A Much Awaited Encounter
It was a much-awaited encounter at Chepauk and though of late India has held sway over the Australians in ODIs, a World Cup game is a different kettle of fish. However, if my pre-World Cup Post is anything to go by, my views on the present Indian and Australian Teams are not far from reality and so it was proved yesterday evening.
Aussies Struggle Big Time
Pat Cummins won a good toss and in my opinion, very aptly decided to bat. Putting runs on the board on a not-so-easy Chepauk track has always been the right option. A resurgent Bumrah got Mitch Marsh for a duck of a stellar catch from Virat and the other bowlers too kept a tight leash on the Aussie batsmen, though a good partnership began to develop between Warner and Smith. The absence of Travis Head is a grave issue for this Aussie batting line up and once David Warner, Smith and Labuschagne perished to some terrific bowling from Jadeja in particular, the rest of the batting was easy meat for our bowlers on the tough Chepauk track and eventually the Aussies succumbed for a paltry 199. It was a mighty struggle for the men in yellow.
Top Notch Spin Bowling from India
The Indian spinners just gave nothing away. The Aussies got nothing to drive as the Indians kept bowling that nagging length. The uneven bounce on the track was a handful and the ball gripping the surface made batting difficult. But still, the Aussies were too defensive and did not try to counterattack at all and paid the price.
Early Hiccups & A Drop
It has been witnessed earlier that small targets many a time become tricky ones and as the Indian innings started, Chepauk went into deep silence. A rash shot, a perfect delivery and a bit of bad luck saw India lose 3 of their top 4 without scoring. It was unprecedented. We were 2 for 3 when KL Rahul rushed in to join Virat Kohli in the middle. The bowling was accurate and Josh Hazelwood in particular was getting some steep bounce too. Virat Kohli was surprised by a quick bouncer from Josh and top-edged for a dolly of a catch. Mitch Marsh came darting in from mid-wicket, overran the ball and dropped a mighty sitter. It was a terrible ‘drop’ and Virat made the Aussies pay for it dearly.
Virat-KL Heroics
No other chance came Australia’s way as KL and Virat played exceptionally well and wrested the initiative. The last throw of the dice for Australia was Adam Zampa. But as I had mentioned in my post earlier, Zampa is in no great form and his introduction broke the shackles further and India romped home comfortably. Barring the slight aberration at the start of the innings it was a clinical performance from India as they began their quest for the World Cup with a very important victory.
A Lot To Ponder For The Aussies
The Aussies have a lot to think about and might struggle against good spin bowling. A heavy burden rests on Warner, Smith and Labuschagne. Maxwell, Green, Zampa and Carey need massive improvement and Pat Cummins too has to be more effective before it becomes too late.
Markram Marvel at Delhi
I also need to put in a word for Aiden Markram who scored the fastest hundred in World Cups. His batting has come leaps and bounds and with Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen scoring big, this South African unit is the one to watch out for. Hapless Sri Lankan bowlers were put to the sword as South Africa amassed a massive 428 at Delhi, the highest score in a World Cup game. The Lankans tried hard with the brilliant Kusal Mendis fighting back, but still the target was too huge and SA emerged victorious by a 100-run margin. What a game that was.
Careless Afghans Suffer
Afghanistan shot themselves in the foot, batted poorly after a good start and handed Bangladesh an easy victory. Poor shot selection and a callous attitude were for all to see. On the other hand, Bangladesh led by Shakib Al Hasan played disciplined cricket and deservedly won the match at the picturesque Dharmashala.
It’s early days yet and we may witness several twists and turns going forward. We have just started.
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Featured Image : KL Rahul Guides India Home