India win the series 2-1
That’s all for today, and for this series. Our next live cricket will be the World Cup, starting with England v New Zealand a week tomorrow. See you then!
Marnus Labuschagne speaks
It was nice to contribute. I came in at a different time than I have been, and it was nice to navigate the back end and get a really good total on the board.
It felt like the front end of the inning was the nicest time to bat. The ball started spinning and sticking in the wicket towards the back end, and the bowlers did really well to go about things a little differently.
We’ve lost the series – India played very well – but it was nice to see the big guns back today. The team gelled and everyone contributed in their own way.
[He’s asked two or three times about his World Cup prospects but he can’t hear the questions. Or so he says; if he was deliberately swerving them, he’s got a helluva poker face.]
The two groups of players shake hands. They’ll see each other again in Chennai a week on Sunday. Well, most of them will; one or two may sleep uneasily tonight as they wait for confirmation of the final 15-man squads.
That was an intelligent performance from Australia, with bat and ball. Their top four made hay before the ball got old, and their quicks took the pace off on an increasingly awkward pitch. Best of all, Glenn Maxwell dismissed the top four and ended with career-best figures.
AUSTRALIA WIN BY 66 RUNS
WICKET! India 286 all out (Siraj c Cummins b Green 1) Pat Cummins crosses the Is and dots the Ts with a fine catch at long off. After five straight defeats, Australia really needed that victory.
49th over: India 286-9 (Siraj 1, Prasidh 0) A good evening’s work for Tanveer Sangha, who finishes with 10-0-61-1. It might not be enough to get him in the World Cup squad but he has been quite impressive.
WICKET! India 286-9 (Jadeja LBW b Sangha 35)
Sangha gets a deserved wicket. The ball after pumping a six over long-on, Jadeja walked across, missed a hoick over backward square and was hit on the pad. He reviewed, mainly because India had two left, but replays showed it was hitting the outside of leg stump.
48th over: India 280-8 (Jadeja 29, Siraj 1) Jadeja walks across to ramp Cameron Green for four. India will lose but this is a useful net for Jadeja, the first time he has reached 20 in the last 14 ODIs.
47th over: India 273-8 (Jadeja 22, Siraj 1) Tanveer Sangha comes on to bowl his last two overs, and almost gets a wicket when Jadeja inside-edges a fine delivery between his legs for a single. Sangha’s figures are modest (9-0-55-0) but he had a decent day and didn’t look fazed when bowling to Rohit and Kohli.
46th over: India 272-8 (Jadeja 21, Siraj 1) A reminder, as if it were needed, that Australia begin their World Cup campaign with a couple of humdingers: India in Chennai on 8 October and South Africa in Lucknow four days later.
WICKET! India 270-8 (Bumrah c Labuschagne b Cummins 5)
Cummins gets a small reward for his yakka. Bumrah pings a slower ball high in the air towards square leg, where Labuschagne calmly takes the catch.
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45th over: India 269-7 (Jadeja 19, Bumrah 5) Australia’s boundary fielding has been brilliant tonight, and Labuschagne saves three more when Jadeja muscles Maxwell towards cow corner.
No five-for for Maxwell, but he does return his best figures in ODIs and indeed List A cricket: 10-0-40-4. They were vital wickets, too, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. That will give him such a boost going into the World Cup.
44th over: India 266-7 (Jadeja 17, Bumrah 4) Bumrah gets off the mark with a boundary, chipping Cummins jauntily behind square. It hasn’t been a great day for Cummins the bowler (7-0-56-0) but a victory should soothe the pain.
43rd over: India 258-7 (Jadeja 14, Bumrah 0) Maxwell has two overs left in which to get his maiden five-for. The first passes without incident, mainly because Jasprit Bumrah decides not to play any attacking strokes.
42nd over: India 257-7 (Jadeja 13, Bumrah 0) The final World Cup squads will be finalised later today/tomorrow. I’ve no idea what Australia do with Marnus Labuschagne. He has played splendidly since returning to the side, but Travis Head is such a unique threat that I would want him even if it was just for a potential semi-final and final. Maybe you could leave out Stoinis or Green, but that’s a risk with Mitch Marsh struggling to bowl. Josh Inglis might not sleep well tonight.
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WICKET! India 257-7 (Kuldeep b Hazlewood 2)
A second wicket for Josh Hazlewood, who has quietly bowled well tonight. Kuldeep drags a slower ball onto the stumps to end an imperfect innings of 2 from 12 balls.
41st over: India 255-6 (Jadeja 12, Kuldeep 2) Australia have held their nerve impressively. India were 144 for one after 20.5 overs, with Rohit and Kohli going well, but the wicket of Rohit changed everything.
Jadeja charges Maxwell, but all he can do is hack the ball to long on for a single. Both teams know the game is over.
40th over: India 251-6 (Jadeja 10, Kuldeep 0) Kuldeep Yadav is a No10, not a No8, and he’s struggling to lay a bat on Hazlewood. The only run from the over is a wide.
39.3 overs: India 250-6 (Jadeja 10, Kuldeep 0) Jadeja’s white-ball batting form has been poor – no fifties since December 2020 – so he might as well use this as a net ahead of the World Cup.
One of the floodlight towers has stopped working, so there’s a break in play while it’s sorted. And it is now.
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39th over: India 249-6 (Jadeja 9, Kuldeep 0) In a 600-run game, Glenn Maxwell’s figure are quite outstanding: 7-0-32-4.
WICKET! India 249-6 (Shreyas b Maxwell 48)
Brilliant from Glenn Maxwell! The ball after being belted over midwicket for six by Shreyaas Iyer, he gets his man. Shreyas pushed down the wrong line and was bowled, prompting a big celebration from Maxwell. He’s one wicket away from a first white-ball five-for.
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38th over: India 243-5 (Shreyas 42, Jadeja 9) India have a longish tail, so Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja have a lot of work to do. Jadeja makes a start with consecutive boundaries, a superbly placed cut and a steer to the left of Carey. India need 110 from 72 balls.
WICKET! India 233-5 (Suryakumar c Maxwell b Hazlewood 8)
Instant silence in Rajkot. Suryakumar clunks a slower ball from Hazlewood straight to Maxwell at midwicket – he may even have hit it twice. Either way, he’s gone and Australia are almost there.
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37th over: India 232-4 (Shreyas 40, Suryakumar 8) Suryakumar gets his first boundary, sweeping Sangha vigorously round the corner. Then a square drive is superbly saved by Maxwell on the boundary, not the first he has done that tonight. India need 121 from 78 balls.
36th over: India 224-4 (Shreyas 39, Suryakumar 1) Suryakumar Yadav works his first ball off the pads to get off the mark.
WICKET! India 223-4 (Rahul c Carey b Starc 26)
The net is closing around India. Rahul slogs a Starc slower ball into outer space, and Carey steadies himself to take a good catch.
35th over: India 221-3 (Shreyas 38, Rahul 25) Shreyas edges Sangha through the vacant slip cordon for four, which brings up the fifty partnership from 48 balls. In normal circumstances that would be fine; today it has left India needing almost nine an over.
34th over: India 212-3 (Shreyas 33, Rahul 21) Starc returns to the attack. Rahul pulls towards deep square, where Maxwell saves two with a good stop, and then Labuschagne just misses the stumps with a throw from cover. It would have been touch and go for Shreyas had he hit.
Another boundaryless over, which is all Australia need to do. Since Maxwell took the crucial wicket of Rohit, India have scored only 68 in 13 overs.
33rd over: India 206-3 (Shreyas 32, Rahul 17) Sangha will learn so much today, some of it without realising. An LBW appeal is turned down when Rahul misses a sweep. Sangha signals that it was missing off, and he’s right, but Australia have no reviews left anyway.
Another very good over, just three from it. India’s required rate is 8.64 per over. But they have SKY, who on a good day can do that in a ball and a half.
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32nd over: India 203-3 (Shreyas 31, Rahul 15) Cummins’ first ball is savaged over midwicket for four by Rahul. I used to think bowling in white-ball cricket was a bit like being a goalkeeper in a penalty shootout, with any success a bonus, but goalkeepers are rarely treated with such eye-widening contempt.
Cummins pulls the over back very well, conceding just three from the last five deliveries. Time for drinks. Australia need 150 runs from 108 balls.
31st over: India 196-3 (Shreyas 30, Rahul 9) That comment about boundaries being hard to find aged well: Shreyas Iyer has just pulled the new bowler Sangha over midwicket for six. The rest is ones and twos, which is enough to make it the first double-figure over since the 20th. Maybe the onslaught starts here.
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30th over: India 185-3 (Shreyas 21, Rahul 7) Shreyas drags a slower ball from Cummins just past leg stump. As in the Australian innings, boundaries have been hard to score against the older, often slower ball. In the first 21 overs there were 10 fours and eight sixes; in the last nine overs we’ve had just two fours.
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29th over: India 179-3 (Shreyas 17, Rahul 5) Maxwell’s dismissal of Rohit Sharma – when India were 144-1 in the 21st – is starting to feel like the pivotal moment. You can never sure, especially with Suryakumar Yadav to come, but for now Australia are on top.
28th over: India 172-3 (Shreyas 15, Rahul 0) Green’s doing a fine job here – just one from that over, and 23 from five so far. India need 181 from 132 balls.
Rahul is not out! Carey’s confidence was misplaced and Australia are all out of reviews. Rahul was too early on an attempted pull shot, but there was nothing on UltraEdge. A few of the players heard the noise, though I’ve no idea what it was.
Australia review for caught behind against Rahul! It’s their last review, but Alex Carey seems very confident.
27th over: India 171-3 (Shreyas 14, Rahul 0) The new batter is KL Rahul, who averages 72 in ODIs this year. Glenn Maxwell, meanwhile, has dreamy figures of 5-0-19-3. Before tonight he’d never taken two wickets in an ODI against India, never mind three. And he still has five overs remaining.
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WICKET! India 171-3 (Kohli c Smith b Maxwell 56)
Glenn Maxwell might be winning this match off his own bat, or rather his own ball. He’s taken all three wickets, and this is another huge breakthrough. Kohli tried to hoick a shortish delivery over the legside and mistimed it over midwicket, where Smith backpedalled to take a superbly judged catch.
26th over: India 168-2 (Kohli 54, Shreyas 13) Hazlewood off, Green on, and Kohli goes to his fifty with a one-bounce blast down the ground. He has played with intimidating certainty, both in attack and defence: 56 balls, five fours, one six.
25th over: India 159-2 (Kohli 48, Shreyas 10) The wicket has slowed India down, as you’d expect. Maxwell hurries through another parismonious over to push the required rate closer to 8.
24th over: India 156-2 (Kohli 47, Shreyas 8) Shreyas drives Hazlewood over mid-off for two, though it would have been four but for a fine save by Warner. Every boundaryless over is a (very small) win for Australia; the required rate is 7.57.
23rd over: India 151-2 (Kohli 46, Shreyas 4) Another really useful over from Maxwell – no wickets, but only two runs. The spinners are the key to this game; between them they have figures of 7-0-36-2.
22nd over: India 149-2 (Kohli 45, Shreyas 3) Hazlewood returns and concedes five from his fourth over: 3x1, 1x2. Australia are still right in this game, though they need Kohli.
21st over: India 144-2 (Kohli 43, Iyer 0) Maxwell has taken two wickets in two overs. In the context of the match, the first was of debatable value; the second is incalculable.
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WICKET! India 144-2 (Rohit c and b Maxwell 81)
The new bowler Glenn Maxwell takes a brilliant and pretty unusual catch. Rohit, who had smashed a six earlier in the over, pummelled the ball straight back at Maxwell. He lost it in the lights, and instictively moved his head to the left while also throwing up his right hand. The ball stuck, at which point Maxwell looked to all and sundry with a quizzical expression. Rohit goes for a punishing 81 from 57 balls, including six sixes; that’s a huge wicket for Australia.
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20th over: India 135-1 (Rohit 75, Kohli 40) Virat is doing it again in a huge runchase. He charges Starc and swishes a flat six back over his head, and the usual singles make it an excellent over for India. Australia can’t stem the flow: India have scored 29 from the last three overs.
19th over: India 125-1 (Rohit 73, Kohli 32) Kohli, who looks ominously assured, lashes Sangha down the ground for four. It was in the air but would have needed an awesome catch from Sangha diving to his right.
Rohit sweeps four more to bring up a serene fifty partnership from 47 balls. Australia need a wicket at their earliest convenience.
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18th over: India 115-1 (Rohit 68, Kohli 27) Starc returns in place of Cummins. This is his first game since the Ashes, so it’s understandable that he’s a bit rusty. His second ball is a wide, though the second legitimate delivery leads to an LBW appeal when Rohit misses a pull at a slower ball that keeps low. The ball was good, the appeal less so: it pitched outside leg and probably wouldn’t have even hit leg.
Rohit walks a single to square leg. Warner decides to hurry him up with a needless throw – and the ball deflects off Rohit’s bat for four overthrows. There’s are two more bonus runs later next ball when a throw from the outfield skids between Carey’s legs. Nine from the over, six of them donated by Australia.
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17th over: India 106-1 (Rohit 63, Kohli 24) Sangha wasn’t in Australia’s preliminary World Cup squad, though he could yet replace Ashton Agar if he impresses tonight. He’s certainly the more attacking option, with a lovely loop, and he has just rushed through another boundaryless over. I suppose the real test will come when India go after him. Even so, he’s been impressive so far: 3-0-13-0, and that includes four off his first delivery.
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16th over: India 102-1 (Rohit 62, Kohli 21) Kohli quickens the pace with successive boundaries off Cummins, a flick behind square and a mishit that clears mid-off. It would have been three in a row but for an outstanding stop by Sangha at cow corner. Cummins has been expensive: 4-0-35-0. Maybe that doesn’t count as expensive these days.
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15th over: India 91-1 (Rohit 61, Kohli 11) No wicket, but that’s a really nice second over from Sangha – just three from it. Time for drinks.
Rohit is not out! Pitched well outside leg, next.
Review for LBW against Rohit! This looks very optimistic, in truth. Rohit missed a sweep and was hit on the arm by Sangha, who was understandably keen to go upstairs. We’ll soon find out whether he was right.
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14th over: India 88-1 (Rohit 60, Kohli 9) Cummins replaces Green and gets through another boundaryless over. Since the Powerplay India have scored 16 for one in four overs.
13th over: India 84-1 (Rohit 58, Kohli 7) No non-opening pair have added more runs in successful ODI runchases than Rohit and Kohli. In fact, no pair has come close. They’ve put on 2355 runs at an average of 90; the next best is Joe Root and Eoin Morgan with 1446 at 80.
The young legspinner Tanveer Sangha has the dubious privilege of trying to break their latest partnership. His first ball, a tremulous full toss, is belted whence it came for four by Kohli. The rest of the over is better; just two from it.
12th over: India 78-1 (Rohit 57, Kohli 2) Cameron Green is bowling well here, hitting the pitch hard on or just back of a length. Four singles from his third over leaves him with figures of 3-0-13-0.
11th over: India 74-1 (Rohit 55, Kohli 0) Kohli has scored four centuries in successful ODI runchases against Australia, a record he shares with Desmond Haynes. In fact Haynes scored all four, all unbeaten, in successive runchases. That’s a purple patch.
WICKET! India 74-1 (Washington c Labuschagne b Maxwell 18)
Powerplay over, spinner on. It’s Glenn Maxwell first, not Tanveer Sangha – and he strikes fifth ball. Washington drives inside-out towards long off, where Labuschagne runs round the boundary to take a terrific low catch. Washington goes for a nervy 30-ball 18; without wishing to be unkind, I’m not sure which side benefits from that wicket. Not least because the new batter is serial run-chaser Virat Kohli.
10th over: India 72-0 (Rohit 54, Washington 17) Rohit tries to pull a heavy ball from Green and top-edges it high over the keeper’s head. Starc charges back from short third but can’t quite get a hand on the ball. It was an admirable effort from Starc. The two runs take Rohit to a six-laden fifty from 31 balls.
Washington survives a run-out chance next ball after being sent back by Rohit. Green collected the ball in his follow-through and just missed with a throw on the turn.
An otherwise messy over from India ends with a delightful clip through midwicket for four by Rohit. That’s the end of a good Powerplay for India, who need 281 from 40 overs.
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9th over: India 66-0 (Rohit 48, Washington 17) Cummins decides to test Washington with a bumper, and instantly regrets it. Washington hooks extravagantly over long leg for six. We’ve now had six sixes and four fours in the innings. And no threes and one two, before you get too excited.
8th over: India 59-0 (Rohit 47, Washington 11) Cameron Green is on for Hazlewood, who bowled a decent spell of 3-0-18-0. An effect of Rohit’s pulsating start is that Washington can take his time at the other end. He’s still struggling to time it, never mind pick the gaps, and has 11 from 23 balls. Rohit has faced two deliveries more and has 47.
7th over: India 56-0 (Rohit 46, Washington 10) Pat Cummins replaces Starc (3-0-25-0). Rohit misses a wild hack on the run, realises it’s fine to stay in his crease and pulls the next ball exhilaratingly over square leg. That’s his fourth six of the innings and his 549th in international cricket. He’s four short of Chris Gayle’s world record.
Make that three short. He picks a slower ball and launches it into the crowd at midwicket. Cummins’ first over has gone for 13, and Rohit Sharma has hit 550 sixes in international cricket. I’d have to check, but I think the first was off Johan van der Wath in Durban on 20 September 2007.
6th over: India 43-0 (Rohit 34, Washington 9) Washington gets his first boundary from his 14th delivery, cuffing a short ball from Hazlewood over mid-on. That might settle him down.
Rohit is perfectly settled, thank you; he gets his third six with a slightly mishit pull over midwicket. India are off to the necessary flyer.
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5th over: India 32-0 (Rohit 28, Washington 4) A slower ball from Starc – we’ll see plenty of those from Australia tonight – is dragged through square leg for a couple by Rohit.
Rohit is beaten by a good delivery, but a potentially excellent over for Australia is ruined when he drives another spectacular six over extra cover. The abilty of modern batters is obscene.
4th over: India 23-0 (Rohit 20, Washington 3) Washington is struggling in this unfamiliar role. An impatient pull off Hazlewood just clears the man running back from square leg; the resulting single takes Washington to 3 from 10 balls.
Rohit, who knows this position like the back of his bat, moves to 20 from 14 with an effortless flick for four.
3rd over: India 18-0 (Rohit 16, Washington 2) Rohit is feasting on Mitchell Starc. He clumps four back over Starc’s head, pings a magnificent six over extra-cover – and then plays an immaculate forward defensive, just to remind everyone that the game is currently being played on his terms.
Run-out referral
2nd over: India 8-0 (Rohit 6, Washington 2) Washington Sundar is the 74th man to open for India in ODIs. If you can name them all, you clearly know how to use Statsguru. He faces up to Josh Hazlewood, sharing the new ball with Starc. Apparently Matthew Short is on the field for Mitch Marsh, though there’s no word whether he’s suffering with cramp or something more serious.
Hazlewood starts very accurately, with a fullish length on off stump to the left-handed Washington. After four dot balls, Washington takes a very dodgy single to mid-on and is just home – and I mean just – when Short’s underarm throw hits the stumps. The third umpire took a long time to decide, but it was the right decision with the evidence available.
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1st over: India 6-0 (Rohit 5, Washington 1) Mitchell Starc, one of the great ODI bowlers of his generation, is back in the team today, and Rohit Sharma couldn’t care less. He pulls the second ball over midwicket for four with elegant disdain, a cracking statement of intent. The rest of the over passes without incident.
Here come the players. With Shubman Gill rested, India’s new opener is… Washington Sundar. That means Virat Kohli will bat No3 and Shreyas Iyer No4.
In October 2013, India twice chased 350 to beat Australia. In those two games, Virat Kohli made 215 runs from 113 balls without being dismissed.
In other news, Virat Kohli is back in the India team today.
This is really good too. Ben Stokes spoke to Ali Martin about the joys of Perudo, having Freddie Flintoff around, the differences between Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan – they might surprise you, though they probably shouldn’t – and what he made of Tim Paine’s “me, me, me” comment.
I’m not sure how well known David Foot was outside England, but he was one of the Guardian’s most lyrical on any sport anything. I’d recommend this piece, and more importantly the book it promotes.
Thanks Geoff, evening everyone. What sort of a score do you call that? This question is politely interrogative, not sneeringly rhetorical. No total feels safe in modern ODI cricket, especially against a batting line-up like India’s. Mitch Marsh, who was interviewed after making a punishing 96, said the total was “hopefully par”, but I’m not sure he’s much of a poker player.
There are two things in Australia’s favour: the big guns are back, and boundary-hitting looked tougher as the innings progressed. If they can keep India below 150 in the first 10 20 overs, they’ll be in the game.
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India must chase 353 to win
They’ve already won the series, and they have a steep chase for the clean sweep. These are the sort of totals that India have chased at home often enough in the last ten years, though. Australia exploded out of the blocks with Warner and Marsh going at a prodigious rate, but the scoring slowed down through the middle. Marsh and Smith really battled with the full sun and humidity. Labuschagne looked more comfortable once the sun slipped away and dusk arrived, but by then the older ball was difficult to send for big hits, with a couple caught on the fence.
Bumrah recovered really well: 51 runs from his first five overs, 3 for 30 from his next five. Kuldeep only bowled six overs and he too got smashed early and took wickets late, 2 for 48 all up. Siraj 1 for 68 from 9, Krishna 1 for 45 from five, everyone got collared bar the two finger spinners.
That’s it for me, your company for the chase will be Rob Smyth.
50th over: Australia 352-7 (Cummins 19, Starc 1) Siraj to bowl the last over, Cummins swinging hard to square but getting only one. Starc is game to sprint a couple of twos. Cummins tries to finish off with a charge, but it’s a short ball and he doesn’t get anything on it. Or maybe a glove, through to KL Rahul, but the keeper drops it. Siraj is vocal about it, but nobody else seems to mind.
WICKET! Labuschagne c Shreyas b Bumrah 72, Australia 345-7
49th over: Australia 345-7 (Cummins 13) Bumrah flirting with the wide line outside off stump, gets pinged once, not the next, as Labuschagne moves around the crease. Cummins hits one that lands outside the wide line, unsurprisingly a toe-ended shot that limps for one run. Labuschagne gets one over cover for two. Last ball of the over, though, he thinks he needs to go bigger. Steps right across to the off side, tries to get under the ball to hit over long on, but like Green he doesn’t have enough to make the journey. Shreyas Iyer waits again.
48th over: Australia 340-6 (Labuschagne 69, Cummins 12) Third over in a row, Labuschagne produces a beauty. This time it’s more aggressive. Backs away, opens up the off side, and carves Siraj through cover.
47th over: Australia 334-6 (Labuschagne 64, Cummins 11) Timing again from Labuschagne! Flicks Bumrah behind square. Two fielders converge. Kohli puts in a stunning dive, huge amount of ground covered, to try to tap the ball back, but doesn’t get enough of it. Next ball Bumrah is left ducking Jadeja’s throw as the batters race a single.
46th over: Australia 326-6 (Labuschagne 58, Cummins 9) Smacked by Labuschagne! Not doing his World Cup chances any harm with this innings. Takes on Siraj and nails the pull shot square. Then a good throw is punished, Cummins venturing out of his crease at the non-striker’s end and drawing a throw at the stumps, getting back before the direct hit from Washington Sundar, which ricochets for two.
Half century! Marnus Labuschagne 51 from 43 balls
45th over: Australia 317-6 (Labuschagne 51, Cummins 8) Same again from Kuldeep, all the way up to the last ball of the over, then Labuschagne plays a good shot, a straight drive with that wristy scooping kind of slap that you sometimes see from Kohli, elevating the shot over the bowler. There’s his fifty.
44th over: Australia 309-6 (Labuschagne 45, Cummins 6) Bumrah continues, Cummins turning over strike well, Labuschagne not looking to play any big shots here as the last remaining specialist.
43rd over: Australia 303-6 (Labuschagne 42, Cummins 4) Australia really falling away now. Can the bowlers middle a few? A slip comes in for Cummins, but they don’t get much joy from balls on the leg-stump line. Cummins glances four. Better from Kuldeep next ball, beats him with one that slides across the right-hander.
WICKET! Green c Shreyas b Kuldeep 9, Australia 299-6
Junk from Kuldeep to start the over, floating nicely but outside leg stump, Labuschagne sweeps four fine. Tries the quicker one on the pads, Labuschagne squeezes out a run and sprints a single so fast that he loses his bat trying to slide it in. Green wants a big one, feels the pressure. Advances, gets close enough to the pitch but gets the ball low on the bat. It goes very high, and pretty long, but not long enough to clear long on.
42nd over: Australia 294-5 (Labuschagne 37, Green 9) The graph tails lower. One Labuschagne single, a few pokes from Green, an attempted leg-side smash stopped at mid on, then he punches two to cover. Jadeja, 10 overs, 0 for 61.
41st over: Australia 291-5 (Labuschagne 36, Green 7) Another quiet stanza. Kuldeep went for 26 from his first three, but is able to slightly rehabilitate his figures with an over that costs five.
40th over: Australia 286-5 (Labuschagne 34, Green 4) Jadeja begins his ninth over. Thank goodness India used three spinners today, or with all the drink breaks this innings would have been another hour behind. Green to the middle, off the mark with a four! Square punch to width. Defends the rest though. Australia were on course for 400 at one point, it looks more like 330 now.
WICKET! Maxwell b Bumrah 5, Australia 281-5
39th over: Australia 281-5 (Labuschagne 33) Well, that’s outstanding from Bumrah. He’s not under pressure from Marsh, he’s got one new batter and one playing anchor. He bowls a bouncer that Maxwell avoids, then a range of changes of pace, giving up a few singles but nothing else. Then, last ball of the over, he cranks his speedometer up to full and bowls a perfect yorker at the base of off stump. It sneaks under the bat and goes timberrrr.
38th over: Australia 276-4 (Labuschagne 31, Maxwell 3) Working the strike from Maxwell, now in the game: sweeps a couple, square-drives one. Labuschagne finds the boundary, cuts fine from Jadeja.
WICKET! Carey c Kohli b Bumrah 11, Australia 267-4
37th over: Australia 267-4 (Labuschagne 26) Another chance for Bumrah. Mitch Marsh took him for ten an over: 51 from his first five. Now India’s returning star gets to bowl to this sedate pair, feeling his way back from injury. Carey has a go, lifting a drive over mid on for four, but hits a catch to cover from the final ball.
36th over: Australia 261-3 (Labuschagne 25, Carey 6) The ticking-over phase continues, even though we’re into the last 15 overs now. Still seven from the over, with Krishna bowling a wide before Labuschagne drives two through cover.
35th over: Australia 254-3 (Labuschagne 21, Carey 4) Sundar’s off-spin is into its final over. Varies his pace through the air. Rohit fields well to stop runs at cover. Four singles from the over, and I’ll tell you what – 10 overs, 0 for 48 is a very good return considering the way Australia’s openers started off at around ten an over.
34th over: Australia 250-3 (Labuschagne 19, Carey 2) Prasidh Krishna back to bowl. Carey keeps poking, keeps missing – a leg-side wide that he could have clobbered, a ball that hits his thigh pad, finally another pad deflection via an inside edge that gets him off strike. I wonder if the older ball is becoming harder to hit on this surface. Labuschagne mistimes a pull shot too. Gets onto the next one, though! Through midwicket for four.
33rd over: Australia 244-3 (Labuschagne 15, Carey 1) A flick for one from Labuschagne, then Carey prods at the spin of Sundar for four balls before keeping the strike. Unusually unsure start from Carey.
32nd over: Australia 242-3 (Labuschagne 14, Carey 0) Seems daft by Australia not sending out Maxwell, given how much cricket he has missed lately. Alex Carey will have a go instead. Doesn’t score from his first three balls, all short from Siraj and Carey avoids them.
WICKET! Smith lbw Siraj 74, Australia 242-3
Siraj continues, short, hooked for one by Labuschagne. There’s that boundary, Smith this time lofting his on-drive, picking up a length ball to hit it straight. But the third ball of the over he gets out in that way he has been getting out more often lately, a ball angled in at the stumps and beating his attempted flick to leg. Hits the pad in front of off stump, and we have the rare sight of Steve Smith leaving the field lbw without using a review. Rarer still given that Labuschagne is at the other end – collectively the Review Board of any Australian team.
31st over: Australia 237-2 (Smith 70, Labuschagne 13) Speared through by Sundar, and Labuschagne plays the reverse: airborne, but lands safely at short third and bounces away for four. They keep finding that one boundary an over.
30th over: Australia 230-2 (Smith 69, Labuschagne 7) Siraj returns, after being belted for 33 from his first four overs. Smith likes the pace again, gorgeous on-drive for four. That helps gather eight from the over.
29th over: Australia 222-2 (Smith 63, Labuschagne 5) Like David Warner on Boxing Day last year, Smith gets a plastic lawn chair brought out at the fall of the wicket. Bright yellow to match his kit. He’s really struggling, tilting his head back, getting ice applied to head and neck. Lack of awareness from Labuschagne, paddle sweeping to fine leg and turning to hare back for two. Smith is not going anywhere, Labuschagne has to turn halfway and go back. He’s fresh, forgot that his partner isn’t. Singles and boundaries only from here – and Labuschagne gets the latter, cutting Sundar through cover.
The score is a full Richie Benaud.
WICKET! Marsh c Krishna b Kuldeep 96, Australia 215-2
28th over: Australia 215-2 (Smith 61) The two batters spend the mid-over break on their knees mid-pitch, talking but clearly struggling in the heat. Smith starts the next Kuldeep over with a standing slog-sweep for four, Marsh punctuates it with a huge straight six! Getting the measure of the spin now, even if the conditions are hurting him. Smith gets back on strike, tries to run two but Marsh says no. And with one ball to come he looks for his hundred with a four, leans back to belt the cut shot, but hits it straight at cover point where Krishna kneels to accept the offering. Marsh out from 84 balls, quite the knock.
27th over: Australia 202-1 (Marsh 89, Smith 59) Again short, again pulled by Marsh, again four, this time from Washington Sundar. Add a couple of singles to that, Smith furious that he didn’t beat backward point with a punch. They’re past 200 now with almost half the innings to go.
26th over: Australia 196-1 (Marsh 84, Smith 54) Mitch Marsh looks in some strife out there. He’s gasping for breath at the non-striker’s end, looks like the heat is really getting to him. The Australian runners have been out there at the end of each over. Why not bat in an ice collar? Marsh trudges a single for Smith, then one for himself. Decides he’s had enough of this, clears his front leg and bangs four right over Kuldeep’s head. Finishes with a pull that hangs in the air for a while but drops short of deep square leg. One more trudge of 22 yards.
Updated
Half century! Smith 51 from 42 balls
25th over: Australia 188-1 (Marsh 78, Smith 52) Smith off strike first ball with a leg bye. What does Bumrah have against Marsh now? Line and length, pressed through cover for one. But now it’s time for Smith to play a handsome cover drive for four. Timed that nicely, with the sweeper too square to stop it. I’ve barely noticed Smith bat today and he has passed fifty. Marsh gets back on strike, blocks a couple. So from 18 off five balls against Bumrah, this over it’s one run from three.
24th over: Australia 181-1 (Marsh 77, Smith 47) Kuldeep at last, left-arm wrist spin. Marsh isn’t sure which way it’s turning, prodding forward. Over the wicket to the right-handers. But after a couple of good ones, Kuldeep drops short and Marsh heaves a pull through midwicket.
23rd over: Australia 176-1 (Marsh 73, Smith 46) Bumrah comes back… and Marsh hits his second ball for six! Picked up off the pads, lifted away. Nice sound of contact, over backward square. Smacks his next straight at cover, where Kohli hams up the crowd catch, both hands raised. Then crouches and pulls behind square, a couple of bounces for four, before scorching a back cut to the rope behind point! Last of the over, overpitched, cover drive for four!
That’s 19 from the over, Bumrah has conceded 45 from four. That’s a bad day in a T20, let alone an ODI.
22nd over: Australia 157-1 (Marsh 55, Smith 45) Big one for Smith to start the over! Just a touch short from Jadeja, allows Smith to lean back and swing the ball with a relatively straight bat rather than a cross bat, over midwicket. Nine from the over.
21st over: Australia 148-1 (Marsh 54, Smith 37) Washington Sundar continues, the wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav yet to be seen. The slowdown continues, just a couple of singles from the over.
20th over: Australia 146-1 (Marsh 53, Smith 36) Marsh still defending anything straight at his stumps from the spinners, Jadeja’s over costing three. One defensive shot down into the turf, Marsh reaches down and picks up the ball to hand back. I never like seeing players do that, it’s grounds for an appeal, especially when it’s on the ground anywhere near your stumps.
19th over: Australia 143-1 (Marsh 51, Smith 35) Almost a good over from Sundar, but his sixth ball goes down the leg side, and Smith cuts the seventh for four. Good batting, frustrating bowling.
18th over: Australia 136-1 (Marsh 50, Smith 30) Finding the twos nicely from Jadeja is Smith, first down the ground, then through point.
Half century! Mitchell Marsh 50 from 45 balls
17th over: Australia 131-1 (Marsh 50, Smith 25) Drag-down from Sundar, but there’s a deep backward square leg to save Smith’s pull. Marsh chops another run for his half-century. Marsh has captained this side recently. He’s batting with Smith, who captained the last match, and being applauded by Cummins, who is captaining this one. Drinks.
16th over: Australia 128-1 (Marsh 49, Smith 23) Finds the boundary with his cut shot this time! Marsh finishes Jadeja’s over with four, after a few ones. Fifty partnership up, and they’re still going at nearly eight an over thanks to that start.
15th over: Australia 120-1 (Marsh 43, Smith 21) Washington bowling now, very straight at the stumps, and pins down Marsh for five dot balls. Marsh making a conscious choice not to go after a higher-risk shot now, to challenge himself to bat longer perhaps. As soon as he sees width he chases it, but there’s a sweeper now behind point keeping him to one.
14th over: Australia 119-1 (Marsh 42, Smith 21) Steve Smith batting in the hat – sorry, the headwear – with two spinners in play. Jadeja bowling faster than most park quicks, near 100 kilometres an hour. He gets through five tidy deliveries, but Smith finds four from the last ball, flicked behind square. Washington gets there to flick back but his flick hits the cushion and spins back into play. The batters don’t know and run an unnecessary three just in case.
13th over: Australia 113-1 (Marsh 41, Smith 16) Washington Sundar for some spin-twinning. Drops short though, blasted by Marsh at point, Shreyas Iyer half stops it but the pace on the ball takes it through him for two. Two more driven down the ground, then Marsh steps back nimbly and punches a straight ball through cover point for four, nothing Shreyas can do there.
12th over: Australia 104-1 (Marsh 33, Smith 15) Jadeja tries to burn through an over as he does in Test cricket, but Smith finds a boundary through cover.
11th over: Australia 97-1 (Marsh 32, Smith 9) Mitchell Marsh is striking them beautifully, two chopped cuts behind point. The first goes for four, the second they’ve moved the sweeper squarer to keep it to one. A few singles. Prasidh Krishna has recovered to 1 for 32 from three overs, after 19 from one.
10th over: Australia 90-1 (Marsh 27, Smith 7) Jadeja with some spin, even with an over of fielding restrictions to go. That costs them three, as Marsh drives four through cover where there would normally be a deep sweeper. Smith drives one.
9th over: Australia 84-1 (Marsh 22, Smith 6) Warner has given his team the Super Mushroom boost. Now it’s up to his colleagues to use that lead, or India to find some Koopa shells. Smith is next to the middle. Gets going with a flicked two, closes the over with a cover-driven four.
WICKET! Warner c KL Rahul b Krishna 56, Australia 18-1
Flying start, falling exit. Once again Warner is dismissed falling over towards the off side, this time trying to scoop a fast bowler rather than switch-hit a spinner as he was the other night. Gets a little glove or splice on the ball as it goes by, nothing more.
Half century! David Warner 55 in 32 balls
8th over: Australia 78-0 (Warner 56, Marsh 22) Huge appeal from keeper and bowler as Siraj gets a bouncer to lift just over Warner’s gloves as the batter tries to cut. They really go for it. Then as the umpire shakes his head and Rohit the captain enquires of his players, KL laughs, making Siraj laugh, and they go about their day without a review. Warner goes about his, cutting the next ball for four. Picks up a couple more off his pads, then pulls another six!
Three fifties in three hits this series, and this the fastest of the lot.
7th over: Australia 65-0 (Warner 43, Marsh 22) Gets hold of a short ball that time, does Warner. Prasidh Krishna comes on, the lanky right-hander, and Warner goes after his bouncer. Doesn’t get it cleanly but drags it in front of square for four. Then a very compact boundary by opening the face of the bat and steering, and a far more lavish one, advancing, seeing width, chasing it with an inside-out flourish over cover point for four! That is some stroke.
Not done yet. Short on his hip, and he helps it around the corner for six! Pick-up pull, sails away like Enya. Prasidh has gone for 19 from his first.
6th over: Australia 46-0 (Warner 24, Marsh 22) Good over from Siraj, troubles Warner with the short ball a couple of times and the Australian opener can’t make contact. Two singles.
5th over: Australia 44-0 (Warner 23, Marsh 21) Another good shot from Warner, flicking Bumrah behind square leg and beating the fine leg for four. That after Jadeja stopped a Marsh cut on the boundary to save three runs with a good dive.
4th over: Australia 37-0 (Warner 18, Marsh 19) Now Warner is up and running: width from Siraj for the left-hander, and he slashes an angled bat at it, hitting it firmly through cover for a four that is more pragmatic than aesthetic. More style points for his next big shot though! Picks it off from an off-stump line, Siraj maybe hoping it would swing into the pads but it holds true, and Warner sends it soaring over wide long on for six. And he goes again to close the over! Full pitch, straight swing of the bat, six more right over the sightscreen! Cop that.
3rd over: Australia 21-0 (Warner 2, Marsh 19) First ball of this over gets schpanked! Not the classical cover drive this time, the brutish straight drive. Marsh gets under Bumrah’s fuller length and hits him over the top for four. Plays a couple with an open face, not beating the field, then drops short and Marsh bangs him for six. Hefty pull shot, plenty of top edge in it, so it hangs over the boundary before dropping, but it goes well in front of square. Nothing but middle on the fifth ball though, smoked through point for four! Width gets a big square drive. Bumrah closes the over with a slower yorker that Marsh defends.
2nd over: Australia 7-0 (Warner 2, Marsh 5) Siraj to share the new ball, and starts well, swinging the ball, drawing some false shots. Warner particularly can’t time him, miscues a couple of shots. Two singles from the over.
1st over: Australia 5-0 (Warner 1, Marsh 4) Good first over from Bumrah. Has Warner playing carefully off the back foot for a few, defending away before taking a single. Marsh has no such impulse: on the front foot first ball, stroking through the covers for four. Lovely shot.
Bumrah versus Warner to begin. We’re underway…
Teams
Changes galore! Matt Short out for Marsh, Josh Inglis for Maxwell in the middle, Sean Abbott and Spencer Johnson for Starc and Cummins, and Tanveer Sangha in his ODI debut (!) for Adam Zampa.
Kohli will open, pairing with Rohit to replace Gill and Ruturaj Gaekwad. KL Rahul played last time but will keep wicket in place is Ishan Kishan, who is ill. That brings SKY and Jadeja up the order with Washington Sundar in at seven. Then Kuldeep replaces Ravichandran Ashwin, with Bumrah and Siraj for Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Shami.
Australia
Mitchell Marsh
David Warner
Steven Smith
Marnus Labuschagne
Alex Carey +
Glenn Maxwell
Cameron Green
Pat Cummins *
Mitchell Starc
Tanveer Sangha
Josh Hazlewood
India
Rohit Sharma *
Virat Kohli,
Shreyas Iyer
KL Rahul +
Suryakumar Yadav
Ravindra Jadeja
Washington Sundar
Kuldeep Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah
Mohammed Siraj
Prasidh Krishna
Australia win the toss and bat
As we suspected, the chance to put a score up instead of being pulverised is appealing. Although Shubman Gill is being rested, which shows a poor understanding of his pursuit of the ODI calendar year runs record.
Preamble
One last chance. One chance for some good vibes for Australia ahead of the World Cup. Ok, sure, there will be a couple of official warm-up games too, ones that aren’t official ODIs, after these unofficial warm-up games that are official ODIs. But you know what I mean. Australia got battered last time out, taken for 399 by India’s batting. They would probably like to bat first at Rajkot.
Lots of chances for fringe players in this series, but some of the big guns are coming back now. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will for India, Australia will get Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, maybe Glenn Maxwell too. Could be fun.
