Team India thrashed Australia by five wickets in the third One Day International (ODI) at the Holkar Stadium in Indore today. With this win, Men In Blue clinched the five match ODI series by 3-0. India started off well as Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane provide solid start after Australians set 294 runs target for Virat Kohli & Co. in the third ODI. With this win, India skipper Virat Kohli has equalled predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s record run of nine ODI wins on the trot.
Dhoni’s winning streak as captain stretched from February 2008 to January 2009. Kohli’s winning run started on July 26 this year.
Earlier, Steve Smith won the toss and he elected to bat first. Opening batsman Aaron Finch (124 off 125 balls) and David Warner (42 off 44 balls) provided a near-perfect start for the visitors. They put up 70 runs when Warner was bowled by medium pacer Hardik Pandya in the third ball of the 14th over which brought Smith to the crease.
Following Warner’s wicket, in-form Smith and Finch displayed calculative batting. They both put up 154 runs partnership. During 38th over of Australian innings, Finch lost his concentration and he offered a straight catch to Kedar Jadhav at deep midwicket off Kuldeep, with the scoreboard at 224/2.
Four overs later, Smith danced down the track to hit Kuldeep to the hands of Jasprit Bumrah in the 42nd over — much to the relief of the Indian camp.
Then, India pulled things under control and picked wickets at regular intervals to peg back the visitors. They managed to restrict visitors under 300.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav picked up 2 wickets each.
In reply, Indian started the chase in a stunning manner with both the openers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane putting up 139 runs partnership.
.@ajinkyarahane88 celebrates as he brings up his Fifty. This is his 21st in ODIs #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/8GuTuRLVQn
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 24, 2017
Rohit scored 71 runs off 62 balls. The Mumbai batsman was in fine form, smashing the ball four times into the stands and six times to the ropes.
Rahane hit nine boundaries while scoring 70 runs off 76 balls.
Later, Hardik Pandya produced a power-packed knock lower down the order to carry the hosts to the cusp of victory.
FIFTY! @ImRo45 brings up his 33rd ODI 50 Paytm #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/8dAGd96PJz
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 24, 2017
The Baroda all-rounder top scored for the hosts with 78 runs off 72 deliveries, hitting five boundaries and four sixes along the way.
Pacer Pat Cummins was the most successful among the Australian bowlers with figures of 2/54. Fellow pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile and left-arm spinner Ashton Agar took a wicket each.
4th ODI Fifty for @hardikpandya7 Paytm #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/YJl4Um2eMm
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 24, 2017
Team India chased down the target with 13 balls to spare.
#TeamIndia win the 3rd ODI to take an unassailable lead of 3-0 in the five-match ODI series #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/3yL8LxpO7L
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 24, 2017
“Hardik Pandya was superb with the bat,” Australian skipper Steve Smith said during the post-match presentation.
“Credit goes to bowlers for restricting Australians under 300,” said Virat Kohli during post-match presentation.
Hardik Pandya for his allround performance was given the Man of the Match award.
Brief scores:
Australia: (Aaron Finch 124, Steve Smith 63; Jasprit Bumrah 2/52, Kuldeep Yadav 2/75) vs India in 3rd ODI.
India: 1-139 (RG Sharma, 21.4 ov), 2-147 (AM Rahane, 23.3 ov), 3-203 (V Kohli, 34.3 ov), 4-206 (KM Jadhav, 35.2 ov), 5-284 (HH Pandya, 45.5 ov)
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