KL Rahul hit 75 not out while Ravindra Jadeja scored unbeaten 45 as India chased down the target of 189 runs against Australia in 39.5 overs to win the first ODI by 5 wickets. The hosts suffered a top-order collapse in the paltry chase before Rahul and Jadeja took them through.
Earlier, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj picked three wickets apiece as India bowled out the guests for 188 runs. Australia were 129 for 2 at one stage but they eventually failed to bank on a good start given by Mitchell Marsh, who scored 81 off 65 balls. India’s stand-in captain Hardik Pandya had won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Wankhede Stadium.
On the day it was not usual Wankhede wicket and offered movement off the seam to the bowlers. The bowlers held the upper hand barring the magnificent 65-ball 81 by Australia’s makeshift opener Mitchell Marsh and the controlled knocks by Rahul and Jadeja.
India made a disastrous start as they lost their first three wickets with just 16 runs on the board. With the ball swinging and nipping around, the Indian batters found the going tough and the Australian bowlers made their life difficult by not giving them any chances.
Marcus Stoinis brought one back into the batter and Ishan Kishan was comprehensively beaten. He reviewed the decision but the call went with the umpire.
Suryakumar Yadav, the T20 specialist in form hoping to get into the ODI squad for the World Cup, was out for a first-ball duck, beaten by pace as the ball missed the inside edge and thudded into the pads.
Jadeja proved better partner for Rahul as they raised an unbeaten century partnership to help India escape to victory from a difficult situation.
