Australia had a comfortable 66-run win in the first of three ODIs series opener against India in Sydney ODI last night. India suffered a crushing defeat scoring 308 to Australia’s 374.
What can only be called a captain’s knock Aaron Finch’s 114, well supported by Steve Smith’s 105 and David Warner’s 69 added to the mighty total of 6-374 India were set with a gallant Glenn Maxwell adding 45. The sheer number totally unnerved the visitors’ bowlers and the disheartened attack in the end looked amateurish and childlike made a lot worse by some sloppy fielding for which Indians are not strangers.
Soon after the game was over, Kohli took to Twitter saying Ón to the next one’.
On to the next one. pic.twitter.com/kCqkvR6EU8
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) November 27, 2020
Shikhar Dhawan, a Melbourne resident playing for India was responsible for arguably the most costly error in the field but with Mayank Agarwal took India to a flying 0-53 start after five overs.
Once mayank was out, Kohli ace and went within 25 runs and chipped a catch to Finch on 21. Then the Indians crashed to 4-104 in the 14th over.
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Shikhar Dhawan’s 74 and Hardik Pandya’s valiant 90 gave Indian supporters some hope of a miracle which was never coming.
India finished well short of their target of 374 at 8-308. Steve Smith was named Man of the Match.
Smith’s brilliant stroke play is an ominous start to the summer for Indians who are here to play four Test matches also. Their team management would have seen the challenge they face against Australia and in particular Steve Smith and David Warner in addition to other rising starts of Australian cricket.
This is what Virat Kohli said post match after losing the Sydney ODI:
“Everyone needs to show the intent in the entire 50 overs. Probably, we played 50 overs after a long time that could have an effect. But having said that, we have played so much ODI cricket that it is not something we don’t know how to do.
“I think the body language in the field wasn’t great after around 25 overs. It was a disappointing part. If you don’t take your chances against a top-quality opposition they’ll hurt you and that is what happened today.
And the blame goes to Hardik Pandya who scored 90
“We have to find out a way to get a few overs from part-timers. Unfortunately, someone like Hardik is not ready to bowl yet, we have to accept that, we don’t really have all-round options as such right now.”