With a mighty batting line-up high on confidence, on a track flatter than an LED screen the match being televised on, and against an attack of which four bowlers had played just 35 ODIs among them, the question was if the Men in Blue could touch 400.
No, they didn’t. They only made 399 for five. How disappointing.
That was still 10 runs more than they made, at the beginning of the year, against New Zealand on this ground, the Holkar Cricket Stadium. It proved more than enough to win the second ODI before a full house on Sunday, by 99 runs (DLS), and thus the series with a game to spare.
Revised target
Australia, set a revised target — because of rain — of 317 off 33 overs, could manage only 217. The final match of the series will be played at Rajkot on Wednesday.
The victory also ensured India would retain its No. 1 ranking going into next month’s World Cup. More importantly, a couple of men from the squad for the quadrennial tournament came up with knocks that should make them, and the team management, rather pleased.
Shreyas Iyer (105, 90b, 11x4, 3x6) got the Indian innings going with a flurry of quality strokes and Suryakumar Yadav (72, 37b, 6x4, 6x6) finished it off in spectacular style. And yes, in between, there was a customary, brilliant innings from Shubman Gill (104, 97b, 6x4, 4x6). Not to mention a second captain’s innings in as many matches from K.L. Rahul (52, 38b, 3x4, 3x6) and an 18-ball 31 (2x4, 2x6) by Ishan Kishan.
Ruturaj Gaikwad was the only man to miss out on the feast, though the opener had begun with a couple of sweetly struck boundaries in the opening over, bowled by debutant left-arm quick Spencer Johnson. But he soon was caught behind off Josh Hazlewood.
Out came Shreyas to the middle. He looked in great touch, and determined to make a big score, after being troubled by a painful back injury for several months.
Along with Gill, who would make his fifth ODI century of the year, he destroyed the inexperienced Australian attack — skipper Pat Cummins sat out — as the duo added 200 off just 164 balls for the second wicket. They took turns to become the aggressive batter and the more aggressive batter, even as they ran their singles well. Then Rahul, Kishan and Suryakumar, whose fifty in the last match seems to have given him a lot of confidence, exploded, and took India to its highest ever total against Australia.
Quick wickets
Australia’s chase, which was always going to be steep, was made steeper by Prasidh Krishna, who struck twice in succession in his first over, as he removed Matthew Short and the day’s captain Steve Smith.
The third-wicket stand of 80 off 68 balls between David Warner (53, 39b, 7x4,1x6) and Marnus Labuschagne (27, 31b, 4x4) was broken by R. Ashwin, who bowled rather well to finish with three for 41.
Even India’s back-up men are in form.
