Thanks for your company today. Been lovely returning to the OBO; I’ll be with you again at different points through the course of the tournament. Next up for India, Afghanistan in Delhi on Wednesday. For Australia, it’s South Africa on Thursday at Lucknow. And tomorrow, The Dutch vs the Black Caps. Bye!
KL Rahul is player of the match
Speaking now with Ian Bishop. He said that he was in the shower anticipating some time off but out in the middle so quickly, they had to get to work. He’s asked about the six to win – “I hit it too well! I was calculating how I could get to 100 at the end, the only way was to get a four and a six and that’s what I planned but hopefully some other time I’ll be able to get a hundred.”
India will take a lot of beating. Three down with two on the board inside two overs. For most teams, even with a target of 200, that’s taking some chasing. Not the hosts with Kohli still there, and depth for days. The 165-run stand should’ve been far less if Kohli wasn’t put down after a dreadful mix-up between Marsh and Carey but he made the very most of it, driving Australia into the turf. Meanwhile, KL Rahul was joyous – 97 of the best, unbeaten too.
INDIA WIN BY SIX WICKETS!
Cummins to Rahul and he’s hit it too well! SIX! Rahul is low-key flat; he can’t believe it has gone the journey. It doesn’t matter. India get it done well inside 42 overs – a brilliant chase from where they were. Rahul an unbeaten gem.
41.2 overs: India 201-4 (Rahul 97 from 115, Hardik 11 from 8).
41st over: India 195-4 (Rahul 91, Hardik 11). Target 200. Bang, bang! KL Rahul races to 89 with a SIX down the ground of Maxwell then a FOUR in the same direction so start the over. Eight to win, 11 for the ton – possible! Four balls left… anti-climax; a single down the ground. Oh, another single and he’s back at the business end with six to win… and knocks it down the ground to keep the strike. 13 off the over. India need five. Rahul needs a four and a six. Do it!
40th over: India 182-4 (Rahul 79, Hardik 10). Target 200. Nup, Rahul gives the strike back with a single off Hazlewood to deep point first ball. Dirk Nannes, on telly, supports my view about India finishing this as quickly as possible for Net Run Rate reasons. There are marginal gains for Australia here too, keeping India on the park as long as they can – thus Hazlewood, the most frugal they have. But Hardik Pandya is on it, climbing into Hazlewood with a show of power over long-off for SIX! Rare in this game. Cannot wait to see him in full flight.
39th over: India 172-4 (Rahul 77, Hardik 3). Target 200. Right, back to ton-watch? Rahul needs 23 of 28. But he is back on strike. Go on, have a dart.
38th over: India 168-4 (Rahul 75, Hardik 1). Target 200. Hardik off the mark pulling – the first new batter to the middle for 36 overs. They put on 165.
WICKET! Kohli c Labuschagne b Hazlewood 85 (116) India 167-4
He’s out! Hazlewood short ball, on to him a touch quicker than Kohli anticipates and mistimes it to Labuschagne at midwicket. The end of a superb stand.
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37th over: India 167-3 (Kohli 85, KL Rahul 75). Target 200. Kohli misses out on popping a Zampa fully into the crowd and swears at himself – he knows there’s a World Cup ton here for him; Rahul more a risk to that than the bowlers at this stage of the chase. Back on strike for the final ball, he gets another full toss but pats it gently to long on – that’ll pop him back on strike with 15/33 needed.
Not sure who this tweet is for but:
— Josh Schönafinger (@joshschon) October 8, 2023
Needing 200 to win (required rate exactly 4 every over), India were 80 after 20 overs and 120 after 30. Very satisfying for the nerd in me.
Thanks for tuning in #CWC23
36th over: India 159-3 (Kohli 81, KL Rahul 71). Target 200. Shane Watson says that in hindsight, Hazlewood might’ve bowled five off the top instead of four and Starc a couple more than his initial three when the ball was really moving around off the seam and through the air. Good point. It’s Hazlewood again here in his 7th, who started with that double-wicket maiden that brought this pair together 150 runs ago; what a difference a couple of hours makes. Even the mistimed Rahul shots are effective tonight, lobbing over midwicket for a couple more. And having kept the strike, he nudges past the bowler with such absurd timing that the bowler has no chance not Maxwell at mid-on on the circle – that’s his seventh four. Eight from the over, 41 to go. The game-within-a-game, if you like: Rahul back on strike. Might he overtake Kohli? Another ball change.
35th over: India 151-3 (Kohli 80, KL Rahul 64). Target 200. Zampa up for leg before against Kohli but there’s an inside edge, which they agree upon and don’t refer upstairs. Every marker is getting the full treatment from the Chennai crowd, including the 150, raised with a Rahul single down the ground.
This is serene from India @collinsadam. At 2/3 they were staring at a big problem but these two have dialled it back and applied themselves like the cricketing gods they are. 200 was never enough for Australia but they were in the game. Now it's a cakewalk. Ominous.
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) October 8, 2023
34th over: India 146-3 (Kohli 77, KL Rahul 62). Target 200. Whack! Kohli goes after a Starc ball banged in from around the wicket and cops it flush on the helmet. The contact is on the front right; he’ll need a new helmet. The bowler goes up to him to make sure he’s okay and gets a quick thumbs up. And whaddayaknow, next ball after the delay is carved away behind point for a stunning boundary. “That gives me shivers,” says Shane Watson on comms before discussing how that shot was Australia’s undoing at the T20 World Cup match against India at Mohali in 2016 – the best T20 innings I’ve ever seen.
33rd over: India 139-3 (Kohli 71, KL Rahul 61). Target 200. Shuffling the pack to the extent he can, Cummins throws the ball back to Zampa for a third go. And sure enough, he’s met with the broad blade of Kohli, thumping a ball that’s too short away through cover for a dominant boundary. Seven off it, 61 to. go. Kohli needs 29 of them for a ton unless Rahul can get 39 more first. Probably not a good PR move from the latter to take such an interventionalist approach, mind.
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32nd over: India 132-3 (Kohli 65, KL Rahul 60). Target 200. Shoooot! Rahul takes on Starc through the covers and nails it. Can’t be said enough how stunning his strokeplay has been tonight – just about the best in the world to watch when going strong. Eight off Starc. They should be able to win this in 42ish.
31st over: India 124-3 (Kohli 62, KL Rahul 56). Target 200. A change of ball mid-over, the original one is soaked and brown. You can make a case that this will suit either team depending on how you see it. Four off Maxwell. Starc coming back for the next one; the only choice for Cummins at this stage.
30th over: India 120-3 (Kohli 60, KL Rahul 54). Target 200. Just one off Cummins here. Not sure about this strategy – haven’t we hit the point where they can really make life difficult for Australia with a NRR pounding, per what NZ did to England? Drinks on the field. They can chat about it then.
29th over: India 119-3 (Kohli 60, KL Rahul 53). Target 200. The ball is thrown back to Maxwell, who was really good earlier giving nothing away in his four overs. If he can go bang/bang, it might well be game-on again. But the home side, mindful of this too, play the percentages and knock it around to the sweepers as they have done so well since the last time Maxwell was in the attack. Oooh, not far away with an inside edge off a slower ball but Rahul corrects himself to the next, down the long-on for one. Three off. India’s required rate, for what it’s worth, is 3.9. But they’d be mad not to put the foot down soon here with Net Run Rate so important in six weeks from now.
28th over: India 116-3 (Kohli 59, KL Rahul 51). Target 200. The stadium goes wild when Cummins misses the pitch with a ball that spits out the side of his hand. Messy. Free hit now. Oh, not a bad bumper but called a wide. Juuuust. Kohli smiles; another free hit coming his way, which is clubs away over midwicket with a minimum of fuss for four! Kohli now walks at Cummins before middling him out deep point. Earlier in the eventful over Rahul drove to deep point too, bringing up his half-century an over after the former captain. He’s batted beautifully. What a luxury bringing him back off the injury bench.
27th over: India 105-3 (Kohli 53, KL Rahul 49). Target 200. Next milestone: a 100-run stand between this pair. They came together with the crowd silent at 2-3 with no runs off the bat. Nearly two hours later, they’ve got India into a position where they can think again about a quick kill and some juicy net run rate. Zampa, in his 5th over, is being helped to sweepers at will. Maxwell again?
Kohli to 50!
26th over: India 100-3 (Kohli 50, KL Rahul 47). Target 200. The crowd rise to Kohli, as he earns the chance to raise his bat yet again in this format of the game – his 114th score above 50 in ODIs, with 47 of them turned into tons. The 100-run barrier is crossed with stroke too, a couple off the new bowler Cummins, tucked behind square. Cummins prompts a false stroke to finish – one of those tempters placed well outside the off-stump that Kohli struggled with early in his innings. But now, as it was then, he’s fortunate the outside edge is missed.
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25th over: India 97-3 (Kohli 48, KL Rahul 46). Target 200. Each single is being roared by the crowd, who full well know that this is a quiet but crucial passage of play. Off Zampa, who has tightened up after changing ends, they take five runs to the sweepers. Halfway there. “Crunch time for Australia,” says their former captain Aaron Finch. The Indian pair enjoy an impromptu drinks break.
24th over: India 92-3 (Kohli 45, KL Rahul 44). Target 200. The one thing going Australia’s way is India aren’t smacking the cover off it here. Just two singles off Halzewood. So, the last five overs have earned 19 runs. A couple of wickets, to take the positive spin from that, means they have enough runs – at this stage. The challenge is how chilled out this pair looks in their accumulation.
23rd over: India 90-3 (Kohli 44, KL Rahul 43). Target 200. Zampa has changed ends with a lot of attention on the ball, which will be really wet by now. Not going to be easy for a legspinner after dark in this World Cup. But just three singles off the over, which will help his confidence after going around earlier. If Australia are any chance, Zampa will need to play a big role, and very soon.
The official attendance at Chepauk is 32531. The official capacity of the MA Chidambaram Stadium is 38,000. So India playing on a Sunday against a team that has won multiple World Cups in one of the venues where cricket is much loved and it's not a full house.#CWC2023 #INDvAUS
— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) October 8, 2023
22nd over: India 87-3 (Kohli 42, KL Rahul 42). Target 200. 0/53 in the second ten overs after 3/27 in the first. To think, once again, about the game of cricket we’re watching if Carey commits fully and tells Marsh to sod off and takes the Kohli catch. That was from the bowling of Hazlewood, who is back into the attack here but there’s nothing going on an hour and a half after all the action, five singles to the sweepers. As Nannes says on commentary, if you’re going to cross-seam this early into a spell it isn’t a great sign. It’ll be wet out there too.
21st over: India 82-3 (Kohli 39, KL Rahul 40). Target 200. Starc wouldn’t ordinarily bowl a third over in this spell but there will be no final ten to hold him back for, so it is worth a go. The issue for the left-armer is the ball isn’t hooping around as it did before and he’s not giving it much of a chance to either, banging in a couple more for the top edge. He finds some variable bounce in the middle of the set – at some stage, they need one of those to really shoot through. He looks far more likely when fuller but Rahul is defending so well, he’s through it. Two off. Well bowled, well played. Starc has four more.
20th over: India 80-3 (Kohli 38, KL Rahul 39). Target 200. Rahul overtakes Kohli in a Zampa over that is perfectly fine but still perfect for India – seven runs, all to the sweepers, no risks. This is getting clinical. Australia need a twist.
19th over: India 73-3 (Kohli 36, KL Rahul 34). Target 200. Rahul cuts late again, down to deep third off Starc – he’s looking a million bucks here. Took a lot for the right-hander to make it back after a serious thigh tear during the IPL but he’s back for the tournament that matters most. The window for Australia feels small now – they have to get rid of both of these set men in the next five overs or so; breaking this partnership alone is unlikely to suffice. Another Starc over dealt with – he’s now half way through his allocation. Very good batting.
18th over: India 69-3 (Kohli 34, KL Rahul 32). Target 200. Pressure straight on Zampa via a brilliant late cut from Rahul, to a delivery that was darting back towards his off-stump too. Well bowled, majestically played. Oh, and he does it again two balls later. A bit more width this time around but what hands, what touch. Three in the over when Zampa overcorrects with a full toss, put away through cover. 13 from the over and suddenly all the pressure is on Australia.
17th over: India 56-3 (Kohli 33, KL Rahul 20). Target 200. Starc back. Understandable given he held seven back and it’s improbable this is going the full 50, but surely Zampa needs to have a say here soon? Has a good record against Kohli too. Just four off but India won’t mind – it’s about denying Starc wickets in a spell like this. Oh, and it will be Zampa next, replacing Maxwell.
Bit of news from the venue where England play next, vs Bangladesh.
ICC say the outfield for Bangladesh vs Afghanistan on Dharamsala was rated "average"
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) October 8, 2023
Spokesperson: "The ICC independent pitch consultant has taken a look at the outfield today and is comfortable with the conditions as is Javagal Srinath, the Match Referee for the next game"
16th over: India 52-3 (Kohli 31, KL Rahul 18). Target 200. Maxwell continues and beats Rahul right away with extra bounce but he’s on top of it from the next, cutting a couple. Three off, giving him 0/9 from four. Zampa for Green, surely? We saw India’s spinners go to work together around this time.
15th over: India 49-3 (Kohli 31, KL Rahul 15). Target 200. Green has started well, past Kohli with a ball that genuinely moves through the air. But after four dots, Kohli plays the shot-of-the-chase so far, a perfect flick wide of Maxwell at midwicket for four. Class. Oh, and he does it again! This time without the same degree of difficulty with this ball there to be hit from the line of the leg stump and hit it is. They go to drinks with India belatedly where they need to be with 151 to go in 35 overs, Kohli making the very most of his earlier life.
14th over: India 41-3 (Kohli 23, KL Rahul 15). Target 200. Set and forget for Maxwell, three singles out to the legside sweepers. I didn’t anticipate thinking much about the required run rate when jumping on – it’s 4.4 from here.
3/27 after 10 overs chasing 200. Real 1990s ODI stuff this. Expecting Tony Dodemaide or Greg Matthews to come into the attack next. #CWC2023 #INDvAUS
— Andrew Wu (@wutube) October 8, 2023
13th over: India 38-3 (Kohli 21, KL Rahul 14). Target 200. Green into the attack and, as usual, starts with a bouncer. Kohli surely knows it is coming, hooking along the turf to square leg for one. Rahul gives the strike straight back, out to deep point. Pfffft, let’s fast forward to the ball: a proper snorter past Rahul’s edge then grille. Green reckons there is an edge but doesn’t review; Finch thinks so too. We get a look at the technology between overs… nup, no edge. But some seed, and comes the delivery after one keeps low. Nothing about this is easy.
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12th over: India 35-3 (Kohli 19, KL Rahul 12). Target 200. It’s dot machine Maxwell, eight in his first nine balls, before Rahul punched him to long-on for one and Kohli does the same to midwicket. Australia need to bowl India out to win but they aren’t hurt at all by these tight overs. He’s got 0/3 from two.
11th over: India 33-3 (Kohli 18, KL Rahul 12). Target 200. Some volatility from Cummins to Rahul with one keeping low. But no concerns with a fuller ball outside off, pushed through point with Martyn-esque timing for four.
“The situation and theatre remind me of India’s game against Pakistan in the 2016 World T20 at Eden Gardens,” writes Kartikey Srivastava. “A low-scoring thriller with Virat batting on a different pitch to everyone else to take India home. History repeating itself?” Kohli 100* in a tight win feels so likely.
10th over: India 27-3 (Kohli 17, KL Rahul 7). Target 200. Maxwell to Kohli – these two have been playing against and with each other for more than a decade now. Two dots to begin; very tidy. As Dirk Nannes says on TV, it’s a long time since Maxwell could be called a ‘part-timer’ – he’s much better than that. And that’s shown through the rest of his first over, the stumps in play throughout, a single for Kohli all that’s on offer. Top start from a key man on a surface that’s surely going to turn and bounce over the next couple of hours. That’s the end of a power play the Australians have dominated but should’ve been even better…
How BIG a miss will that prove?! 🤯
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) October 8, 2023
A simple-looking catch but Virat Kohli is DROPPED on 12! 🫣 pic.twitter.com/vPlLUU4fXZ
9th over: India 26-3 (Kohli 16, KL Rahul 7). Target 200. Four singles to start Cummins’ second over, the final in the sequence a quick one that shows confidence from Kohli to call Rahul through. Aaron Finch picks up on that on TV as well with the crowd involved again. They replay the dropped chance over and over, Finch also noting that this is how Kohli fell to Australia in the 2015 semi at the SCG. Another single dropped into the legside to finish. Much better.
8th over: India 21-3 (Kohli 13, KL Rahul 5). Target 200. If (when?) India claim the points in a couple of hours, we have the moment that will be replayed thousands of times. Hazlewood gets on Kohli with a ripper of a short ball. He takes it on from the stickers of the splice and the ball goes nowhere – to leg gully. It’s Carey’s but Mitch Marsh calls himself in from square leg. They both run at it for a time then Marsh insists it is his and… guess what? DROPPED! He didn’t get a hand on it, the ball thumping into his chest after diving knees first. A dreadful mess. The chance expires. That’s always a wicketkeeper’s catch.
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7th over: India 20-3 (Kohli 12, KL Rahul 5). Target 200. Here’s the skipper, which reflects the fact that he’ll use Starc’s overs very carefully through this tournament given he can swing the old ball just as prodigiously. And he’s into that back-of-a-length zone right away, giving away a single to each but that’s it. The field-up factor doesn’t matter too much with just 200 to chase, but India are right on track for the worst power play of the tournament so far.
Andrew Benton has entered my inbox – hello, friend. “I was to write that this should be a walk in the park for India then ‘piece of cake’ came to mind rapidly followed by ‘cakewalk’, and now I’m so confused that I don’t know if I think it’ll be India or Australia who’ll have their cake and eat it. Though, I do know that one of them will be eating humble pie. And...that might just be India!”
In any scenario, I want a slice.
6th over: India 18-3 (Kohli 11, KL Rahul 4). Target 200. Hazlewood is in this team, as Shane Watson explains on telly, because he has the ability to hit the same spot so often from such a great height. The field might be up but there’s nothing Kohli can do here without considerable risk. Ohhh! And he takes one of those here throwing his hands at a ball just outside the line of the off stump and it takes off from the seam to beat the blade. This is the class from a man who, remember, was part of the side that won the World Cup eight years ago. But Kohli responds to the pressure the best way he can, shimmying out of his ground to reach the next delivery on the half volley, driving it past mid-off for four. A couple more to finish, with a tuck wide of Starc at backward square.
5th over: India 12-3 (Kohli 5, KL Rahul 4). Target 200. Win predictor has Australia at 51% as the over begins. Kohli is playing himself in carefully, as he must. A confident push to mid-off is the only run off the bat here. This really is the sort of situation Kohli thrives on, and every Australian will know it.
4th over: India 10-3 (Kohli 4, KL Rahul 4). Target 200. Four quality dots from Hazlewood to Kohli, testing his defence then his patience. A single comes from ball five, albeit a shot played with one hand off the bat to mid-on. There’s a cheer from the crowd – the first run off Hazlewood; his 11th ball and he has two wickets already. A much bigger cheer to finish though, with KL Rahul threading a cover drive to the rope, the first boundary of the chase. Indian fans breathe.
3rd over: India 5-3 (Kohli 3, KL Rahul 0). Target 200. Kohli clips a couple to start Starc’s new over – the first runs from the bat coming from the 13th ball of the chase. Hazlewood’s over, by the way, was a double-wicket maiden. Australia backed their Plan A, to go with their big quicks in the absence of a second spinner, and this is some endorsement early on. But it’s a long way to go with only 199 on the board and Virat down the business end – he loves this stuff. Kohli has a go at a wide one and misses… gosh, imagine he nicks that? Anyway, he didn’t. A single to mid-off from the penultimate ball gives KL Rahul one ball to look at here and he, quite rightly, leaves it alone. Shots of Rohit sitting on the balcony between overs, he looks nothing short of stunned. Back to Hazlewood.
WICKET! Shreyas c Warner b Hazlewood 0. India 2-3
Catching practice! Shreyas throws his hands at a ball in the channel and chips it straight to David Warner at cover on the edge of the circle. The stadium is silent, save for the 11 blokes in gold in the middle losing their minds. Blimey!
2nd over: India 2-3 (Kohli 0). Target 200.
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WICKET! Rohit lbw b Hazlewood 0. India 2-2
They sure are! Hitting the leg bail, the decision is confirmed. Rohit and Ishan are both gone for ducks and it’s ALL HAPPENING AT THE CHEPAUK! That’s Hazlewood at his very best, perfect length and subtle seam movement.
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Is Rohit LBW? Are India 2/2?! Another great Starc-related stat: he’s never gone wicketless in his 19 World Cup appearances. Down the other end, his big mate Josh Hazlewood… and he’s trapped Rohit lbw with a nipbacker! Given out by Gaffaney, and reviewed by the Indian captain! Drama at Chennai – up we go!
1st over: India 2-1 (Rohit 0, Kohli 0). Target 200. Kohli leaves his first ball – another tempter. It’s the late swing, as we always talk about, for Starc in white-ball cricket; he’s a true master of it. Full and straight to finish, dug out by the former captain. Just the start the Australians needed: a bit of belief that they can do this. Starc is now only behind Wasim, Malinga, Murali and McGrath for World Cup wickets in just his 19th appearance in the tournament. Superstar.
WICKET! Ishan Kishan c Green b Starc 0 (1) India 2-1
Starc has an offensive record in World Cups and he’s added to it in his first over here! Movement away from Ishan Kishan well wide of the off-stump, India’s only left-hander launched into a booming drive but the thick edge went into the giant hands of Cam Green in the cordon. Starc’s 50th World Cup wicket.
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[Christopher Walken] The players… are back… on the field! [/Christopher Walken]. It is Rohit and Ishan in the absence of dreamboat Shubman Gill, who has Dengue Fever. Mitch Starc, in the golden arm sleeves, has the new ball. Play!
Thank you, JP. Assuming this goes the way it really should from here, there are going to be some furious Australian talkback lines on Monday morning.
That was, by any definition, grim. The one caveat is that the surface looks a handful against spin, which brings Zampa and Maxwell into it. The counter to that: in the absence of Agar, ruled out on the cusp of the tournament, Australia have decided to go into an Asian World Cup with just one specialist spinner.
As for India, as clinical as you would expect from an attack being led by Bumrah, Jadeja and Ashwin. The very fact that the latter was a late addition to the squad speaks to the home side’s profound strength. Provided they can get off to a decent start, it stands to reason that they’ll try and knock this off quickly to put Australia in serious early Net Run Rate trouble - like England.
Looking forward to your company – drop me a line, ping me an angry tweet.
The 10 lowest scores (games unaffected by rain) successfully defended in World Cup history:
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 8, 2023
134: Zim (1992)
165: Eng (1979)
166: Ken (1996)
171: Eng (2011)
180: Can (2003)
183: Ind (1983)
184: Pak (2011)
185: Ban (1999)
199: RSA (1999)
200: RSA (1992)#CWC2023
Australia 199 all out
Mitchell Starc helped his side into the final over, and his late blows ensure India will have to chase a round 200 for victory in Chennai. But when 28 from the No 9 is the third top score of the innings you know something has gone wrong further up the chain.
Australia got off to a terrible start after winning the toss with Mitchell Marsh falling for a duck. But David Warner and Steve Smith looked purposeful until the former fell with the score on 74. Thereafter, in fierce heat and humidity, the tourists wilted in the face of India’s three frontline spinners.
The visiting middle order had no answers to the questions thrown at them with Maxwell, Carey and Green all falling cheaply with the game on the line.
Jadeja (3/28), Ashwin (1/34) and Kuldeep (2/42) kept the run-rate down and took wickets at regular intervals on a surface that offered just enough help to keep Australia’s batters guessing.
With only one frontline spinner in their ranks, Australia will have to find another way to take 10 Indian wickets under the lights. To find out if they can do so, I’ll hand you over to Adam Collins.
WICKET! Starc c Iyer b Siraj 28 (Australia 199)
Starc stands and delivers, drilling Siraj from the crease into the sightscreen. Then he tries to pull him over midwicket but can only top-edge to the running Iyer who completes a magnificent Indian fielding performance.
49th over: Australia 195-9 (Starc 24, Hazlewood 1) Hardik, injured, and bowling almost exclusively cutters, manages to deceive Zampa, but Starc finds the rope with a thick edge down to fine leg.
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WICKET! Zampa c Kohli b Hardik 6 (Australia 189-9)
Now there’s another delay, this time at the start of the penultimate over as Hardik has the protective strapping on his fingers attended to. In case you’ve just joined us, he injured himself very early on failing to hold onto a fierce Warner drive in his follow through.
Now there’s another delay as Zampa leaves the field after dumping a mistimed drive straight to Kohli’s safe hands at mid-off. This bedraggled Australian innings needs putting out of its misery.
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48th over: Australia 188-8 (Starc 18, Zampa 6) Two wides extend a Siraj over that, like Australia’s sludgy innings, seems to drag on interminably. We’re pushing four hours of play for under 200 runs.
47th over: Australia 183-8 (Starc 16, Zampa 5) Starc’s becalmed 9 off 21 becomes 15 off 22 with one long-handled wallop with the arc, going with the angle of Bumrah from around the wicket up and over square leg. That was a pure free hit, and one of only two scoring shots off the bat in the over, Bumrah’s last. He ends with 2/35. Not yet at his best as he returns from injury, but still a handful.
46th over: Australia 175-8 (Starc 9, Zampa 5) Three singles from Ashwin’s final over. He ends with 1/34 from his set of ten.
45th over: Australia 172-8 (Starc 7, Zampa 4) Australia find three singles from Bumrah’s ninth over. There’s also a wide when a Bumrah slower ball floater that came out of the hand like a beamer, dropped like a stone just the wrong side of the leg stump. That is an extraordinary delivery. Like a flying saucer.
44th over: Australia 168-8 (Starc 5, Zampa 3) Jadeja hustles Zampa into a maiden in quicktime. It should have been a wicket maiden but Rohit can’t hang onto a tough chance at slip that cannoned off the edge of Zampa’s bat, onto Rahul’s pads and up high to the skipper’s right. Jadeja ends with 3/28 from his ten overs. Match-winning stuff.
43rd over: Australia 168-8 (Starc 6, Zampa 3) Aside from a couple of dodgy early overs from Hardik, India have been outstanding so fartoday. The team selection, Rohit’s captaincy, the bowlers themselves – especially the spinners, the catching and ground fielding. It’s all been spot on. The rest of the competition will be praying they only face this side on quicker flatter tracks.
WICKET! Cummins c Iyer b Bumrah 15 (Australia 165-8)
Cummins tries to slog Bumrah off a good line and length. He gets plenty of bat on his swish but it’s high on the splice and travels only as far as the diving Iyer steaming in from long-on to hold onto a very good catch. India have been fabulous in the field today.
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42nd over: Australia 164-7 (Cummins 15, Starc 5) Jadeja back into the attack to wrap things up and he is bang on the money from the off, fizzing a delivery past Cummins’ clumsy grope. That’s the first of five suffocating dots in quick succession before the bowler fires one down the leg side that clips a pad on its way to the fine-leg fence.
41st over: Australia 160-7 (Cummins 15, Starc 5) Cummins continues to ride his luck, edging Bumrah on the bounce to the keeper then miscuing a slog that evades both short midwicket and mid-on.
40th over: Australia 156-7 (Cummins 12, Starc 4) In the 40th over of an ODI, Rohit brings himself into slip for Kuldeep. Cummins responds by latching onto a shorter ball quickly, rocking back, and lofting the first six of the innings over midwicket! Then he skinnys an edge just short of his rival skipper at slip! And another! This time bisecting keeper and slip for four! A rare boundary-fest for the Aussies.
Kuldeep ends with figures of 2/42 from his ten overs. Now it’s back to Bumrah to see if he can blow Australia’s tail away.
Australia scored 13 boundaries in the first 35 overs against India today in #CWC2023
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 8, 2023
This is the fewest Australia have scored against India in the first 35 overs of a match since 2012, when they managed just 11.
Updated
39th over: Australia 145-7 (Cummins 2, Starc 3) Australia have comprehensively failed their trial by spin today, crumbling from 110-2 to 140-7. The question now is whether this is just a bad day at the office, or whether this squad is unable to post a match-winning score in these conditions?
38th over: Australia 142-7 (Cummins 1, Starc 1) Kuldeep’s hungry for tailend wickets, and he looks to have Cummins on toast, forcing the Australian skipper to crab tentatively across his crease, guessing which way the ball’s going to spin. He survives four dots then edges a single. Starc then almost offers a return catch with a miscued bunt.
“During World Cups it’s natural to reveal a little bias, whether intentional or not,” emails Ian Forth. “Ravi Shastri on commentary believes he’s never seen a wider beach than the one in Chennai. It’s 12km long. Meanwhile in Australia, Victoria’s 90 Mile Beach would like a word.”
37th over: Australia 140-7 (Cummins 0, Starc 0) Wicket maiden.
The delivery to dismiss Green might have been short and wide from Ashwin, but it was deliciously so. He bowled it with floaty backspin so Green was waiting an age to play his stroke and then found himself unable to adjust off the pitch. India have played all the right notes so far.
WICKET! Green c Hardik b Ashwin 8 (Australia 140-7)
It’s all going horribly wrong now for Australia. Short and wide from Ashwin but all Green can do is cut it straight into the midriff of Pandya at backward point.
Updated
36th over: Australia 140-6 (Green 8, Cummins 0) Tremendous brave captaincy by Rohit there, buying the wicket of Maxwell by introducing his most dangerous bowler before Maxwell was fully in and able to up the run-rate, clearly recognising the match situation.
WICKET! Maxwell b Kuldeep 15 (Australia 140-6)
Rohit responds to Australia’s intent by bringing on Kuldeep – his most risk-reward bowler. Maxwell tries to tee off from the outset but only earns a single from a muscular pull shot that’s dragged down. Green rotates the strike, inviting Maxwell to tee off again… but he misses… and Kuldeep hits! Delight for India! It’s another beautiful delivery, spinning in from the left hander on a good length. Maxwell rocked back but the ball just chased him until it was interrupted by leg stump.
I said things were going to get moving out there.
Updated
35th over: Australia 138-5 (Maxwell 14, Green 7) Bumrah’s brief spell is over with Rohit returning to the spin of Ashwin. That change prompts Maxwell to switch his blade. Shades of vintage MS Dhoni in the Indian legend’s old stomping ground. And after a couple of singles and a couple of dots both batters try to clear the fence! First Green drags an attempted slog to midwicket, then Maxwell is fortunate a cue-end pull doesn’t carry to mid-on. Ashwin’s carrom ball did him all ends up. Looks like things are going to start moving a little quicker out there now.
34th over: Australia 134-5 (Maxwell 12, Green 5) As the Chennai pitch becomes shrouded in afternoon shadow Australia work Jadeja for three singles. Maxwell is keeping his cool – for now – inching Australia towards a position where they can launch a late assault.
33rd over: Australia 131-5 (Maxwell 11, Green 3) Bumrah bowls three dots to Green until a misfield at mid-off gifts a rotation of strike. Rohit glares at the culprit Iyer for an age. It doesn’t matter though, Bumrah dots Maxwell, including a beauty that whistles past the outside edge.
Alex Carey is part of Australia’s leadership group, but there is growing noise around the security of his place in the XI. He has only one score over 50 in his past 14 innings and averages just 20.55 this year.
In theory, there's value in Alex Carey over Josh Inglis as the second left-hander in the Aussie batting order. But given Carey averages 21 v SLA, he's not *really* a left-hander in terms of the value he brings. #CWC2023
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) October 8, 2023
32nd over: Australia 130-5 (Maxwell 11, Green 2) A boundary! Huzzah! After Maxwell and Green deal in singles the former steps to leg and smears Jadeja through the covers for the first four in 73 balls! Australia need another 18 overs of that.
31st over: Australia 123-5 (Maxwell 6, Green 0) India have clearly done their homework because with Maxwell and Green at the crease, Rohit goes straight to Bumrah, putting his spinners aside for a moment. Maxwell does not look happy with the change, finding himself pinned to his crease with a lack of footwork, electing to dead-bat anything straight, even patting away a rank full toss. Australia have to regroup, but they have to be careful not to find themselves in quicksand before they launch their late assault.
“One statistic people should be keeping an eye open for is the number of times a wicket falls from the first ball of an over,” emails John Starbuck. “It seems to be a fair bit so far. Also, batting last looks less likely as a successful tactic. Any other data lessons we can learn?”
30th over: Australia 119-5 (Maxwell 3, Green 0) Australia still have plenty of firepower, but it’s going to take one heck of an effort to get them to a defendable total. Jadeja has 3/18 from six overs.
As for Carey, Inglis is surely pressuring his spot at this point #CWC23
— Daniel Brettig 🏏 (@danbrettig) October 8, 2023
Updated
WICKET! Carey LBW Jadeja 0 (Australia 119-5)
There’s a scheduled drinks break to go with the Labuschagne wicket so an age passes before Alex Carey faces his first ball. He defends that safely, but then misses a straight one immediately afterwards, and has to go! With his bat next to his pad Carey propped forward but didn’t read the turn off the pitch and ends up shinning the ball off the square. No need to review that one – plumb! Jadjeja is rampant. Australia are in freefall.
Updated
WICKET! Labuschagne c Rahul b Jadeja 27 (Australia 119-4)
Australia lose their second set batter in quick succession. Labuschagne tried to sweep Jadeja into the ocean but succeeded only in extracting the thinnest of edges that Rahul holds onto standing up to the stumps. Labuschagne was given out onfield, looked like he was walking before stopping to review. He wasn’t stopped for long though because ultra-edge revealed a clear and obvious nick.
Updated
29.2 over: Labuschagne is given out caught behind from the first delivery of Jadeja’s over. The Australian is reviewing.
Updated
29th over: Australia 118-3 (Labuschagne 27, Maxwell 3) Labuschagne and Maxwell work Kuldeep to leg for four singles then Labuschagne goes for the lap sweep and almost finds the rope, but Kishan fields superbly on the boundary.
Only one boundary in the past 14 overs for Australia.
28th over: Australia 112-3 (Labuschagne 23, Maxwell 1) Plenty of time now for Glenn Maxwell to demonstrate he’s more than just a late-innings slogger. India’s spinners have their side in control in exactly the manner we expected in these conditions.
WICKET! Smith b Jadeja 46 (Australia 110-3)
That unscheduled drinks break earns an immediate assist! Jadeja interrupts the massage therapy with a jaffa, pitching on middle-and-off from around the wicket, gripping, and clipping the off bail, leaving Smith utterly bemused. Australia were struggling to to find momentum and now the man they wanted to go deep has gone, taking his 46 from 71 with him.
Updated
27th over: Australia 110-2 (Smith 46, Labuschagne 22) Siraj’s burst of pace ends after two overs, and Kuldeep shows exactly why, returning with a beauty that has Labuschagne fumbling at fresh air outside his off stump. It’s referred upstairs – I think by the square-leg umpire looking for a stumping – but there’s nothing doing, despite the third umpire also studying a possible edge behind. Labuschagne and Smith then recognise that playing orthodox is getting them nowhere and start to improvise. A reverse sweep and a lap-sweep earn three runs and push Kuldeep off his line and length, creating room for a fierce drive into the covers but Labuschagne’s slash is equalled by superb fielding in the ring.
Another one of those long unscheduled drinks breaks as the sweat drenched Smith is attended to by Australia’s support staff.
26th over: Australia 104-2 (Smith 44, Labuschagne 18) Smith with a rare brain fade – trying to loft Jadeja straight without getting to the pitch of the ball. Instead he loops a chance in the direction of long off but Siraj is slow off the mark and takes the ball on the bounce. That’s the opening delivery of one of those suffocating Jadeja overs that happens in the blink of an eye, like a close-magic expert removing your watch without you realising.
The run-rate is just four an over and you can sense this partnership is getting a little antsy at the lack of boundaries.
25th over: Australia 102-2 (Smith 43, Labuschagne 17) Siraj continues his incursion of pace but his fifth over begins with consecutive deliveries on Labuschagne’s pads, going for a combined three runs. Smith then fails with a funky jab outside his off stump that ends up looking like a beginner yogi practising standing pigeon pose. Chastened, Smith respects Siraj’s next couple of balls before farming the strike.
24th over: Australia 98-2 (Smith 42, Labuschagne 14) 23.1 overs into the innings and we have the first extra of the day – a leg-bye. That’s followed by four singles as Australia milk Jadeja with the minimum of fuss.
23rd over: Australia 93-2 (Smith 40, Labuschagne 12) An unexpected return to pace, justifying Labuschagne’s retention of the lid. Kuldeep showed signs of wilting towards the end of his last over, so it’s Siraj hustling in to bowl fast cross-seamers. Australia react positively, as you might expect, working one two and a couple of singles, including a pulled run from the first genuine short ball of the match.
The Labuschagne and Smith partnership in ODI cricket.
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 8, 2023
The two right-handers have a good record in the 12 occurrences they have batted together in this form of the game
100+ run partnership (4 times)
50 - 99 run partnership (3 times)#CWC2023
22nd over: Australia 89-2 (Smith 39, Labuschagne 9) Just the one run from a rapid Jadeja over. It comes from the blade of Smith, batting in a yellow cap, gliding Jadeja to to the cover sweeper to rotate the strike. Labuschagne, his doppelgänger, is still in a heavy green helmet.
21st over: Australia 88-2 (Smith 38, Labuschagne 9) Kuldeep has found the right pace and he uses that control to find some movement to beat Smith’s bat at the start of his fifth over. He’s wayward thereafter though, without getting punished. First Labuschagne can’t beat point then Smith belts a long-hop to midwicket.
20th over: Australia 85-2 (Smith 36, Labuschagne 8) With two right-handers at the crease, Rohit turns to the left-arm fizzers of Ravindra Jadeja, ending Ashwin’s five-over spell. Jadeja is too short and wide to begin with, allowing both Australians easy singles to the cover sweeper. Then he overcorrects and Labuschagne milks him fine for a much needed boundary. From the evidence so far, the lesson is to bowl at the slower end of the scale and allow the ball to grip, instead of trying to fire it through the top.
19th over: Australia 77-2 (Smith 34, Labuschagne 2) Kuldeep is one of the most dangerous bowlers in the world when the batters are on the back foot. Labuschagne absorbs a couple of dots then releases the pressure with a neat single, but he doesn’t look completely at ease picking which way the ball is coming out of the left-arm spinners hand. Smith is also forced to defend a couple of deliveries and he can’t beat the ring with his one scoring opportunity.
India’s spinners are doing exactly what was expected of them. Australia need to be patient, which is easier said than done in this heat.
Updated
18th over: Australia 76-2 (Smith 34, Labuschagne 1) Ashwin backs up Kuldeep’s good work, landing his carrom ball at the start of his sixth over, flicking the ball onto a perfect line and length, drawing Smith forward and beating the outside edge. Too good. Smith manages to get off strike soon enough, allowing Labuschagne to nurdle a single and get off the mark.
India have wrestled back the ascendancy since drinks.
17th over: Australia 74-2 (Smith 33, Labuschagne 0) It’s not the worst thing in the world for Australia that they have ended up with Labuschagne striding to the crease. Originally the 16th man in the squad his temperament and willingness to go deep is just what his team need for the next 20 or so overs of spin in the heat and humidity of Chennai. He sees off his first three deliveries without scoring. Terrific over by Kuldeep.
WICKET! Warner c&b Kuldeep 41 (Australia 74-2)
Warner has tried and failed to sweep four times now by my count, and he looks frustrated after missing the second ball of Kuldeep’s over, a gettable delivery. And that frustration might have carried over as he drives the next delivery straight back to the bowler, who pouches a smart catch! Huge breakthrough for India. That partnership was looking set.
Updated
16th over: Australia 73-1 (Warner 41, Smith 32) Ashwin resumes after drinks and after Australia milk a couple of singles Warner gets tied down and almost invites a chance with a thick inside edge onto his pad.
15th over: Australia 71-1 (Warner 40, Smith 31) Kuldeep has learnt from his opening over and continues to drag his length back to Warner, spinning the ball both ways to earn three successive dots. His line errs on ball four though and Warner takes advantage, glancing fine for four freebies. The comeback delivery is back on the money, inducing a thick outside edge that bounces just short of point.
Now we have the official scheduled drinks break. Australia will be the happier of the two sides during the stoppage.
14th over: Australia 66-1 (Warner 35, Smith 31) Glorious from Warner, recognising Ashwin was getting into his flow, welcoming the bowler to the crease for his fourth over by sashaying towards the offside and lofting a drive for four through extra-cover. Terrific batting. Singles keep the scoreboard ticking over.
After that poor start, Australia have played their way back into this contest. Can they maintain this momentum against another 25 overs of spin?
13th over: Australia 57-1 (Warner 29, Smith 30) Time for spin from both ends – and we may remain like this for another hour or two – as Kuldeep Yadav comes on following a drinks break that may or may not have been scheduled. This is going to be a long old day with all the pauses for taking on hydration and wringing out the excess.
Kuldeep begins with a hearty appeal for LBW with Warner missing another sweep but the umpire cannot be convinced the left-armer’s wrong-un was going to clip leg-stump. Kuldeep is giving the ball plenty of hang time, pushing it up full and inviting the drive. But it’s when he drags his length back that he has Warner fishing, inducing an edge from the final ball of the over, but it runs away wide of the cordon.
12th over: Australia 54-1 (Warner 26, Smith 28) Three singles from Ashwin’s latest over, one including a half-hearted shout for LBW after Warner missed a slog sweep.
11th over: Australia 51-1 (Warner 24, Smith 27) Powerplay one done and dusted, Rohit feels confident enough to recall Hardik after his difficult opening over. But again the all-rounder overpitches early in his spell and Smith climbs all over it, creaming his second straight-driven boundary of the day. Tail up, Smith then clubs a pull well in front of square for four more! A couple more deliveries are destined for the boundary but for good fielding as this partnership takes advantage of a tactical error. Not sure we’ll see Hardik again until it’s his turn to bat.
10th over: Australia 43-1 (Warner 24, Smith 19) The heat and humidity is already getting to the players on this sweaty scorcher of a day. Smith’s shirt is already stuck to his torso with sweat, a situation not helped by an Ashwin over beginning with three consecutive singles. Warner fixes that issue, riding the turn and bounce delightfully to clip a four through point with beautiful timing.
“The turn being offered by the pitch at the famous Chepauk stadium would, definitely, be a matter of concern for the Aussies as their innings unfolds,” emails Vakkalanka Venkataramana. “I doubt if Cummins’ batters can really run up a challenging score for the strong Indian batting line up: Subhman Gill or no Gill.”
Updated
9th over: Australia 36-1 (Warner 19, Smith 17) Hardik doesn’t return for a second over. Not sure if that’s a tactical or a fitness call from India. So it’s Bumrah back into the fray. He hits his typical line and length, keeping Australia to a couple of singles – until Warner tries to hit him off it – mistiming an unconvincing hoick to leg that does just enough to beat the field and earn a couple of runs.
8th over: Australia 32-1 (Warner 16, Smith 16) Time for an early look at spin with Ravichandran Ashwin replacing Siraj. Warner guides a single away early but his partner Smith looks far less assured, first beaten by bounce outside his off stump then surprised by another delivery spitting at him off a length as it cuts in off the deck. Just what India were hoping to see.
7th over: Australia 29-1 (Warner 14, Smith 15) A patched up Hardik continues after a delay but Australia’s assault continues, beginning with Warner rocking back, getting inside the line and flipping a one-bounce four down to fine-leg. After the strike’s rotated Smith shows the full face of his bat, the one that seems as wide as a barn door, and caresses a straight drive into the sightscreen. Australia, belatedly, are on the move.
Fastest to 1000 ODI World Cup runs (by innings)
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) October 8, 2023
19 - DAVID WARNER🇦🇺
20 - Sachin Tendulkar🇮🇳
20 - AB de Villiers🇿🇦
21 - Viv Richards🏝️
21 - Sourav Ganguly🇮🇳#INDvAUS #CWC2023 pic.twitter.com/iCwZSmSZyi
Updated
6.2 overs: Australia 20-1 (Warner 9, Smith 11) Bumrah gets an early rest in this heat with Hardik Pandya coming into the attack. Warner respects the opening delivery and then smears the second straight past – nay through – the bowler in his follow through. That was technically a c&b chance, but Hardik would have been better advised not to stick his bowling hand anywhere near the missile coming his way. As it is he now requires treatment for a couple of knackered fingertips.
6th over: Australia 16-1 (Warner 5, Smith 11) Maiden over! Smith is really trying to assert himself out there but Siraj doesn’t give him anything to work with, nailing his line and length for five deliveries, then getting away with a loosener at the end that is cut straight to Kohli in the ring on the offside. The Indian quick is not getting a lot of bounce out of the dry surface with the new ball so Rohit removes the last remaining slip – from two to none in six overs.
In the 4 completed games of #CWC2023, there were only 18 balls left alone in the first 10 overs of an innings
— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) October 8, 2023
Did Marsh need to play at this delivery from Bumrah in the 3rd over? Has the art of leaving the ball in 50 over cricket been lost to the modern aggressive style? pic.twitter.com/ruPm3Oom6y
Updated
5th over: Australia 16-1 (Warner 5, Smith 11) Oh my. Smith heralds the latest Bumrah over by creaming a literally perfect cover drive. It was one of those shots that looked like he was playing with a bat about three-times the width of a regular stick, and was accompanied by a note perfect “clack”. Is he in one of “those” moods today? He’s certainly come out with plenty of intent. Bumrah responds by bringing his length back a fraction, dotting Smith up until another quick single sees the strike rotate. Warner, starved of the strike, plays and misses at his only ball of the over.
4th over: Australia 11-1 (Warner 5, Smith 6) Siraj is nice and full to Smith on an off-stump line and he earns three consecutive dots for his discipline. Delivery four is angling in though and Smith is onto it in a flash, leaning to the offside and drilling a boundary wide of mid-on. The over ends with Smith farming the strike with a quick single.
“We’re a relaxed culture, we don’t take too much seriously on the pitch,” lies Aaron Finch on TV Commentary.
3rd over: Australia 6-1 (Warner 5, Smith 1) Steve Smith is into the fray much earlier than he would have expected. Bumrah bowled a tidy delivery but Marsh, flat-footed, turned it into a wicket-taking one by trying to run the ball down to third without adjusting to a smidgen of seam movement back into him, cramping him for room and provoking the healthy edge.
Smith, typically skittish is desperate to get bat on ball – and off strike – which he does third ball with a full length dive. Bumrah then rips one paast Warner’s outside edge with a fast off-cutter. India flying early.
Milestone Unlocked! 🔓
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 8, 2023
Virat Kohli now has most catches for India in ODI World Cups as a fielder 😎#CWC23 | #INDvAUS | #TeamIndia | #MeninBlue pic.twitter.com/HlLTDqo7iZ
Updated
WICKET! Marsh c Kohli b Bumrah 0 (Australia 5-1)
Two slips down to one for Bumrah’s second over in a clear indication of how India see this pitch playing. BUT THEY ONLY NEED ONE! Virat Kohli at first slip dives smartly to his left and pouches a superb catch mid-dive after Marsh edged a regulation line and length delivery. Horror start for Australia. Brilliant catch from India.
Updated
2nd over: Australia 5-0 (Warner 5, Marsh 0) Warner welcomes Siraj to the crease by slashing him with malice through point for the opening boundary of the match. He plays more circumspect to the next few deliveries before thumping another wide one straight to point. Siraj ends a good comeback over with a slower delivery that confounds the batter and dribbles through to the keeper. A sign of things to come when the spinners come on.
“Could you please remind us of the fielding restrictions for this tournament,” emails John Kyriazis. “Hard to keep up with regular changes and multiple cricket formats.”
The full playing conditions can be found here. The salient passage is as follows:
28.7.2.2.1 Powerplay 1 – no more than two (2) fielders shall be permitted outside this fielding restriction area. In an innings of 50 overs, these are overs 1 to 10 inclusive.
28.7.2.2.2 Powerplay 2 – no more than four (4) fielders shall be permitted outside this fielding restriction area. In an innings of 50 overs, these are overs 11 to 40 inclusive.
28.7.2.2.3 Powerplay 3 – no more than five (5) fielders shall be permitted outside this fielding restriction area. In an innings of 50 overs, these are overs 41 to 50 inclusive
1st over: Australia 1-0 (Warner 1, Marsh 0) Lovely start for Bumrah, beating Warner for pace with one that nips away off the seam from back of a length. He tries again next delivery but the veteran opener is wise to it, dabbing bat on ball and scampering a quick single. Marsh then leaves a wide one before dead-batting three line-and-length probers.
Mohammed Siraj will share the new ball.
David Warner has made his way swiftly from the anthem line-up to the batting crease. Mitchell Marsh leans on his bat at the non-striker’s end. Jasprit Bumrah paws at the ground at the top of his mark. He we go!
Should be a fascinating start. Oz the fastest scoring P1 team (admittedly with Head); India have been imperious with the new ball. On a dry Chennai pitch, taking advantage of the early restrictions could be crucial. So much on whether Oz can hold their nerve and go hard. #CWC2023
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) October 8, 2023
Updated
The two teams are out in the baking sun for the anthems.
Australia drape their arms over one another’s shoulders in their familiar all-yellow one-day uniform. This iteration a smidge more golden than recent versions.
India, top to toe in blue with orange trim, opt to stand bolt upright with arms by their sides as they steel themselves for action.
This is unlikely to be the most ballistic of ODIs. Only Pakistan – way back in 1997 – have passed 300 here. It’s a venue where Rohit averages only 23, with a high score of just 36 from seven ODIs.
Teams batting first tend to hold sway, which is good news for Australia. The bad news is it’s also a ground that favours spin, and India have three frontline tweakers of the highest quality in their XI. Overs 11-40 could well be a grind. Hopefully there are plenty of fireworks on either side.
The weather is hot and humid on India’s south-eastern coast with temperatures in the early 30s, helped along by a warm southerly breeze. There is a faint chance of a shower at some point but the lingering monsoonal rain should stay away. The pitch is expected to be dry, slow, and receptive to turn.
India’s form is much healthier: 15 wins and five losses in 2023, including that recent 2-1 series victory over the Aussies. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill all average over 50 for the year from a decent sample size, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav have been taking bucketloads of wickets, and there’s versatility aplenty in the squad with spinning and seam-bowling all-rounders on hand to suit the conditions.
That includes Ravichandran Ashwin, a man guaranteed stardom in any other ODI squad in the world, but on the margins of the mighty blue machine, as Jonathan Liew investigates.
What this great career lacks, in narrative terms, is a crowning moment: a signature performance on the biggest stage. Kumble had his 10-wicket haul. Harbhajan Singh had his Australia series. For Ashwin, a home World Cup could be that flourish. But of course there are layers and mirrors to this thing. Ashwin’s place is by no means secure. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar are still pushing him hard and perhaps for many India fans this is a largely transactional question: who fits best into this team in this tournament? But for the rest of us, it feels like a decision freighted with something more: a parable for modern cricket and its quirks, its efficiencies and inefficiencies, its quixotic and often unstable relationship with pure genius.
Despite the experience in the Australian squad, it’s anyone’s guess where they’re actually at in terms of form and expectation – especially on a turning pitch. They’ve played only 11 ODIs in 2023 (compared to India’s 21) winning five and losing six, vacillating between woeful and awesome.
They’ve been in the subcontinent since the middle of September, losing 2-1 to India in a bilateral series before the warm-up matches, so they should be nicely acclimatised. However, because of the length of the tournament those miles on the road (including the trip to South Africa immediately beforehand) raises the prospect of burnout as the competition lumbers into November.
“We’re in a really good spot,” says captain Pat Cummins after calling the toss of the coin correctly. “We’ve got a good balance between game time and being fresh.”
“The conditions are there for the bowlers, slightly on the slower side,” says Rohit Sharma as he explains his XI featuring three spinners. “The ball will turn as the game goes on.”
India XI
Shubman Gill, the leading run scorer in ODIs this year, is a big loss at the top of the order as he continues his recovery from dengue fever. Further down the list there are three frontline spinners on a dry track that is clearly expected to turn. Australia are unlikely to enjoy either component in that equation – but at least they get first use of the pitch.
India: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Siraj.
Australia XI
Australia go in as expected with Travis Head a long-term absentee and Marcus Stoinis not deemed fit enough for today’s clash.
The balance of the bowling attack will be scrutinised closely with only Adam Zampa available as a frontline spinner, backed up by Glenn Maxwell’s darts and the who-knows-what of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne. If the surface does respond to pace then Australia have five top class seamers to call on.
Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins (capt), 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam Zampa.
Australia win the toss and will bat first
The team that has batted first has won seven of the past nine ODIs at Chennai.
Meanwhile, in South Australia, Jake Fraser-McGurk has done a thing – a bad bad thing.
J🔥
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 8, 2023
F🔥
M🔥#MarshCup pic.twitter.com/lzj6iV7JvS
Today’s umpires are Chris Gaffaney (NZ) and Richard Kettleborough (Eng). Chris Brown (NZ) is watching the TV replays. They will have their work cut out on a turning pitch in baking heat in front of a passionate home crowd.
Today’s venue is the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium – AKA Chepauk Stadium – in Chennai. Capacity is 38,000.
Curiously, India’s ODI record here (seven wins, five defeats) isn’t that great. Australia have won four out of five at the ground, including their last visit in March when Adam Zampa starred. The tourists have already won World Cup matches here in 1987 and 1996.
Getting into the groove ahead of #INDvAUS 👌#TeamIndia | #CWC23 | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/in57YDYnv3
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 8, 2023
Today is the first time we will see the tournament favourites - in the eyes of The Guardian’s cricket experts.
This World Cup has faced criticism early on for its empty stands and low-key build-up. The hosts against the most formidable opponents in tournament history should give things a jump start.
This is match five of the 2023 World Cup, but you may only just be tuning in. If you have any questions about the event, Simon Burnton and Rob Smyth have you covered.
Speaking of Geoff, here’s the cat in a hat.
So… I’m in Chennai! It’s warm, loud, full of energy. Excited to spend the next six weeks commentating the ODI World Cup for @abcsport and @bbctms. And making The Final Word pod every day. pic.twitter.com/WUNkENmpas
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) October 8, 2023
Geoff Lemon is on top of all things Australia, who arrive at the World Cup with a squad chock full of experience.
Seven of the likely best XI at this year’s tournament were in the 2015 World Cup squad: David Warner, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood played in the winning final while Mitchell Marsh and Pat Cummins got medals from the bench. Throw in Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Alex Carey after Travis Head returns from injury and you could have a team with 10 Test players from this year’s Ashes. England, by contrast, have a maximum of six.
Of the rest, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa started their own international careers within a year of that 2015 World Cup and have been fixtures since. The only players who are anywhere close to new, Sean Abbott and Josh Inglis, are 31 and 28 years old respectively and have played mountains of domestic cricket. It is a squad well seasoned to the point of becoming jerky.
Anand Vasu sets the scene from the hosts’ perspective, lasering in on Virat Kohli ahead of what is likely to be his final 50-over World Cup.
Kohli will know that his country and the world are not looking at his batting alone. He may deliver a bucketload of runs and India could still fall short. On the field, Kohli likes to believe that he leads India, even when he is not captain. He admonishes fielders, gets under the skin of opposition batters and even draws the ire of umpires and match referees.
This is because Kohli believes any team he plays for is essentially his. It is for this reason that this World Cup will be a tour of Kohli’s glories, as India play nine opponents in nine venues across the country.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live OBO coverage of match five of the 2023 Cricket World Cup. India vs Australia will get underway in Chennai at 2pm local time (7.30pm AEDT/9.30am BST).
With apologies to the entire country of New Zealand and the individual brilliance of Aidan Markram, this should be when the tournament comes alive.
It’s the hosts against the World Cup’s dominant force; No 1 vs No 3 on the ICC ODI rankings; the two 2023 ICC Test World Championship finalists; Kohli and Rohit vs Maxwell and Starc. Everywhere you choose to look there’s a superstar and a narrative.
These are familiar foes with the pair having just completed a three-match ODI series, one that ended with India 2-1 victors. There were runs for Shubman Gill and David Warner, wickets for Mohammed Shami and Glenn Maxwell, and by the end of the series a much clearer sense that both these sides should, as ever, be contenders for the biggest prize in the 50-over format.
So settle in while I steer you through the pregame and first innings, with Adam Collins taking over to the end of play.
If you’d like to get in touch while I’m on, please fire all communication to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
