As was desperately needed and prayed for Indian cricket fans Jasprit Bumrah found his form a little to save the clean sweep of ODI series by Australia. India recorded a morale boosting 13-run victory over Australia in the third and final ODI on Wednesday, making the game a face saving one.
They lost the series 1-2 series to Australia and are now on to a 3 match T20 series.
Hardik Pandya who is in a blistering form, made 92 not out off 76 balls. He was ably supported by Ravindra Jadeja who made 66 off 50 which took India to a healthy 302 for 5 in 50 overs after poor showing in the first 30 overs.
A better bowling attack managed to restrict the Aussies to 289 all out in 49.3 overs.
Shardul Thakur with 3/51, debutant Thangarasu Natarajan with 2/70 made their contribution but it was Jasprit Bumrah’s 2/43 in 9.3 overs super effort (compared top his performance in the first two games) which made all the difference.
Bumrah with his trade mark swing made it difficult for the Aussies to score off him. But his dismissal of Glenn Maxwell just in time turned the match in India’s favour.
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Bumrah bowled one in right the block-hole that had the dangerous Maxwell (59 off 38 balls) exposing the stumps.
Bumrah’s coming back into form helped the newbie Natarajan to bowl his yorkers under pressure. Shardul Thakur also chipped in with important wickets.
India’s bowling attack looked different look and performed unlike the first two games.
Natarajan was very steady in his first spell and got his maiden wicket when Marnus Labuschagne (7), in an unfamiliar role as opener, dragged a wide delivery back onto the stumps.
Thakur, replacing a rested Mohammed Shami, was also lucky when Steve Smith (7) tried to tickle one down on the ‘fifth leg stump’ to be caught by KL Rahul behind the stumps.
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