India kicked off the ODI series opener against Australia in Mumbai on Friday with a nervy five-wicket win. The victory was made possible thanks to the efforts of middle-order batter KL Rahul, who smashed a gritty half-century and carried an unbeaten century stand alongside seasoned all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
India found themselves struggling at 39 for 4 in their chase of 189 but Rahul played an excellent hand, steering India out of trouble with partnerships alongside skipper Hardik Pandya and Jadeja. The match-winning unbeaten 75 off 91 balls from Rahul was particularly impressive given his recent form and being dropped for the third and fourth matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India’s bowlers were also in excellent form, bundling out Australia for 188 within 36 overs at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. This was complemented by some excellent catching from the Indian side. Returning to international cricket after ankle surgery, Mitchell Marsh scored 81 off 65 balls but his exit triggered a collapse.
Australia missed the services of regular captain Rohit Sharma, who was absent due to family commitments, while David Warner also had to sit out due to injury. Steve Smith led the Australian side in the absence of Pat Cummins, who stayed back in Sydney following his mother’s death.
India made a worse start than Australia, with their top four back in the hut inside 11 overs after Mitchell Starc struck three blows that included the prized wicket of Virat Kohli. But Rahul added 44 runs with Pandya to steer the ship and Jadeja, who remained not out on 45, joined forces with him for a magnificent 108-run partnership that sealed the win for India in the 40th over.
The second match of the series is slated for Sunday in Visakhapatnam, followed by the final ODI in Chennai on Wednesday. The victory gives India a 1-0 lead in the series.
The re-written piece offers a more detailed overview and added insights into the match, highlighting the contribution of each player and putting the win into context. The conversational tone makes the piece more engaging and easier to read, while breaking up the long blocks of text increases the readability.
