India crush Australia by 99 runs; seal series: Suryakumar, Rahul hits fifties

INDORE: Prasidh Krishna took back-to-back wickets upfront while experienced spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja rattled the Australian batters by taking three wickets each as India beat Australia by 99 runs via DLS method at Holkar Stadium to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Australia were given the target of chasing 400 after Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer smashed sparkling centuries, hitting 104 and 105 respectively while sharing a 200-run partnership. Captain KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav lit up the innings with their blazing half-centuries, 52 and 72 not out respectively as an absolute run-fest propelled India to a mammoth 399/5, their highest ODI score against Australia.

Gill continued his sizzling run in the format, making 104 off 97 balls, his fifth ODI century this year, laced with six fours and four sixes.

Iyer brushed aside question marks over his form and fitness with his first ODI century of this year – 105 off 90 balls, with the help of 11 fours and three sixes. After the duo fell post sharing a 200-run partnership, Rahul ensured the momentum was continued through his 38-ball 52, his second straight fifty, hitting three fours and as many sixes.

Suryakumar delighted the Sunday crowd in the stadium with an exhibition of boundary-striking by hammering an unbeaten 72 off 37 deliveries, hitting six fours and as many sixes, including hitting four maximums on the trot off Cameron Green. He also reached his fifty in 24 balls, breaking the previous fastest ODI fifty for India against Australia record set by Virat Kohli off 27 balls in Jaipur in 2013.

In the start of the chase, Krishna landed huge blows by taking out Matthew Short and Steven Smith on consecutive deliveries, before rain stopped proceedings for Australia at 56/2 in nine overs. With a revised target of 317 in 33 overs, the pitch gave more turn to spinners.

It resulted in Ashwin taking 3-41 in seven overs and triggering an Australian collapse, while Jadeja took 3-42 in 5.2 overs. Sean Abbott made 54 and had a stand of 77 off 44 balls with Josh Hazlewood for the ninth wicket before the duo were dismissed in three balls as Australia were all out for 217 in 28.2 overs, also their fifth straight loss in the format.

Matthew Short began Australia’s chase by taking two boundaries off Mohammed Shami via drive and flick. But Krishna, playing in place of a rested Jasprit Bumrah, took Short out by extracting a big edge on his attempted slice and the ball flew to third man.

On the very next ball, Prasidh got some away movement and stand-in captain Steven Smith threw his hands at it, giving first slip a catch above his head. David Warner (26 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (17 not out) led Australia’s recovery by hitting eight boundaries while adding 47 off 45 balls for the third wicket till rain arrived, forcing players to go off the field.

Post that, with revised target in hand, Warner and Labuschagne hit four more boundaries, till Ashwin turned the game on its head. Ashwin’s carrom ball on a pitch giving spinners turn – crashing into Labuschagne’s off-stump when the batter played for an off-break.

Warner brought out the ploy to bat right-handed against Ashwin, but the carrom ball did the trick again, as he fell over in an attempt to reverse-sweep and was trapped lbw in front of stumps, though replays showed a clear bottom edge. Josh Inglis was next to be trapped lbw by Ashwin while trying to sweep off him.

Australia continued to fall like nine pins as Alex Carey and Adam Zampa were cleaned up by Jadeja while Cameron Green failed to put his bat down in time, and was run-out. Abbott and Hazlewood tried delaying the inevitable by hitting 13 boundaries in their entertaining ninth wicket stand, till the duo fell in quick succession as India put an end to the fun in a game where they got a lot of clarity in the run-up to the World Cup.

Brief Scores: India 399/5 in 50 overs (Shreyas Iyer 105, Shubman Gill 104; Cameron Green 2-103, Josh Hazlewood 1-62) beat Australia 217 in 28.2 overs (Sean Abbott 54, David Warner 53; Ravichandran Ashwin 3-41, Ravindra Jadeja 3-42) by 99 runs via DLS method. IANS

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