IN PICS | Top five key moments from India vs Australia ODI World Cup contest in Chennai

India needed to weather the early storm from the Aussie pace attack as the hosts registered a six-wicket win on Sunday (Oct 8) in Chennai. India were were reduced to 2/3 but managed to get back into the contest thanks to the heroics from KL Rahul and Virat Kohli that saw the Indian team home, having stitched a 165-run stand for the third wicket.

Playing three spinners, it was Jasprit Bumrah who started India’s trade of wickets when he got the better of Mitchell Marsh for a duck on the second ball of the third over. David Warner (41) and Steve Smith (46) would then stitch a 69-run stand for the second wicket before Kuldeep sent the former back to the pavilion.

On the first ball of the 28th over, Jadeja stunned Smith an outside the leg stump ball that surprised him before his stumps were castled. Smith was left stranded after his dismissal as he did not judge the flight of the ball which surprised him. For Jadeja’s credit, he played the mind games to get the former skipper out on 46. The wicket also started Australia’s downfall as they would later lose Labuschagne (27) and Alex Carey (0) in Jadeja’s next over.

It was Déjà vu for Team India on their return to the ODI World Cup as they suffered an embarrassing start to their innings.  The contest played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai brought back the memories of the 2019 World Cup semifinal for India where they were reduced to 5/3 while this time it went bad for them with 2/3 against a lethal Australian pace attack of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Despite the great start to the second innings, Australia failed to make the most of their early advantage as the likes of Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell were fruitless. On the same pitch Indian spinners scalped six wickets, leaving the Aussies in disarray.

After a poor start to the innings, India recovered from 2/3 to 167/4 as KL Rahul and Virat Kohli stitched a partnership of 165 runs. This would lay the foundation for India’s win despite struggling in the early phase of the contest. Kohli would eventually depart for 85 while Rahul would remain unbeaten on 97.