Australia hammer India by 10 wickets
Finch and Warner hit centuries
MUMBAI, India, Jan 14, (AP): Captain Aaron Finch and David Warner hit centuries as Australia hammered India by 10 wickets in the first one-day international on Tuesday.
Warner was 128 not out and Finch 110 not out as Australia scored 258 without loss in 37.4 overs in reply to India’s 255 all out.
Fast bowler Mitchell Starc took 3-56 in only his second ODI on Indian soil as the hosts’ middle order collapsed after a 121-run second-wicket partnership between Lokesh Rahul (47) and Shikhar Dhawan (74).
It was the fifth 10-wicket defeat for India in ODI cricket, and only the second at home.
The last time India lost an ODI by 10 wickets was in 2005 against South Africa in Kolkata.
Australia’s first 10-wicket victory against India was fueled by the third-highest partnership in ODIs between Warner and Finch for their team. They ensured Australia won with a massive 13.2 overs to spare.
“I have always had the hunger to score more runs and put the team off to a good start,” Warner said.
“It was a great effort from our bowlers in the afternoon. To put India down to just 255 at home was incredible and to then close down the game like we did was brilliant.”
He and Finch started the chase in belligerent fashion, putting on 84 runs in the first powerplay.
Australia’s Mitchell Starc bowls during the first one-day international cricket match between India and Australia
in Mumbai, India on Jan 14. (AP)
Dhawan was dismissed two overs later off Pat Cummins (2-44). The turning point came when Adam Zampa (1-53) dismissed captain Virat Kohli (16) with an easy return catch.
India were reduced to 164-5 when Shreyas Iyer (4) fell to Starc.
Cummins and Kane Richardson (2-43) shared four wickets as the India middle order was exposed.
Rishabh Pant (28) and Ravindra Jadeja (25) added 49 runs for the sixth wicket and took India past 200. They finished, though, with a sub-par total.
Pant took a blow to his head when he was dismissed in the 44th over and did not take any further part in the match owing to concussion. Rahul kept wickets instead.
“We were totally departments,”Kohli said.
“It is a very strong Australian side. We didn’t get enough runs, we were too respectful in certain phases and it cost us. Today was one of those days when we weren’t allowed into the game at all.”
The second of three ODIs is on Friday in Rajkot.
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