Australia thrashed India by 66 runs in the first One Day International (ODI) of the three-match💛 seri📖es at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday.
Chasing a humungous target of 375, India started pretty well as the opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal added 53 runs in first five overs. However, soon the hosts came back as Josh Hazlewood drew the first blood in form of Mayank (22).
Hazlewood did not just stop there; in the 10th over he got the big wicket of Virat Kohli (21). The India skipper did pꦐlay some impressive shots but failed ꧅to hang on in the middle for a longer time.
The home team gave two more blows to the tourists by removing Shreyas Iyer (2) and KL Rahul (12). India were 101/4 when Adam Zampa dismissed Rahul, and that’s when Dhawan along with Hardik Pandya decided to steady the ship.
The duo stitched together a partnership of 128 runs for the fifth wicket. Both were looking set to cruise through before Dhawan (74) in an attempt to clear the mid-off region against Zampa ended up giving a simple catch to Mitchell Starc.
Zampa provided yet another ✨breakthrough, and this time it was none other than Hardik wh📖o was reaching close to his hundred. Hardik scored a brilliant 90 off 76 deliveries with the help 7 fours and 4 towering sixes.
In thꩵe end,ꦦ India only managed to reach 308/8, losing the contest by 66 runs.
Powerful batting display propel Australia to 374/6
Earlier, skipper Aaron Finch’s 17th ODI hundred, followed by Australia’s third fastest century in the 50-over format from Steve Smith took hosts to a massive score of 374/6.
The Aussies started their innings on a high note as Finch along with David Warner put together thꦰe opening stand of 156 runs before Mohammed Shami dismissed Warneꩲr who scored 69 runs of 76 balls.
Finch continued the boundary-scoring process and formed a 10𒉰8-run partnership with Smith for the second wicket. The Australian skipper smashed 114 off 124 balls before departing in the 4𝔉0th over.
Glenn Maxwell a𓃲lso chipped in with a crucial cameo of 45 runs from just 19 deliveries. Soon, Smith went ❀on to score his 9th ODI hundred before Shami cleaned him up in the final over of Australian innings.
Here is how Twitter reacted:
Pandya came in to bat when all seemed lost….but he managed to keep the hopes alive while he was there. With some high-quality skills. Major positive from an otherwise insipid game for India.
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash)
Austr💛alians who didn’t have a great have started shining strait away in the first game of their bi🅰g summer ,Maxwell, finch & Smith 👌🏻🏏
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath)
India in last 6 International matches:
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)
Top innings from 𝔍Pandya. There💧 is much more to him than just a six-hitter.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha)
What a knock . When you wear the national jersey the emotions are different. Hopi🍌ng for something special from and the team with the bat!
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha)
India’s over rate is appalling … !!! Body language defensive … fielding is my standard (shocking) … Bowling ordinary !!! Aussies on the other hand have been outstanding … Long tour for India me thinks … !!!
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan)
Hardik Pandya will play many more and better innings like this. Today♑, he showed that he is not just the IPL rescue act ജspecialist.
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh)
Fine 💯 from captain Finch, setting up the tone of the series perfectly. A very g🐬ood example for his team to follow from here on.
— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8)
Steve Smith 💯 off 63 balls 😬
Don’t believe I’ve seen him hit them better and longer to more innovative angles ever in ODI 👌
Ominous for the summer 🏏— Damien Fleming (@bowlologist)
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14)
Steve Smith today:
9 (10)
19 (20)
30 (30)
57 (40)
75 (50)
95 (60)A 62-ball hundred for him.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket)
Zampa repaying for an IPL contract.🤣🤣🤣
We all drop them.— Brad Hogg (@Brad_Hogg)
Balle Pandya👏👏
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99)
