India secured a remarkable victory in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 by defeating Australia with six wickets to spare on October 08.
The Indian team faced a challenging start to their chase of 200 runs as they lost three key wickets in just 12 balls. However, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul took center stage, stabilizing the innings with a remarkable 165-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Despite a scare when Kohli was dropped on 12 by Mitchell Marsh, he went on to score 85 runs. Rahul remained unbeaten with a stellar 97, steering India to a statement win in their first Cricket World Cup encounter.
Australia’s batting performance was highlighted by a 69-run partnership between David Warner and Steve Smith. Nevertheless, India’s spinners dominated the proceedings, claiming six wickets in total.
Ravindra Jadeja led the Indian bowling attack with figures of 3/28, well-supported by Kuldeep Yadav (2/42), Ravichandran Ashwin (1/34), and pacer Jasprit Bumrah (2/35). Smith top-scored for Australia with 46 runs, while David Warner contributed 41, and Mitchell Starc added 28 runs to the total.
In the game’s later stages, Kohli and Rahul continued to accumulate runs steadily, reaching their respective milestones. Kohli secured his half-century in the 26th over, while Rahul achieved the same in the 28th over.
The partnership hit a more aggressive stride during the 31st over, which was an erratic one from Pat Cummins, yielding 11 runs. India’s run rate improved, bringing the required rate closer to three runs per over by the 35th over.
Kohli eventually departed in the 38th over after scoring a well-constructed 85 runs. This partnership between Kohli and Rahul marked the highest fourth-wicket partnership by an Indian pair against Australia in a Cricket World Cup match, showcasing their dominance.
The introduction of Hardik Pandya quickened India’s pace, and they successfully crossed the finish line in the 42nd over.
India’s innings began on a shaky note, losing three batsmen for a duck with only two runs on the board. Ishan Kishan (0), Rohit Sharma (0), and Shreyas Iyer (0) were dismissed in quick succession.
However, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul then joined forces to stabilize the innings, gradually accelerating their scoring rate after the initial Powerplay.
Kohli survived a close call in the eighth over when he was dropped by Mitchell Marsh off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling.
The partnership reached a crucial milestone with a 50-run stand in the 16th over. KL Rahul’s hat-trick of boundaries in the 18th over boosted India’s scoring rate further.
In the match, Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, won the toss in Chennai and chose to bat first. In response, India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, believed that the conditions favored bowlers and that the pitch would take a turn as the game progressed.
This prediction proved accurate early in Australia’s innings when Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Mitchell Marsh, caught by Virat Kohli at first slip.
With a boundary against Hardik Pandya in the seventh over, David Warner became the fourth Australian batsman to reach 1000 runs in Men’s Cricket World Cups. Australia gained momentum in that over, hitting three boundaries.
At the end of the first Powerplay, Australia was 43/1. The Warner-Smith partnership continued to accumulate runs at a decent pace. However, India finally made a breakthrough in the 17th over when Warner (41) attempted to drive Kuldeep but offered a return catch.
India’s spinners began to control the scoring rate, and after the 25-over mark, Ravindra Jadeja bowled a fantastic delivery to dismiss Steve Smith for 46.
In the 30th over, Jadeja claimed the wickets of Marnus Labuschagne (27) and Alex Carey (0). Australia’s innings suffered further setbacks in the 36th and 37th overs, with Glenn Maxwell (15) and Cameron Green (8) falling to Kuldeep and Ashwin, respectively. A vital contribution from Mitchell Starc (28) at the end helped Australia reach a total of 199 runs.
Unfortunately, Shubman Gill was unable to recover from illness in time for the match, leading Ishan Kishan to open the batting alongside skipper Rohit.
Injury sidelined Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis for Australia, with David Warner and Mitch Marsh taking their place at the top of the batting order on a sunny day at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
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