India starts on a high note on their World Cup journey as they bag victory by six wickets against the Aussies.
Coming down to chase 200 runs, India had a shaky start as three wickets fell early, and they were 3-2 at one stage. Thanks to the 169 partnership between Virat Kohli and KL Rahul that set the winning stage for India.
India starts with a victory against Australia
Winning the toss, the Aussie captain Pat Cummins put India to bowl first. The men in blue hammered a terrific bowling performance to bowl them out for 199. Jadeja picked up three wickets and two each for Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav.
None of the Aussie batters could stand out except for Warner and Smith, who are 41 and 45, respectively. In the end, it was a decent 28-run knock from Starch that helped Australia reach 199.
Coming down to chase 200 runs at the MA Chidambaram stadium, the home team didn’t have the best of starts. With Rohit, Ishan, and Iyer getting out at 0 each, the Aussies were in a commendable position.
However, the steady partnership between Kohli and Rahul turned the table upside down, and Cummins’ Australia soon lost the game’s grip.
Kohli smashed an 85, and Rahul finished on an unbeaten 97. They crossed the target in 41.2 overs with six wickets to spare.
Gill, who has been in great form, missed the game as he tested positive for dengue. Ishan Kishan went on to open the innings with skipper Rohit Sharma.
After a scary start, Kohli and Rahul’s inning came as a refreshment to the Indian fans.
Rahul missed century in WC’s opening game
Rahul missed his century in WC’s opening game as he hit the second ball of the 41st over for a six and helped his team pass the target. The overboundary took his score to 97. Had he hit the ball for a four, few runs would still be remaining, and he would have a chance to score his 100.
Talking about it at the post-match presentation while receiving his Player of the Match Award, he said that in the end, he was calculating how to get to the 100. It would be possible if he’d hit a four, but he “hit the ball too good.” He further said that he could get his 100 “maybe some other time.”
With that positive start, India will be heading to take on their next opponent Afghanistan, in Delhi on 11th October.
Stay tuned for more action, and keep cheering for India!
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