3rd ODI: Australia gets home by 32 runs vs India
Ranchi, March 08:
India skipper Virat Kohli’s (123 off 95) gritty century went in vain as India suffered a 32-run defeat against Australia in the third contest of the five-match rubber at the JSCA stadium here on Friday.
Despite this loss, India still maintain a 2-1 lead in the series. The fourth ODI will be played in Chandigarh on Sunday.
Chasing a 314 run target , India were all out for 281 in 48.2 overs.
It was business as usual for skipper Virat Kohli, who scored 123 which was his 41st ODI hundred. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav contributed 26 each. A.Zampa claimed three Indian wickets while Pat Cummins 2.
Earlier, put into bat, Australia scored 313 for 5 in the stipulated 50 overes. Kuldeep Yadav scalped 3 Australian wickets. Usman Khawaja (104) Aaron Finch (93) and Glenn Maxwell (47) scored handsomely and put up a huge score.
Right from the start, the Australian batters played freely and hammered the Indian bowlers at will.
Openers Finch and Khawaja put up a 193-run partnership before skipper Finch was adjudged leg before wicket in the 32nd over.
Finch and Khawaja played some beautifully crafted shots around the ground and completed their respective half centuries.
Finch, who was dismissed by chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, played 99 balls and hammered 10 boundaries and three sixes.
Maxwell then joined Khawaja and the duo played sensibly by rotating the strike and punishing the bad balls. In the process, Khawaja completed his century before getting out in the 39th over.
Khawaja was dismissed by pacer Mohammad Shami. In his 113 ball innings, Khawaja hit 11 boundaries and one six.
After a couple of overs, set batsman Maxwell also departed. A piece of brilliant fielding by Ravindra Jadeja saw his dismissal.
Middle-order batsmen Shaun Marsh (7) and Peter Handscomb (0) went back cheaply but Marcus Stoinis (31 not out) and Alex Carey (21 not out) stuck at the wicket and finished off the proceedings.
Brief Scores: Australia 313/5 (Usman Khawaja 104, Aaron Finch 93; Kuldeep Yadav 3/64) beat India 281 all out (Virat Kohli 123, Vijay Shankar 32; Pat Cummins 3/37) by 32 runs.