JADHAV, DHONI SHOW GRIT AS INDIA THUMP AUS
Amidst middle-order woes, Jadhav and Dhoni stitched a crucial 141-run stand for the fifth wicket to take India home in the first ODI.
Kedar Jadhav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck unbeaten fifties to help India pull off a tricky chase and beat Australia by six wickets in the first one-day international on Saturday.
Needing 237 for victory, India slumped to 99-4 but Jadhav and Dhoni’s 141-run partnership helped India reach the target with 10 balls to spare.
Jadhav made 81 not out, his fifth ODI fifty, off 87 balls while Dhoni was unbeaten on 59.
Chosing to bat, Australia were restricted to 236-7 by India’s disciplined bowling attack.
Mohammed Shami began with a maiden before Jasprit Bumrah struck with his third delivery to prolong Finch’s slump in form.
Bumrah’s good length ball kissed the shoulder of Finch’s tentative bat and nestled into Dhoni’s gloves as the opener perished for a duck.
Finch has not scored a fifty in his last eight ODI innings, which would be a major worry for Australia ahead of their title defence at this year’s World Cup in England and Wales.
Usman Khawaja and Marcus Stoinis shared an 87-run stand to help Australia overcome the loss of their captain.
Part-time spinner Jadhav dismissed Stoinis for 37 but Khawaja made a fluent 50 before Kuldeep Yadav sent him back.
In-form batsman Glen Maxwell made 40 before losing his off-stump to Shami.
Wicketkeeper Alex Carey made 36 not out, adding 62 runs with Nathan Coulter-nile (28) but Australian still fell short of the 250-mark.
India lost opener Shikhar Dhawan for a golden duck in the second over of their innings, but Kohli and Rohit Sharma played with characteristic ease before Australia prized out three wickets to roar back into the match.
Kohli, who added 76 runs with Rohit, raced to a run-a-ball 44 before being foxed by an Adam Zampa delivery that beat his bat and rapped him on the pad.
Rohit’s departure for 37 compounded India’s problems but Dhoni and Jadhav batted sensibly and did not panic even when the asking run rate climbed above six an over.
Dhoni sealed the victory with his sixth boundary off Stoinis.
The teams move to Nagpur for the second match of the five-game series on Tuesday.
REUTERS