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.
“We are in a very good space mentally,” says West Indies Interim Head Coach Andre Coley ahead of third South Africa ODI
The West Indies will enter the third and final ODI against South Africa on Tuesday with an opportunity to complete a series win over the hosts for the first time.
Interim Head Coach of the West Indies Senior Men’s team Andre Coley says the group are in a good place mentally ahead of the decisive game.
“Every game brings new possibilities. We are in a very good space mentally and we are happy with our preparation,” he said in a press conference on Monday.
“We are just making sure we are ready for this game. We will have to see the conditions and work out the best approach. We have been taking it on a match-by-match basis so we are in a good place and have had good plans,” Coley added.
The tourists went 1-0 up in the series thanks to an excellent batting display, including an unbeaten century from Shai Hope in his first innings as ODI captain.
Coley, while being pleased with the team’s exploits with the bat, hopes other batsmen can go deep into the innings after getting starts.
The Windies amassed 335-8. While Hope made 128*, Brandon King (30), Kyle Mayers (36), Nicholas Pooran (39) and Rovman Powell (46) all got starts and failed to kick on.
“It was satisfying. Firstly, getting a total of 300 plus on the back of Shai’s hundred batting through the innings. We had significant partnerships,” he said.
“It would still have been good to see more batters go on from their starts but very encouraging signs, nonetheless,” Coley added.
On the bowling front, Coley did not make much of the fact that South Africa got off to a fast start, putting it down to the state of the game.
“Chasing a total like that, they wanted to make the powerplay count. We expected that. That is the nature of the game,” he said before acknowledging how well his team responded to the early onslaught.
“We were put under pressure quite early and I thought we responded well. Kyle (Mayers) got that key wicket of Quinton (De Kock) who was going well for them. As the innings progressed, we were able to respond and, in the end, we ended up with a comfortable win,” he added.
The game is scheduled for 3:00 AM Jamaica Time (4:00 AM ECT).
Harpy Eagles hold 11.2-point lead atop West Indies Championship table entering round four
The Guyana Harpy Eagles have an 11.2-point lead at the top of the 2022/23 West Indies Championship table heading into round four starting on Wednesday.
Guyana, who won five straight regional four-day titles from 2015-2019, have two wins and a draw from their three games to lead the table with 49 points.
The Windward Islands Volcanoes find themselves second on 37.8 points thanks to a win and two draws, a similar record to the Leeward Islands Hurricanes who are third with 34.2 points
Three points behind the Hurricanes are reigning back-to-back champions the Barbados Pride after a win and two losses.
The Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, with two draws and a loss, are fifth on 24.8 points while the Jamaica Scorpions are way back in sixth on 15.8 points after two losses and a draw.
Round four will see the Harpy Eagles taking on the Jamaica Scorpions at Providence, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes taking on the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy and the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force facing the Barbados Pride at the Queen’s Park Oval.
Karunaratne wants to step down as Sri Lanka captain
Dimuth Karunaratne wants to step down as Sri Lanka captain following the Test series against Ireland next month.
The opening batter revealed after a hammering by an innings and 58 runs in the second Test against New Zealand that he has offered his resignation.
Karunaratne, who was appointed in 2019, hopes his reign will come to an end after the second and final match of the series versus Ireland in Galle.
He said: "I've talked with the selectors about stepping down as captain after the Ireland series. In the next WTC cycle, you've got to do two years.
"I think it's best if a new captain does that whole cycle than for me to do half and hand over. I've talked to the selectors about this, but I haven't got a response yet. My preference is to handover to a new leader after the next series."
Karunaratne made half-centuries in both innings of a heavy defeat to the Black Caps at Basin Reserve, which consigned the tourists to a 2-0 defeat.
The 34-year-old was not content with his knocks of 89 and 51 in Wellington.
"I played Tests after eight months. I only got to play one innings in a four-day match in between," Karunaratne said.
"!'m someone who gets a big one after getting a start, so I think I don't have that patience at the moment, and I need to go back to domestic cricket and develop that again.
"After eight months, although I made some runs here, I could have done more, I think. Twice, I think I could have turned half-centuries into hundreds, and I wasted them."
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