Canberra
India survived a blistering Glenn Maxwell half-century to hold their nerve for a 13-run victory and deny Australia a one-day international series clean sweep in Canberra on Wednesday. While the explosive Maxwell was at the crease Australia were on track to reel in India’s 302-5 total.
But Jasprit Bumrah got the crucial breakthrough bowling Maxwell with a trademark yorker for 59 off 38 balls studded with three fours and four sixes.
That left Australia 38 runs away from victory with three wickets and 35 balls left, but India claimed the remaining wickets to clinch victory with three balls left.
Australia won the opening two matches in Sydney by 66 runs and 51 runs, but India emphatically ended their five-game ODI losing streak — their worst since January 2016 — to pull off an exciting victory ahead of Friday’s first of three Twenty20 matches against the Australians in Canberra.
India’s victory was made possible by an unbroken 150-run partnership between man-of-the-match Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja to swing the momentum after Josh Hazlewood once again proved Virat Kohli’s nemesis.
“I have been working hard to play for my country, happy that I’ve got the opportunity,” Pandya said.
“You need to be on your toes when it comes to playing against Australia. You got to push hard and face the challenge against them.”
Hazlewood again got the measure of the India master batsman, dismissing him for 63 to put the tourists under mid-innings pressure in the dead rubber.
Kohli’s exit threw down the gauntlet to Pandya, who finished top-scorer with 92 off 76 balls with some late fireworks with Ravindra Jadeja 66 (50), who seized the momentum for India, adding 76 runs in the last five overs.
“We were put under the pump in the first half and in the second half of Australia’s innings,” Kohli said.
“I would have liked to go on for a bit longer, but it was a great partnership between Pandya and Jadeja.
“The team needed that kind of a boost.—AFP
