India have taken a 1-0 lead in their five-match ODI series against Australia, winning the first ODI in a rain-affected match.
The hosts were in a spot of bother at 5-87 before Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni helped India to a respectable 281 from their 50 overs.
Thanks to the rain, Australia were set a revised total of 168 off 20 overs, but never got close. Glenn Maxwell was the only batsman to fire, scoring 39 from 18 balls.
» Read more: Australia undone by India’s spin
India take on Australia in the first of what promises to be an exciting series of five ODIs at Chennai. Follow all the action of this first ODI to be played in Chennai from 6pm (AEST) right here on The Roar.
India are coming off a series result they will want to replicate but will know will be tough to against stiffer oppositions.
Nine wins on an away tour and no losses was a feat achieved by no other team and they have barely had any time to savour it before the start of another series.
This one, at home, is against a harder nut to crack. Australia and India have reserved their best – and on occasions, worst – for each other and for them to go up against each other in India gives neutral cricket fans a chance to hope for something better than what was on display in Sri Lanka.
And past results and the current quality should point towards that.
Australia have an edge over India in recent times in ODI cricket, having won six games in a row before losing one back home. This streak also included a victory in that famous 2015 World Cup semi-final.
Things have changed though. Australia have struggled to recapture those glory days that had seen them capture that World Cup under the captaincy of Michael Clarke.
Leading into this series, Smith’s side were knocked out of the Champions Trophy before they made the semi-final. This followed defeats in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of South Africa.
Australia are also coming off their first ever defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in Test cricket but make no mistake, it is a much-improved Bangladeshis they had come up against.
At the same time, their Test cricket experience against India earlier this year and that Bangladesh series would have prepared them for sterner tests like this one.
And India will be a difficult one. Beating India in India hasn’t been the easiest, and it becomes even harder if the pitches on offer have a lot on offer for the slow bowlers.
The last time Australia were in the country for an ODI series, scores of 350 were chased down – a pointer to the changing nature of this format, as much as it was to the nature of the pitches on offer.
Neutrals will hope for something more in the surfaces for the bowlers. A slightly more even contest between the bat and ball can go a long way in making it an interesting battle between the teams.
As far as the teams are concerned, Australia have called up Peter Handscomb as a cover for the injured Aaron Finch while India have lost Shikhar Dhawan and Axar Patel from their original squad even before a ball was bowled. Ravindra Jadeja, originally rested from the series, has been drafted as a cover.
Follow the live scores and blog of the 1st ODI between India and Australia from 6pm (AEST) here on The Roar.
Anjul
Guest
As we have seen Indian batsmen mainly struggled with the Australian bowling, we may see repeat of the performance. Indian team should not be over confident after the win in the first ODI. 2ND ODI is the game which may expose Indian side to the best of Aussie strength. It's the Aussie bowling I am more interested in today's match. Kohli must come out with more responsible game. Bumrah must continue with his conventional weapons.
Basil
Guest
Ah no Scott. Just think that stating that one team thoroughly deserved the win in a contrived arrangement is a bit of a stretch.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Sure Basil, But what should we do? Play till 3am?
Raveendhana
Guest
Chennai does not get much rain at this time like rest of India, we get rains by north-east monsoons, as the current rain system in the rest of India is south-west monsoons. So rain is not expected much at this time in Chennai, so it is nothing to do with scheduling
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Agree
Basil
Guest
Rubbish. It's a farce. When one team loses 30 overs it becomes a joke regardless.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
India bowled really well there, thoroughly deserved that win
Tanmoy Kar
Guest
It turned-out to be a T20 match due to rain, but could not capitalize the opportunity, instead of 164 they could score only 137 fallen short by 27 runs.To India's credit after they loose 3/11 and later-on 4/64 they could master 281. Pandya and Dhoni played marvelous knocks well supported by Kedar and Bhubaneshwar. India won the 1st. ODI which Australia should had won.
DavSA
Guest
Part of me feels for Australia but part of me doesn't . If you approach a series to lose ......you will lose.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
That's that then from me, the second game will be played on Thursday and one of us here at The Roar will live blog it throughout its duration. Have a good evening.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Chahal bowled beautifully, as did everyone else for India bar that over from Kuldeep which went for three sixes to Maxwell. However, it was Hardik Pandya, who takes the cake. First he smashed his way to 83 which turned the game around, and then he grabbed a couple of wickets to go with those runs. Will be the man-of-the-match.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A rain-shortened game but India have gone well to take the lead. They were in a spot at 5/87 and should have never scored 281 from their 50 overs but for those twin-knocks from MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya. Rain almost put paid to the chances of a chase but in the end, Australia had 21 overs to chase down 164, and got nowhere close. They started off slowly and once Warner and Smith fell, they were never in the hunt...umm, before Maxwell thought he had other ideas. Maxwell smashed a 18-ball 39 and was about to take the game away from the hosts before Chahal got the better of him. Nobody else looked like taking Australia any closer to the Indian score.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Bumrah is bowling the final over and Faulkner has refused a single off the first ball. Next ball, edged and taken but has it bounced? It hasn't quite bounced before it got to MSD but it goes through his gloves and touches the ground. Should have been caught. Seven from the next five balls to finish the game, with India winning by 26 runs.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Five from the Bhuvi over means Australia have the improbable task of scoring 34 from the final six. And they neither have Maxwell, nor Pandya at the crease.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Just unable to time the ball, most batsmen tonight. 37 more needed from 10 with just a wicket left. Faulkner gets joined by Adam Zampa.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Not that they have been doing anything different through this innings but it's squeaky bum time for these two. Need to hit every ball to the fence from here on. Or at least look to do that... ...first ball, however, a yorker has been crunched to wide long-on for a single. Bhuvi bowls a wide but then gets his own back as NCN holes it out to Jadhav at deep square. Nine down.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Jasprit Bumrah will bowl his third and the 19th of the innings... ...and he begins with a Faulkner cut that's gone fine to third-man for a four. Decent ball but Faulkner has got enough bat. Yorker-length next ball, turned into a full-toss and he has smashed it down the ground. Hits the stumps and restricts the batsman to just a single. A single off the third and the fourth deliveries of the over as well, but there are a few full-tosses that are being missed here. Slower one, beaten as NCN looking to smash it over the top and the same gets repeated off the last ball too. 39 needed off 12.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Shott! Almost a jab and it's gone straight down for a maximum... ...Faulkner has got one wider outside the off and cracks it over long-off. Pulls that next ball to the leg-side for a single. Coulter-Nile, in at 10, has gotten off the mark with a single. Dot and a single off the final two balls to make it just nine from the over. Despite that earlier six. 46 needed from 18.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone! Chahal has Cummins... ...that was turning away from Cummins and he went for that slog. Top-edge goes only to the short third-man fielder and is easily taken. Chahal is bowling his fifth over, the one bowler who can bowl five. 8/109 in 17.1, 55 needed off 23.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Bhuvi follows it up with a yorker that's beaten Faulkner but he gets his bat/pad in the way and rushes off for a leg-bye. Cummins gets one shorter in length and latches on to it. Off the middle of the bat and smashed into the gap for a four. Very much in this, Australia... ...a single off the next to deep cover and a couple to finish off the over. 55 needed from 24.