 65 balls, Australia were set for a huge total. They had 129 on the board, two wickets down, just short of the 20th over. It looked like 350 or more was coming.
But his 65th ball changed everything, Jadeja foxing him with fast turn to draw a catch. Eight wickets for 59 runs in 16 overs.
Shami’s 3 for 17 off six was key. Siraj finished with 3 for 29, Jadeja 2 for 46, Kuldeep 1 for 48, Pandya 1 for 29.
Wow. Now the Australians have to think about defending a small total. Quite the mindset shift. We’ll have an innings break, then to take you through the reply, Rob Smyth.
35.4 overs: Australia 188-10 (Starc 4) What an extraordinary turnaround in the innings. Quite the effort from India’s bowlers. It’s all over with nearly a third of the innings unused!
WICKET! Zampa c Rahul b Siraj 0, Australia 188-10
Siraj keeps bustling up, past Zampa’s edge for the third ball in a row. Fourth, as Zampa wafts a drive. Blocks a yorker… then he’s out next ball! Outside edge to the keeper, a simple push forward and a simple nick.
35th over: Australia 188-9 (Starc 4, Zampa 0) A maiden over for Kuldeep Yadav! Starc tries to smack the last one through midwicket along the ground but finds the fielder.
34th over: Australia 188-9 (Starc 4, Zampa 0) Beaten twice, still standing, is Zampa. If he could find a way to bat through with Starc, they could possibly add another 50 runs just finding the gaps. Easier said than done though.
WICKET! Abbott c Gill b Siraj 0, Australia 188-9
On down the mountain it goes. An exact replica of the shot that Stoinis played, Abbott reaches outside off and glides the ball away while India have a floating slip in place. Bizarre, thoughtless cricket from both of them. This time the edge goes wide to the right of Gill, and this time he dives across to complete a good catch. Two from four today, but the misses haven’t cost India much.
33rd over: Australia 188-8 (Abbott 0, Starc 4) Second ball from Jadeja, Starc nicks a boundary to improve the scorecard somewhat.
WICKET! Maxwell c Pandya b Jadeja 8, Australia 184-8
Scrap that, Maxwell is gone! Tries to smash off a length through wide long-on, Jadeja’s pace is through him, the ball skews off the inside half and drags squarer, and the stand-in captain has placed himself at short midwicket where he takes that catch. This is quite the collapse, 6 for 55 since Marsh got out.
32nd over: Australia 184-7 (Maxwell 8, Abbott 0) Three balls seen out by Sean Abbott to end the over. A fair distance left for the lower order to bat with Maxwell.
WICKET! Stoinis c Gill b Shami 5, Australia 184-7
Finally, Gill latches onto one. This edge is going to his other side, between he and the keeper, and he clasps it at hip height to his left. Shami gets his third. Some figures so far, 3 for 17 today in his sixth over.
31st over: Australia 184-6 (Maxwell 8, Stoinis 5) Another big over from Kuldeep for the Australians. They decide to get into him, Stoinis sweeping a boundary, Maxwell pulling one, ten from the over.
30th over: Australia 174-6 (Maxwell 3, Stoinis 0) Green dismissed, Stoinis to the middle… and he’s dropped! Dropped first ball. Shami would have been on a hat-trick. Shubman Gill the culprit again. The last one was tough, this one was simple. Standing at a wide slip, it’s catching practice. Stoinis reaches out for the ball, like he’s just trying to run it to deep third but hasn’t thought about the field. Straight at Gill. And it goes down. A wicket maiden in the end for Shami, but it could have been a double.
WICKET! Green b Shami 12, Australia 174-6
Incredible bit of bowling! Shami has a way of finding life in pitches that don’t favour bowlers. Goes past the outside edge once. Past it twice. Green poking with no surety about what he’s doing. Then the third of the over, tight to the stumps, Green playing down the line of middle, the ball moves away a fraction, enough to beat the bat again but this time off stump is right behind the blade. Gone.
29th over: Australia 174-5 (Green 12, Maxwell 3) Tapping the ball around to start with, Maxwell takes a couple through cover, then a run through square. Five from Jadeja’s over. Drinks.
28th over: Australia 169-5 (Green 10, Maxwell 0) Here he comes, returning from that awful injury – here is wishing a very happy Glenn Maxwell Day, to those who celebrate.
WICKET! Inglis b Shami 26, Australia 169-5
A strange over. Back to pace, as Shami returns. Past the edge of Inglis first ball. Suryakumar Yadav does very well to save two runs by the boundary, tapping back after Inglis plays behind point. The third umpire takes way too long to confirm the obvious. No saving runs from the next ball: six, as Inglis pulls the short ball over square leg. Shot. Then a strange DRS review after Inglis flashes and misses, nowhere near the bat on replay. The fifth ball sees the end of him, wide outside off stump and Inglis throws hands at it, chopping back onto the stumps.
27th over: Australia 161-4 (Inglis 18, Green 10) First ball is dropped at slip. Green goes at Kuldeep, a fast edge goes well to the right of Gill and he gets a hand to it but with no control. Gets him a run, Inglis sweeps a couple, Green another brace, six from the over.
26th over: Australia 155-4 (Inglis 15, Green 7) Settling into a rhythm here, four runs off Jadeja’s over as neither side tries anything aggressive.
25th over: Australia 151-4 (Inglis 12, Green 6) Kuldeep working away at the stumps from over the wicket. Green is working the gaps well, a couple of runs to midwicket, another down the ground.
24th over: Australia 147-4 (Inglis 11, Green 3) First attacking shot from Inglis, reverse-sweeping Jadeja last ball of the over for four. Sees the line outside off, gets in position very early and times it behind point. Turns a quiet over into a good one for Australia.
23rd over: Australia 140-4 (Inglis 6, Green 1) Australia will test their depth then. Green at six, Maxwell seven, Stoinis eight. Labuschagne was only dealing in singles, looked to cut towards the boundary to get his innings moving, and that ends it. Green takes a single, Kuldeep nearly gets a second wicket when Inglis misses a poke, and Kuldeep misses the outside edge by a micron and the off stump by two.
WICKET! Labuschagne c Jadeja b Kuldeep 15, Australia 139-4
Incredible catch! We talk about Jadeja’s fielding quality, then he does this. Drive from Labuschagne, sliced to backward point, spinning and dipping. Jadeja is placed finer, has to dive to his left, full length. Gets both hands to it where most players would not get one, and takes it low to the ground.
22nd over: Australia 138-3 (Labuschagne 15, Inglis 5) Dual spin continues with Marsh out of the picture, Jadeja conceding five singles in that over.
21st over: Australia 133-3 (Labuschagne 13, Inglis 2) Tricky start for Inglis, taking a couple of singles from Kuldeep. He made a matchwinning ton for Western Australia in the 50-over domestic final last week, albeit with a huge amount of luck, being dropped repeatedly. Unlikely to get that sort of streak again.
20th over: Australia 129-3 (Labuschagne 11, Inglis 0) Next in is Josh Inglis, defending the last couple of Jadeja offerings.
WICKET! Marsh c Siraj b Jadeja 81 from 65, Australia 129-3
After some sensational work to turn Marsh’s last four into two runs, Jadeja comes on to bowl and saves four more off his own bowling, diving across. He and Maxwell are still the gold standard for fielding in the world, even as they get into their 30s. Jadeja can’t stop Marsh third ball of the over though, a bit too short, turning away but Marsh cuts with the turn through cover. But can stop him fourth ball, similar turn but a touch fuller, Marsh aiming to loft over cover but only getting a spinning outside edge, curling into the hands of short third. Powerful innings for the all-rounder.
19th over: Australia 124-2 (Marsh 77, Labuschagne 10) The back-away cut again, nails it off Kuldeep’s bowling this time. Four for Marsh through cover. Then six more over the leg side! Five sixes for him today. Similar to the Jadeja shot, stands still and drops it over wide long on. Kuldeep frustrated. Bowls a little faster and flatter, almost through Marsh but he bottom edges the cut and still picks up two runs. That’s 13 from the over.
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18th over: Australia 111-2 (Marsh 65, Labuschagne 9) Marsh trying to replicate his shot against Kuldeep, backing away to cut Jadeja, but the bowler is too fast, up over 97 kilometres an hour on that ball. Luckily for Marsh it wasn’t on the stumps. But when Jadeja fires in at the leg stump, Marsh stays still. Clears his front leg and thumps it over long on! Fourth six of his innings, 50th of his one-day career.
17th over: Australia 103-2 (Marsh 58, Labuschagne 8) Off goes Kuldeep, a bit of turn back into the right-handed Marsh immediately, and Marsh goes crabbing across the crease to keep him out, defensively minded. Risky shot third ball as he backs away to cut, but he gets it cleanly! The ball keeps low, it’s on middle stump, and he still nails his cut shot through extra cover for four. Then from force to finesse, down low and paddling a sweep shot fine for four more. The 14th ODI fifty of his career, to go with his one career hundred. Good chance to double that latter tally today.
16th over: Australia 94-2 (Marsh 49, Labuschagne 8) Great control from Jadeja, only three singles from his over. That’s what he offers. Kuldeep Yadav to bring some wrist spin into the contest next.
15th over: Australia 91-2 (Marsh 47, Labuschagne 7) Third six of the innings for Marsh! His least convincing, as he tries to get up and under a halfway short ball from Pandya, and gets really up and under it. The ball hangs in the air and eventually just clears the rope. Again, there’s not much more from the over aside from the six.
14th over: Australia 83-2 (Marsh 40, Labuschagne 6) Spin at last, Ravindra Jadeja with the ball. Left-arm spinner, fast through the air, not too far off taking 200 ODI wickets to go with his 264 in Tests. His first ball is poor, too wide and full, allowing Labuschagne to use a bottom-handed slap through cover for four. Settles into his work with a ball that turns past Marsh’s outside edge. Then a straighter ball off the inside edge into the body. Four dots to follow the early runs.
13th over: Australia 78-2 (Marsh 40, Labuschagne 1) The last time Marnus Labuschagne was in the middle he was dead-batting out a Test draw with Steve Smith in Ahmedabad. Now he’s replacing Smith with the need to play shots foremost in his mind. Starts with a leg glance for one. Marsh fences at a ball outside off. India’s quicks have all been impressive at times.
WICKET! Smith c Rahul b Pandya 22, Australia 77-2
Gone that time. Width from Pandya, Smith looks to dab a cut shot fine to deep third, and only gets a thick top edge that goes wide to KL Rahul’s right. A good catch from the keeper jumping across.
Wicket overturned
12th over: Australia 76-1 (Marsh 39, Smith 22) Shardul Thakur carries on, a couple of decent balls before Smith thrashes a cut shot for four. Shuffles forward next ball, hit on the ankle by an inswinginging yorker, given out on field but he’s hit that ball. He looks very annoyed, probably more because he didn’t get more bat on it, but the review saves him. “Never afraid to take a review,” says his former captain Finch.
11th over: Australia 70-1 (Marsh 39, Smith 17) Marsh goes again! One ball after nearly following Head by chopping the ball back onto his stumps, he dumps Pandya over deep midwicket for six. Too full, easy swing.
10th over: Australia 52-1 (Marsh 31, Smith 16) Shardul Thakur into the attack. Smith takes a single, Marsh takes a look at one ball, then Marsh takes a full swing. Into the sight screen for six. Dead straight lofted drive. He aims more leg side the next ball, missing as he plays across the line and is hit on the pad but it’s missing leg stump. Marsh blocks and leaves the next couple. Good start for Australia from the first ten overs.
9th over: Australia 52-1 (Marsh 25, Smith 15) Way wide of off stump from Pandya, and that gives Smith the room to stride across decisively and dispatch the cover drive for four! Dramatic shot. A wide down the leg side follows, KL Rahul doing well to dive across. Serious movement to end the over, some swing in the air and off the pitch, away from the bat as Marsh aims a big drive.
8th over: Australia 46-1 (Marsh 25, Smith 10) Siraj continues. Aaron Finch popping up on commentary, a step into the post-playing life for the former Australian captain in this format. The bumper doesn’t work this time, Marsh top-edging over fine leg for four. Not controlled but runs are the result. As earlier, Marsh follows a false shot with a true one, smashed through cover again.
7th over: Australia 37-1 (Marsh 17, Smith 9) Hardik Pandya on for his first over, and Mitchell Marsh gets a huge inside edge for four. So thick that it flies through square leg rather than behind the wicket, as he aims through the off side. Pandya pitches up and threatens the off stump with some seam movement. Then threatens the outside edge. Five dots follow the boundary.
6th over: Australia 33-1 (Marsh 13, Smith 9) Seven runs off the first three overs, 22 off the next two. Add another four to that! Laced by Smith through extra cover, driving Siraj on the up. So the bowler goes back to pace basics: bouncer, just missing the top edge. Then the yorker, jammed back. And the halfway short ball, into the ribs where it strikes Smith as he pulls. Good little salvo from Siraj. Finishes it off with a length ball that Smith respectfully sends back.
5th over: Australia 29-1 (Marsh 13, Smith 5) More extras, leg side again from Shami and this time it clips Smith on the thigh before finding the boundary. And another wide, Shami’s errors undoing some of his good work. He overcorrects in response to those mistakes, gives Smith width outside off, and Smith cracks it through cover for four.
4th over: Australia 19-1 (Marsh 13, Smith 0) Marsh throws the hands at Siraj, not a convincing shot as he slices the drive behind point while aiming through cover, but it gets him four as it rolls slowly into the rope. More convincing next time round though! On the back foot to meet a shorter length, timing it perfectly through cover for four. Then bash, down the ground. On the front foot and lofting his off drive. Three boundaries in the over after a quiet start from Marsh.
3rd over: Australia 7-1 (Marsh 1, Smith 0) Shami comes back over the wicket to the right-handed Marsh, with Smith to the non-striker’s end. Races a single. First ball to Smith is wide down leg. That’s the last poor delivery though, as Shami tests him out around the off stump. Finding holes like that defence is a lace doily. Beats Smith a couple of times, no runs scored.
WICKET! Head b Siraj 5, Australia 5-1
2nd over: Australia 5-1 (Marsh 0) What an over! The contest is great. Siraj bowls over the wicket to the left-hander where Shami was coming around. Head back-cuts so close to the body, as he always tends to do. Then flashes at a wide one and misses, shades of Warner in both. Misses out again off his pads, then finally climbs into a delivery, wide and not so short but lumberjacked out through cover. Siraj dials back the length and Head is beaten on the top edge, nice bounce from this surface. The bowler gives him a long stare off a long follow-through. A challenge to ask whether he’s willing to come after the ball. So Head does, the last ball of the over. Walks at it, swings through midwicket, and gets a bottom edge back onto the stumps. Advantage Siraj.
1st over: Australia 1-0 (Head 1, Marsh 0) A good start from Shami, the cricket following on from the Test series as he hits a length outside the off stump, finds some bounce, and Head plays cautiously for a few balls before carefully taking a single to point. Marsh gets squared up but survives a thick outside nick along the ground.
Interesting teams! Two stand-in captains, Pandya and Smith. Warner hasn’t recovered sufficiently so Mitch Marsh opens. Inglis gets the gloves ahead of Carey. Maxwell at seven, Stoinis at eight! Talk about batting deep. Australia go to ten. India less so, with Kuldeep a fine bowler but not much of a batter at nine. Their team more or less as expected with the three all-rounders from six to eight.
Australia
Travis Head
Mitchell Marsh
Steve Smith *
Marnus Labuschagne
Josh Inglis +
Cameron Green
Glenn Maxwell
Marcus Stoinis
Sean Abbott
Mitchell Starc
Adam Zampa
India
Ishan Kishan
Shubman Gill
Virat Kohli
Suryakumar Yadav
KL Rahul +
Hardik Pandya *
Ravindra Jadeja
Shardul Thakur
Kuldeep Yadav
Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Shami
India win the toss and bowl
Preferring to chase with the chance that dew will affect the bowlers in the evening, Hardik Pandya gets his way.
If you want another indication of how meaningful this series is, no Australian media outlet is covering it. None. All of us who did the Test series headed for the exits afterwards. Even the cricket.com.au contingent from the in-house Cricket Australia site. They went to the Caribbean and Bangladesh on the team plane during the pandemic for white-ball tours, but not this. Cricbuzz and Cricinfo will have their Australian correspondents at this first match in Mumbai, but only because they had other things to take care of in the same city. Nobody will be travelling to the second and third matches.
Why? Because this series was added only a couple of months ago and serves no purpose aside from filling screen time. English players were scathing about the one-dayers they played right after the T20 World Cup last November, and half their reserve players preferred to play the Pakistan Super League T20s than show up in Bangladesh for England matches over the past couple of weeks. We’re at an interesting stage in the life cycle of bilateral contests.
If you want some preview information about the series, why, I have just the thing.
Preamble
Hello all. Here we are for the most eagerly anticipated series of… wait, sorry, just getting some advice in my headset… for a series! A series of cricket matches to be played across 50 overs per side, three times, between two teams and a television broadcaster that will make a good return from them.
