Australia beat India by 21 runs, win series 2-1

Chennai (Uttam Hindu News): Australia thrashed India by 21 runs in the third ODI on Wednesday, riding on a strong performance from the bowlers led by Adam Zampa (45/4) to clinch the three-match series 2-1.

Australia set a target of 270 runs in front of India, in response to which the hosts were all out for 248 runs in 49.1 overs.

India have lost at home after four years and seven ODI series. India was earlier defeated by Australia in 2019.

The slow pitch at the Chidambaram Stadium dominated the spinners. For India, Pandya led the Indian bowlers with figures of three for 44 in eight overs, while Kuldeep, who broke the back of the Australian middle-order, took three for 56 in 10 overs.

Zampa was the best bowler for the visiting team, taking four wickets for 45 runs in 10 overs. Apart from this, Ashton Agar, who was ignored in the Test series, also achieved two successes by giving 41 runs in 10 overs. For India, Virat Kohli scored the highest 54 runs in 72 balls with two fours and a six, although he did not get any support.

Australia won the toss and elected to bat, and the pair of Travis Head-Mitchell Marsh, who shared an unbeaten century partnership in the previous match, once again gave their team an aggressive start.

Head-Marsh shared a 68-run partnership taking advantage of the first powerplay. Before this partnership could put India in trouble, Pandya sent Head back to the pavilion. Head scored 33 runs in 31 balls with the help of four fours and two sixes. He gave a second blow to Australia in his next over by getting Steve Smith caught out by the wicketkeeper. Smith could not score a half-century even once in six matches of the India tour.

On the other hand, Marsh (47 balls, eight fours, one six, 47 runs) was heading towards his second half-century of the series but was also bowled by Pandya. Captain Rohit Sharma handed the ball to the spinners after Australia’s top-order collapsed.

David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne shared a 40-run partnership in 60 balls, showing patience in front of the spinners on the Chidambaram Stadium pitch. Warner was on his feet with a boundary in his 23-run innings but was caught at long-off in an attempt to hit a big shot off Kuldeep’s ball. Like Warner, Labushen (45 balls, 28 runs) also caught long-on in an attempt to hit a big six.

Marcus Stoinis shared a 58-run partnership with Alex Carey for the sixth wicket but he too could not convert a good start into a long innings. Stoinis scored 25 runs off 26 balls with three fours and returned to the pavilion after playing Akshar Patel’s ball in the hands of long-on. Stoinis’s partner Carey scored 38 runs off 46 balls (two fours, one six) before being bowled by Kuldeep.

Australia could have been bundled out for a paltry score at 196 for six but the tailenders added valuable 66 runs in the end in 11 overs.

Sean Abbott added a crucial 42 runs for the eighth wicket with Ashton Agar. Akshar bowled Abbott for 26 (23), while Siraj dismissed Agar (21 balls, 17 runs) and Mitchell Starc (11 balls, 10 runs) to end the Australian innings.

Chasing the target, India got off to a brisk start with skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill adding 65 runs for the first wicket. Rohit scored 30 runs off 17 balls with two fours and two sixes but was dismissed in the last over of the powerplay. Steve Smith also tightened the reins on the Indian run-rate by handing the ball to the spinners.

Zampa gave Australia a second breakthrough when he dismissed Shubman Gill (49 balls, 37 runs) lbw and India’s opening pair were dismissed in the space of three overs.

After initial jitters, KL Rahul and Kohli took control of the innings with a 69-run partnership, although Rahul struggled to score runs at pace. Rahul finally ended his 49-ball drought with a four off the last ball of the 26th over. Rahul also hit Starc for a four and a six in the next over, though he returned to the pavilion after scoring 32 off 50 balls.

Captain Rohit sent Akshar to bat at number five to neutralize Zampa’s spin but he was run out after scoring just two runs. Australia soon came back in the match by taking two wickets. By this time the match was tied but an over from Agar tilted it in Australia’s favour.

Agar got Kohli caught at long-off in the 36th over, while he bowled Suryakumar Yadav in the very next ball. Suryakumar was dismissed on the first ball in all the three matches of this series.

India needed 54 runs in the last seven overs. Pandya and Jadeja’s partnership was valuable for India but Zampa once again dismissed Pandya, taking a wicket at a crucial time. Pandya scored 40 off 40 balls hitting three fours and a six and his defeat sealed India’s downfall. Zampa returned Jadeja (33 balls, 18 runs) to the pavilion after one over.

Mohammed Shami entertained the crowd with a four and a six in his 14-run innings. Stoinis sent Shami bowled to the pavilion, while Kuldeep’s runout ended the Indian innings.