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The Indian cricket team cruised to victory against Australia in the rain-curtailed first ODI held at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Australia were required to chase 164 in 20 overs as rain interrupted the play after the first innings.
The Kangaroos never found themselves in the chase as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The Indian spinners had a field day, apart from a 25 run over which Kuldeep Yadav conceded to Glenn Maxwell. However, after his wicket, there was no turning back for the Indian bowlers as they won the match with ease.
Earlier in the day, after a horrible start, the Indian cricket team ended up with a highly respectable total of 281 with the loss of seven wickets.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, India got off to the worst possible start as they lost their top order within no time.
Nathan Coulter-Nile wrecked havoc as he ripped through the top order picking up the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, and Manish Pandey, the latter two who were dismissed for naught.
With India struggling at 87-5, things were looking really bleak and it looked like the Men in Blue wouldn't even reach 200. However, Hardik Pandya took matters into his own hands during the middle overs as he smashed Adam Zampa all around the park. He scored 83 off just 66 balls with five fours and five maximums.
Dhoni played second fiddle during their 118 run partnership by picking up singles and giving the strike to Pandya.
However, it was vintage Dhoni towards the end of the innings as he ended up scoring 79 in 88 deliveries with four fours and two sixes to his name
Bhuvneshwar Kumar played superbly well too as he scored 32 from just 29 deliveries.
The weather forecast doesn't look too good for the next few hours and fans would be hoping for India to come out and defend their total without any interruptions.
Here is how the cricketers reacted after the match:
Steve Smith
We bowled very well with the new ball. MS and Hardik played really well. We couldn't capitalize on the start. The new ball was stopping a bit and some were skidding on. We lost too many wickets in the middle. We can't control the weather. No complaints. Tonight we weren't good enough and we were outplayed by India. I thought they bowled really well, especially with the new ball. Hopefully, they can back up in a couple of days time. It worked with the new ball today. It was swinging early.
Virat Kohli
Quite different from the first innings to the second. We didn't have the ideal start. Hardik's innings was fantastic. It's a good sign for us. Today was an example, SL was an example, how good they are. The bowling was outstanding as well. It's a matter of time giving players the confidence. He believes in himself. Hardik was the game-changer. Great performance from him today. 5-65 in nine overs is outstanding. Chahal has always been brave. Bhuvi and Bumrah were clinical. I would like to give a lot of credit to the youngsters. The game was shortened. These are the best four IPL bowlers. We couldn't have had a better combination.
Hardik Pandya
It was a good day for me. It feels pretty good. I don't think anything has changed. I'm the same Hardik. I knew what he was going to bowl. I targeted one over and eventually, it helped. As a cricketer, it is important to have the right form. I have a wonderful bunch of people around me.
Yuzvendra Chahal
When I saw Kuldeep, I realized there was a bit of turn. And when I spoke with Kohli even he asked me to pitch up and look for the turn. On these kinds of wickets, you cannot afford to pitch short. There was a bit of intuition to go wide against Wade. Wicket was a bit helpful. When I came to bowl, I had the confidence that there was something in this wicket. It's a great feeling to wear the Indian jersey. I am grateful for all the support that I get from this team.
Here is how the cricketing world reacted to the match:
Here is how the world reacted to India's first innings, and Pandya's blitzkrieg.
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