(Photo: Cricket Australia Facebook)
The Australian Men’s Cricket Team has delivered an epic win to secure a series victory in Chennai.
Australia came into the series decider having dismantled India by 10 wickets in the second One Day International (ODI).
India was looking to round out the series well, having won a tight and tense test series earlier in the month.
The Aussies opted to make two changes to their previously victorious team, with David Warner recovering from a broken elbow, sustained in the test series. They also brought in Aston Agar for the unlucky Nathan Ellis (dropped) while Cameron Green (illness) was the other out.
The Indians backed in the same team that was embarrassingly beaten in the second ODI, choosing to make no changes.
Steve Smith won the toss and chose to bat with newfound openers, Mitch Marsh and Travis Head strolling to the crease.
Both players started well, ticking the scoreboard over and sending anything loose to the boundary.
As it looked like both players could take the game away from the Indians, Hardik Pandya struck three quick blows. With the dismissals of Marsh (47), Head (33) and Steve Smith (duck) in quick succession, leaving the Aussies in a precarious position, reeling at 3-85.
That brought David Warner to the crease in a new middle order role along with Marnus Labuschagne, as the pair attempted to recover the Australian innings after a clump of fallen wickets.
Once again, after starts for both players, the Indians were able to get crucial breakthroughs as Warner (23), Labuschagne (28) and Alex Carey (38), were all removed after making good starts.
Marnus Labuschagne attempts a reverse sweep on his way to 28.
The Aussies came into the contest with very strong batting depth, having classy all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, as well as capable players in Sean Abbott and Ashton Agar down the order. After handy contributions by Stoinis (25) and Abbott (26), both men were sent back to the dressing rooms off the bowling off Axar Patel.
Mohammad Siraj rounded out the Australian innings, taking the wickets of Ashton Agar for 17 and Mitchell Starc for 10. This left the Aussies all out for a competitive total of 269.
Australia would have to bowl well if it was to deny the Indians of a series victory. With India boasting remarkable firepower that could take the game away from the opposition in an instant, early wickets were crucial for Australia.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill would open the innings for India, with Mitchell Starc steaming in. After a relatively circumspect start, both batsmen showed their talent and sheer power, as they hit many crisp strokes.
Much like the start of Australia’s innings, Sharma looked it ominous form before he was dismissed for 30 off just 17 balls, with Sean Abbott providing the crucial breakthrough.
Only a few overs later, Adam Zampa struck another decisive blow as he wrapped Gill on the pads, sending him back to the sheds for a well-made 37.
That brought two new batsmen to the crease, in the form of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. Both batmen looked in great touch, threatening to take the game away from the Aussies.
Virat Kohli tried his hardest to get his side over the line, scoring a well-made 52.
With the score building, Zampa struck again to dismiss KL Rahul for 32, bringing a promoted Axar Patel to the crease at number five after impressive form throughout the whole tour. Moments later, Steve Smith produced a moment of brilliance as he found Patel short of his ground.
With the required run rate and pressure building on the Indians, Kohli went hard at a lofted drive, only to pick out David Warner at long off.
The very next ball, Ashton Agar produced the biggest moment of the game, dismissing the extremely dangerous Suryakumar Yadav for a miserable third consecutive golden duck.
The returning Ashton Agar played a vital role in the third ODI, taking the crucial wickets of Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav.
The consecutive wickets left the hosts in big trouble at 6-185. Pandya looked the only man left to have a say in the game’s result, looming large throughout his innings.
But when he was dismissed off the bowling of Zampa for a run-a-ball 40, all hope looked lost. Ravindra Jadeja scrapped some late order runs, but ultimately it wasn’t enough as India was all out for 248 in an entertaining contest.
Adam Zampa was awarded man of the match for a vital bowling performance, taking 4-45 off his 10 overs.
The deciding ODI rounded out an exciting and competitive series, where for the most part, neither of the sides could be split.
The tour provided a mouth-watering preview to the Test Championship Final, that will be played between the two sides at the Oval in early June.
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