Australia continued to dominate India in the 3 match ODI series. They were absolutely on top of their game right from the first ball. Aaron Finch won the toss and chose to bat first. The script for this game flowed the same way it did with the first match. The Australian batters pummelled the Indian bowling to all corners of the ground. Australian batting was so relentless that Virat Kohli, the Indian captain was forced to bring in Hardik Pandya to bowl a few overs. We at Stumpsandbails bring you 5 best moments from the 2nd ODI between Australia and India.
5: David Warner and Aaron Finch’s opening partnership:
The Aussie opening pair took off right from where they left in the previous game. If they stitched a stand of 156 runs in the opening game. Here they set up a stand of 142 runs. While David Warner was quick to get off the blocks and raced to a half-century in no time. Aaron Finch looked fidgety right from the outset. But he too managed to notch up a half-century thereby laying a solid platform for the middle order.
4: The Steve Smith show and the Aussie middle-order:
Steve Smith walked into the crease at the fall of Warner’s wicket and he seemed to be batting on an auto-pilot mode. He started brilliantly and continued to score in the same gear right throughout his innings. He reached his century in just 62 balls. His innings was laced with 14 boundaries and 2 sixes. If his innings was the showstopper then both Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne provided the finishing fireworks to the innings. Labuschagne scored a brilliant 70 while Maxwell struck a mind-boggling 63 from just 29 balls.
3: Virat Kohli tried putting on a show! Well almost:
The Indian captain walked amidst huge expectations chasing a huge score of 390. And to be fair the Indian skipper didn’t disappoint. He lost the company of Mayank Agarwal soon but tied forces with Shreyas Iyer to stitch a partnership of 93. This was one phase in the game where the Indians seemed to be in slight control of the situations. Kohli picked up 2 sixes and 7 boundaries in his batting essay. Just when he looked like taking the game deep, Kohli fell to Josh Hazelwood with Moises Henriques completing a stunning catch.
2: The elegance of KL Rahul, a cameo from Ravindra Jadeja, and the struggle of Hardik Pandya:
In Rohit Sharma’s absence, the onus of Indian batting lied squarely on the shoulders of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. While KL Rahul got off to a soft dismissal in the first ODI, he managed to absorb the pressure which was thrown at him. He scored a brilliant 76 which was laced with 4 boundaries and 5 sixes but he couldn’t take India to safer shores. Rahul’s exit saw the entry of Ravindra Jadeja who set the stage on fire with a rollicking cameo of 24 from just 11 balls. His dismissal was the last nail in the coffin and Hardik Pandya too departed soon struggling to time the ball today. His inability to stroke freely hurt India badly.
1: Australian fielding:
The major difference between the two teams was their fielding. While India continued to remain guilty in the field with their best fielder Jadeja dropping Labuschagne. The drop proved to be costly as Labuschagne helped himself to a half-century. India’s out fielding lacked energy and intensity too apart from that direct hit from Shreyas Iyer. While the Aussies were on the prowl especially Steve Smith who picked a stunner of a catch to dismiss Iyer. Their out fielding and ground fielding was of the highest class. The catch taken by Moises Henriques to dismiss Kohli showed why they are the superior team out of the two.
