Kohli, Dhoni in classic Indian chase
Visitors’ six-wicket victory was the second-highest successful chase at the Adelaide Oval
ADELAIDE: Mahendra Singh Dhoni steered India to a six-wicket victory over Australia in the second one-day international to level the series in Adelaide on Tuesday. Dhoni, playing in his 334th ODI, guided India across the line with four balls to spare to back up a dazzling century from captain Virat Kohli.
India chased down 299 runs set by Australia, who scored 298/9 with Shaun Marsh scoring 131 off 123 balls. It was the second-highest successful chase in Adelaide after Sri Lanka’s 303-9 against England in 1999.
The three-match series goes to a decider in Melbourne on Friday after Australia won in Sydney by 34 runs.
“Tonight was an MS (Dhoni) classic,” Man-of-the-match Kohli said. “He takes the game till the end, when only he knows what’s going on in his mind, and he backs himself to hit those big shots at the end. And hats off to Dinesh (Karthik) too, he came in and took the pressure off him.”
When Kohli holed out to Glenn Maxwell at deep mid-wicket to end his stellar 104 off 112 balls, it was Dhoni who took charge to pilot his side home with support from Karthik (25 no). Dhoni was struggling in the hot conditions and needed treatment from the physio to finish his knock and keep India alive in the series.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan (32 – 28b) was caught by Usman Khawaja at mid-wicket off Jason Behrendorff in the eighth over. India were sailing along before Sydney centurion Rohit Sharma (43) topedged Marcus Stoinis to Peter Handscomb at deep forward square, ending a 54-run partnership with Kohli. Ambati Rayudu was then caught by Stoinis off Glenn Maxwell for 24.
Kohli was annoyed to get out with the job unfinished but Dhoni used his experience and got his team home.
Marsh hammered 11 fours and three sixes, claiming his seventh ODI century and second against India as Australia made the tourists sweat in temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius.
India could have been chasing a higher total but for the last three overs from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohd Shami. They took a combined 4/17 in the last 18 balls with Bhuvi claiming Marsh and Glenn Maxwell (48 – 37 b).
Aaron Finch was bowled by Bhuvi off an inside edge for six and Usman Khawaja was run out by Ravindra Jadeja with a direct throw from cover point for 21.
Handscomb (20) was stumped off Jadeja and Stoinis (29) was caught behind. Maxwell produced a cameo with Marsh, who lofted Bhuvi to long-off. Bhuvi finished with 4/45 and Shami took 3/58.