IND vs AUS first ODI | Warner and Finch hammer India into submission

Their unbeaten centuries take Australia to a 10-wicket win after Starc and Cummins restrict the hosts to 255.

January 14, 2020 05:33 pm | Updated November 28, 2021 11:49 am IST - Mumbai

Australian openers Aaron Finch and David Warner during their match-winning partnership at the first ODI against India in Mumbai on January 14, 2020.

Australian openers Aaron Finch and David Warner during their match-winning partnership at the first ODI against India in Mumbai on January 14, 2020.

The three-match ODI series between India and Australia was billed as a contest between the heavyweights. 

On Tuesday, however, it seemed as if only one team turned up as a near-perfect performance saw Australia steamroller India at the Wankhede Stadium.

If Aaron Finch’s bowling unit put up a clinical performance to bowl out India for 255, the skipper joined forces with David Warner to tear apart the Indian attack. 

Such was the dominance of the two, Virat Kohli’s men couldn’t take a single wicket. Warner and Finch smashed unbeaten hundreds and also were involved in the highest opening partnership against India — 258 — as the visitors won with 74 deliveries remaining and took a 1-0 lead.

India needed early breakthroughs if they had to be competitive.

Erring in length 

However, the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur erred in their length, allowing the Australian pair to break free. 

Finch, in particular, hit boundaries at will against anything that was full-pitched.

Warner soon joined the party. After being cautious initially, the left-hander changed gears in the eighth over as Shardul faced the fury of Warner’s bat. A lofted cover-drive and a flick were both mistimed, but still crossed the boundary. A swat over midwicket then sailed into the stands. Warner continued in the same vein in the Mumbai seamer’s next over, a rasping cover-drive and a cut taking Australia to 84 in the PowerPlay overs.

With dew starting to play a role, the Australian openers proved unstoppable. 

While the hosts were unlucky with a review, the visitors were saved thrice by DRS. Warner (128 not out, 112b, 17x4, 3x6) and Finch (110 not out, 114b, 13x4, 2x6) completed the formalities in the 38th over.

The only phase during which India was in control was during the 121-run partnership for the second wicket between Shikhar Dhawan and K.L. Rahul.

After being asked to bat, Rohit Sharma, who stroked two majestic boundaries off Mitchell Starc’s opening over, fell to the left-arm speedster in the fifth over, mistiming a drive that went straight to Warner at mid-off. 

Dhawan and Rahul then saw off a threatening spell by Pat Cummins and Starc. 

Though the two couldn’t really go after spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar later on, they managed to keep the scoreboard ticking.

The slide begins

Just when Dhawan and Rahul were looking to accelerate, the latter chipped the first ball of left-armer Agar’s new spell straight to Steve Smith at cover. 

Rahul’s dismissal triggered a mini-collapse as the hosts lost four wickets for 29 runs off 35 balls. 

Dhawan was caught by Agar sprinting to his right at mid-off after top-edging Cummins while Kohli’s full-blooded straight drive was well caught by leg-spinner Zampa off his own bowling. 

After Shreyas Iyer edged Starc to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja put the innings back on the rails with a 49-run stand for the sixth wicket. 

However, once Jadeja nicked Kane Richardson to Carey and Pant was dismissed by Cummins, it took a late-order flourish from Shami and Kuldeep Yadav to push the hosts past 250. 

That total was never going to be enough, as Warner and Finch showed.

Scoreboard

INDIA: Rohit Sharma c Warner b Starc 10 (15b, 2x4), Shikhar Dhawan c Agar b Cummins 74 (91b, 9x4, 1x6), K.L. Rahul c Smith b Agar 47 (61b, 4x4), Virat Kohli c & b Zampa 16 (14b, 1x6), Shreyas Iyer c Carey b Starc 4 (9b), Rishabh Pant c Turner b Cummins 28 (33b, 2x4, 1x6), Ravindra Jadeja c Carey b Richardson 25 (32b, 2x4, 1x6), Shardul Thakur b Starc 13 (10b, 2x4), Mohammed Shami c Carey b Richardson 10 (15b, 1x4), Kuldeep Yadav run out 17 (15b, 2x4), Jasprit Bumrah (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-3, w-8): 11; Total (in 49.1 overs): 255.

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-13 (Rohit, 4.3 overs), 2-134 (Rahul, 27.1), 3-140 (Dhawan, 28.5), 4-156 (Kohli, 31.2), 5-164 (Shreyas, 32.5), 6-213 (Jadeja, 42.1), 7-217 (Pant, 43.2), 8-229 (Shardul, 44.5), 9-255 (Kuldeep, 48.6).

AUSTRALIA BOWLING: Starc 10-0-56-3, Cummins 10-1-44-2, Richardson 9.1-0-43-2, Zampa 10-0-53-1, Agar 10-1-56-1.

AUSTRALIA: David Warner (not out) 128 (112b, 17x4, 3x6), Aaron Finch (not out) 110 (114b, 13x4, 2x6); Extras (b-4, lb-7, w-9): 20; Total (for no loss in 37.4 overs): 258.

INDIA BOWLING: Shami 7.4-0-58-0, Bumrah 7-0-50-0, Thakur 5-0-43-0, Kuldeep 10-0-55-0, Jadeja 8-0-41-0.

Toss: Australia.

Man-of-the-Match: Warner.

Australia won by 10 wickets with 74 deliveries to spare and take a 1-0 lead in three-match series.

Second ODI: January 17 (Friday), Rajkot, 1.30 p.m.

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