Rahul leads fightback as India recover to beat Australia
KL Rahul led the way in a superb match-winning partnership with Ravindra Jadeja as India prevailed by five wickets in the first ODI with Australia.
Despite reducing Australia from 129-2 to 188 all out, India looked in significant trouble at the Wankhede Stadium as their top order crumbled in reply.
They lost three wickets inside the first five overs and were 83-5 when Hardik Pandya fell to Marcus Stoinis.
But, on a pitch favourable to fast bowlers, Rahul (75 not out) and Jadeja (45 not out) masterfully guided India over the line to delight the Mumbai crowd.
It initially looked as if Mitchell Marsh might be the match-winner as he bludgeoned 81 off 65 balls for Australia, hitting 10 fours and five sixes.
However, after Jadeja drew a thick edge to end his innings, Australia never rediscovered their momentum, Mohammed Shami (3-17) ensuring their early platform was not built upon.
The swing of Mitchell Starc caused chaos as Australia sought to defend a disappointing total, Starc accounting for Virat Kohli (4), Suryakumar Yadav (0) and Shubman Gill (20).
Rahul counter-attacked with Hardik (25) for a stand of 44 but it was left-hander Jadeja who proved the perfect foil, their partnership one of supreme composure.
It was capped with a flourish, Jadeja getting India over the line with a pair of fours from an impressive but ultimately frustrated Starc as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Sensational Shami
The exit of Marsh provided an opening for the India attack, and it was one Shami made sure they took.
Dismissing both Cameron Green and Stoinis with length balls, he allowed just one four and a single six while bowling 30 dot balls from 66 deliveries, two of his six overs being maidens.
India end Mumbai misery
India had previously lost their last three men's ODI matches at the Wankhede, their longest run at the venue in the format.
That streak is now over, and India are a victory away from making it 14 wins in 15 multi-game bilateral men's ODI series at home.
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Windies women eye vital win against Bangladesh to keep semi-final hopes alive at T20 World Cup
After an impressive six-wicket win over Scotland, West Indies women will seek to build on that momentum when they take on Bangladesh in a crucial encounter that could define their campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
The Caribbean side will enter Thursday’s contest knowing that another win would keep their semi-final hopes alive, as they currently sit in third position on two points, two behind leaders South Africa and England on four points each.
The first ball is 9:00am Jamaica time.
West Indies’ victory over Scotland was a much-needed confidence boost for the team, especially after a crushing 10-wicket loss to South Africa in their opening match. The win not only lifted their spirits but also boosted their net run rate, a key factor in determining the semi-final spots should multiple teams finish level on points.
Assistant coach Ryan Austin emphasized the Hayley Matthews-led team’s readiness to handle what promises to be a tricky challenge, as Bangladesh bowlers, particularly their spinners, have proven to be formidable opponents.
“The team is pretty prepared. We obviously know that Bangladesh is basically a spin-based unit, but with our philosophies, we are more focused on what we can control. Having said that, we still have that element of power within our batting that could counter the spin as well,” Austin said in a pre-game press conference.
“If you look at the wicket, they are playing pretty slow at the moment. South Africa today (Wednesday) actually had a good total on the wicket, and if you watch how they batted, they actually used their feet a lot to the spin. So we are looking to obviously go into the game with that sort of temperament mindset with respect to their spin bowling attack as well. Sharjah has almost kind of a two-paced kind of wicket because during the day it's very low and slow, but in the evenings it kind of changes and comes alive,” he added.
Austin exuded confidence in his team’s batting prowess, with the likes of Matthews, Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, and Shemaine Campbelle expected to play pivotal roles, especially with the group being poised for a tight finish.
Though those proverbial big guns are yet to really fire, Austin believes their true potential should come to the fore in Thursday’s game, as well as the decisive fixture against England. West Indies currently have a positive net run rate of 1.154, only bettered by leaders South Africa, who have 1.527.
“If you look at how our group is set up, net run-rate is really going to be a big factor later down, especially, if we win both games against Bangladesh and England. So one of the things that we really have to look at is how we go about executing, especially in this game against Bangladesh. So our game plan is to at least probably both first and then try to get to our target as fast as possible,” Austin reasoned.