Vaibhav Tripathi
A packed Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) came alive as Rohit Sharma (121*) and Virat Kohli (74*) produced a stunning batting masterclass, combining for a 168-run partnership that powered India to a thumping nine-wicket win over Australia. With this dominating win, India avoided the series whitewash.
A target of 237 was never going to be tough for the Indian team, given that the SCG provided the best batting conditions of the series. Rohit was the aggressor in the powerplay, taking on Mitchell Starc. Were it not for an economical start from Josh Hazlewood, Australia would have easily conceded more than 70 in the powerplay. Once again, after getting a start, Shubman Gill was dismissed.
As he walked off, the crowd erupted as Kohli entered the field. Having scored back-to-back ducks, Kohli got off the mark on his first ball. What followed was a round of applause from the crowd, which Kohli acknowledged, relief evident on his face. That first run showed intent. Soon, a trademark straight drive followed, which really got Kohli going.
Outside of Hazlewood, no Australian bowlers could create any significant trouble for Rohit and Kohli. Having played so much cricket together, both players responded to each other’s calls without hesitation. Both batters manipulated the field through their running between the wickets, with boundaries coming at regular intervals.
The threat of Adam Zampa, who had taken four wickets in the last ODI, was neutralised. Rohit’s lofted six over the covers early in Zampa’s spell appeared to shatter the leg spinner’s confidence, as he looked out of sorts. While Kohli was happy to rotate the strike, Rohit kept attacking the spinners. Over covers, cuts, sweeps – he played them all and eventually brought up a three-figure score for the 33rd time in ODI cricket: his 50th international century and ninth in Australia. Kohli, who notched up his 75th fifty in ODIs, played an upper cut that reached the boundary and eventually sealed the win.
Earlier in the day, India bowled as a cohesive unit. Harshit Rana led the charge with four wickets. Often criticised for his economy rate, the 23-year-old pacer conceded only 39 runs in 8.4 overs on a good batting surface. While Harshit claimed the most wickets, it was the spinners who brought India back into the game. Australia’s top three run-scorers – Matt Renshaw (56), Mitchell Marsh (41), and Matthew Short (30) – were all dismissed by spinners.
Washington Sundar accounted for two of them, with Axar Patel dismissing Marsh to start the slide. Both finger spinners bowled tight lines, restricted boundaries, and kept the Australian batters in check. Kuldeep Yadav, playing his first game in the series, didn’t look at his best, returning figures of 1/50 in his ten overs.
Alex Carey’s dismissal ignited the collapse, as the hosts lost seven wickets while adding just 53 runs, going from 183/3 to 236. Harshit was the wrecker-in-chief, running through the middle and lower order. After the promising start with Marsh and Travis Head adding 61 runs for the first wicket, Australia would have been eyeing a big total. However, poor shot selection led to a collapse, which began with Head, who squandered the start by getting out to Mohammed Siraj.
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