Mohammed Shami produced a masterly spell of seam bowling under a humid sun. Then, under the lights, Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad put on a display of silken batting, full of enchanting grace and exquisite timing.
The two young openers put India firmly on track towards victory against Australia in the opening ODI at the PCA Stadium here on Friday night. Though there was a wobble following their dismissals, within a space of a couple of overs, skipper K.L. Rahul and Surykumar Yadav got the job done.
Chasing Australia’s 276, India had slid to 185 for four — from 142 for no wicket — when Ishan Kishan was caught behind off Pat Cummins. But Rahul (58 not out, 63b, 4x4, 1x6) and Suryakumar (50, 49b, 5x4, 1x6) added 80 for the fifth wicket, as they batted sensibly to make sure that the efforts of Shami, Gill and Gaikwad were not wasted.
The host won by five wickets, with eight balls to spare, to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. The second game will be played at Indore on Sunday.
The excellent crowd here would not be forgetting anytime soon that remarkable partnership by Ruturaj (71, 77b, 10x4) and Gill (74, 63b, 6x4, 2x6). It is not every day that you get to see so much class and artistry from both ends. And Gill was playing his first international game on his home ground.
Earlier, Shami’s career-best five for 51ensured the Australian innings was kept in check. He struck at the beginning, in the middle and the end.
His fourth ball moved away just about enough to force an outside edge from Mitchell Marsh, who was snapped up by Gill at slip. Though David Warner and Steve Smith ensured there was no further damage for a long while, they were made to work hard for their runs by Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.
It was an engrossing battle between two quality pacers and two quality batters. Bumrah’s first two overs were maidens, as was Shami’s second.
Warner was dropped, on 14, by Shreyas Iyer at mid-off off Shardul Thakur, who would go on to become the most expensive Indian bowler by far (none for 78). As for the Aussie opener, he went on to make a 53-ball 52 (6x4, 2x6) and add 94 for the second wicket with Smith (41, 60b, 3x4, 1x6).
Warner was accounted for by Ravindra Jadeja’s extra bounce, while the best Smith could do against a devastating in-coming ball from Shami was to manage an inside edge that rattled the stumps. Marnus Labuschagne (39, 49b, 3x4) was unlucky to get stumped by a deflection from Rahul off R. Ashwin (in his first ODI since January, 2022).
A sixth-wicket stand of 62 off 43 balls between Josh Inglis (45, 45b, 3x4, 2x6) and Marcus Stoinis (29, 21b, 5x4) gave the Australian innings the acceleration it desperately needed. That momentum was retained by a nine-ball 21 by skipper Cummins; it wouldn’t be enough, though.
Scoreboard
Australian innings: Mitchell Marsh c Gill b Shami 4 (4b, 1x4), David Warner c Gill b Jadeja 52 (53b, 6x4, 2x6), Steve Smith b Shami 41 (60b, 3x4, 1x6), Marnus Labuschagne st. Rahul b Ashwin 39 (49b, 3x4), Cameron Green run out 31 (52b, 3x4), Josh Inglis c Shreyas b Bumrah 45 (45b, 3x4, 2x6), Marcus Stoinis b Shami 29 (21b, 5x4), Matthew Short c Suryakumar b Shami 2 (4b), Pat Cummins (not out) 21 (9b, 2x4, 1x6), Sean Abbott b Shami 2 (2b), Adam Zampa run out 2 (2b); Extras (b-4, lb-2, w-1, nb-1): 8.
Total (in 50 overs): 276.
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Marsh, 0.4 overs), 2-98 (Warner, 18.2), 3-112 (Smith, 21.3), 4-157 (Labuschagne, 32.4), 5-186 (Green, 39.3), 6-248 (Stoinis, 46.4), 7-250 (Inglis, 47.2), 8-254 (Short, 48.2), 9-256 (Abbott, 48.4).
India bowling: Shami 10-1-51-5, Bumrah 10-2-43-1, Shardul 10-0-78-0, Ashwin 10-0-47-1, Jadeja 10-0-51-1.
Indian innings: Ruturaj Gaikwad lbw b Zampa 71 (77b, 10x4), Shubman Gill b Zampa 74 (63b, 6x4, 2x6), Shreyas Iyer run out 3 (8b), K.L. Rahul (not out) 58 (63b, 4x4, 1x6), Ishan Kishan c Inglis b Cummins 18 (26b, 2x4), Suryakumar Yadav c Marsh b Abbott 50 (49b, 5x4, 1x6), Ravindra Jadeja (not out) 3 (6b); Extras (lb-1, w-3): 4.
Total (for five wkts. in 48.4 overs): 281.
Fall of wickets: 1-142 (Ruturaj, 21.4), 2-148 (Shreyas, 23.4), 3-151 (Gill, 25.3), 4-185 (Kishan, 32.3), 5-265 (Suryakumar, 46.4).
Australia bowling: Cummins 10-0-44-1, Stoinis 5-0-40-0, Abbott 9.4-1-56-1, Green 6-0-44-0, Short 8-0-39-0, Zampa 10-0-57-2.
Toss: India; PoM: Shami.
India won by five wickets with eight balls remaining, leads three-match series 1-0.
Second ODI: September 24, Indore, 1.30 p.m.
