Image Source- AFP
Shreyas Iyer’s powerful century, Shubman Gill’s fifth
ODI century of the year, Suryakumar Yadav’s 37-ball 72, and a three-wicket haul
from R Ashwin helped India defeat Australia by 99 runs (DLS adjusted) and win
the ODI series 2-0 in Indore.
Australia didn’t have the same run as India, who
scored 399 for 5 on a pitch that was favourable for batting after hitting 31
fours and 18 sixes overall. They were first damaged by Prasidh Krishna, who had
come in for Jasprit Bumrah, who had been rested, and after a second rain delay,
they were destroyed by the spinners, going out for 217 in a battle with a huge
deficit.
Iyer and Gill’s afternoon partnership of 200 runs in
just 164 deliveries for the second wicket solidified India’s lead for the first
30 overs of the innings. Australia is left chasing a record total after KL
Rahul (52), Suryakumar, and Ishan Kishan (31) put the finishing touches on the
innings in the final 20 overs.
Iyer, who was run out for three in Mohali, got off to
a fast start, hitting five fours in his first 14 balls. Gill also found his
groove right before the first inning’s rain break. By the tenth over, they had
reduced India to 80 for 1 after putting up a fifty-run stand in just 29 balls.
The pair continued to compete even as the field widened, with Gill dominating
in the ground game in particular.
Even though they didn’t make many mistakes, Australia
had a forgettable bowling day, which is how you can tell you are playing in
Indore. This pitch is cruel to bowlers, and it was evident once more when
debutant Spencer Johnson gave up 61 runs in eight overs while Abbott was out
for 91 runs in ten. Green became the fourth Australian bowler to give up triple
digits in an ODI with his 2 for 103.
With his consecutive ball dismissals of Matthew Short
(9) and Steven Smith (0), Prasidh gave the chase an early boost, leaving David
Warner and Marnus Labuschagne to reorganise. A second rain break arrived while
they were progressing and reduced the innings to 33 overs. Even more onerous
appeared to be the 317-point DLS-adjusted aim.
The game appeared to be coming to a close when Ashwin
and Ravindra Jadeja caused the ball to spit across the batsman on a track that
offered huge spin in contrast to the afternoon conditions. Consolation runs
were all that were left after Carey was bowled by Jadeja and Green was sloppily
ran out.