Josh Hazlewood bowled an incisive and deadly spell in the powerplay as his 3/13 floored India something from which India never really recovered. Josh Hazlewood was determined to prove a point on his final game before his preparation for the Ashes and he did not disappoint. India were all over the place as only Abhishek Sharma showed resistance with 68 off 37 balls and a bit of resistance from Harshit Rana who scored 35 off 33 balls.
For Australia, apart from Hazlewood, Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis got a couple of wickets apiece as Australia are in poll position to win this game easily.
Josh Hazlewood wreaks havoc and rocks India in the powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma came out to bat for India while Josh Hazlewood had ball in hand for Australia. Hazlewood thought he had Gill LBW but the batter reviewed and the extra bounce off the track saved him and the decision was overturned to NOT OUT. Gill then was hit on the helmet as a mandatory concussion test was done on him. Hazlewood bowled a miserly first over.
Xavier Bartlett had ball in hand from the other end. Abhishek broke the shackles as he charged down the track to stay leg side of the ball and thump it over extra cover for a boundary. He hit the first maximum of the game as he danced down the track and tonked it over long-off for the maximum. Hazlewood continued as he now removed Gill for 5 off 10 balls.
Hazlewood pitched it up around the fourth stump. Gill leant forward and looked to loft it over the top of mid-off. He mistimed it from the toe end of his blade. He failed to clear Marsh at mid-off who backtracked and took a good catch. Sanju Samson came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Nathan Ellis came onto the attack next and he removed Samson for 2 off 4 balls. Ellis bowled a good length delivery around the fourth stump line that pitched and jagged back in sharply. Samson was caught in the crease and looked to punch it straight without any footwork. He was late to the stroke and got beaten on the inside edge and hit the back pad. The umpire gave it OUT. Samson reviewed in hope and burnt the review in process. Suryakumar Yadav the captain came out to bat next.
He got off the mark straightaway as Abhishek stepped down the track and ramp it over short third man for a boundary and then pressed forward to hit it in front of extra cover for a boundary. Hazlewood continued and got rid of Surya for 1 off 4 balls after SKY was dropped a few balls ago. Hazlewood bowled a hard length delivery angled into the off-stump line. SKY was rooted to the crease and was squared up a bit as well. He had to feel for the ball as the ball jagged away ever so little off the surface and managed to get a faint outside edge to the keeper. Tilak Varma came out to bat next.
He too fell to Hazlewood for a silver duck. Josh bowled a good length delivery around off-stump angling across the batter. Tilak got low and looked to swipe it away behind square on the onside and lost his shape and got a top edge that went straight up in the air. Inglis called for it and moved towards the short fine leg region and took the catch. Axar Patel came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Ellis came to bowl the final over of the powerplay as Abhishek gave himself room and opened the bat face and carved it away aerially over top of backward point for a boundary. India were reeling at 40/4 in 6 overs at the end of the powerplay.
Axar Patel falls; Abhishek & Harshit Rana shows some resistance for India in middle overs.Â
Hazlewood decided to bowl his final over as Abhishek got a thick outside edge past the diving keeper for a lucky boundary. Hazlewood finished his spell with impressive figures. Bartlett returned to the attack and dropped a tough catch of his own bowling as Axar got a lifeline. Axar did not last long as he was run out for 7 off 12 balls while trying to take the third run that was not there. Harshit Rana came out to bat ahead of Shivam Dube now. He got off the mark as well. The 50 came up in 8 overs for the loss of 5 wickets.
Marcus Stoinis came into the attack now. Stoinis bowled a decent over. Mitchell Owen came into the attack next and was welcomed with a boundary by Abhishek as he rocked back and sliced it away over backward point for a boundary. Abhishek then stood tall and used the pace of the ball and helped it over short fine leg for a boundary. India reached 69/5 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings.
Matthew Kuhnemann came into the attack now. Rana got himself going as he rocked back to the short ball and slashed hard over Head at backward point for a boundary. Stoinis continued as Rana hit another boundary by whipping it away to long leg for a boundary. Kuhnemann continued as Abhishek completed his 6th half-century in 23 balls as it has been a one man show for India. Rana then rocked back and generated enough space to free his arms and cutting it past diving backward point for a boundary.
Nathan Ellis returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. Stoinis returned to the attack as Rana connected one as he picked the slower ball and waited for it to clear his front leg and fetched it with a big hack across the line and smashed it over cow corner for the huge maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the duo and the 100 up for India in 14.5 overs. At the completion of 15 overs, India were 105/5.
India lose 5/20 as Australia hit back to bowl them out for 125 in 18.4 overs.Â
Bartlett returned to the attack and dismissed Rana for 35 off 33 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name. Bartlett bowled a back of the hand slower ball into the pitch outside the off-stump. Rana was early backing away and having to reach for it. He swung for all money looking to go for a big hack across the line and was early into the stroke and dragged it off the toe end of the bat and went to David at long-on. Shivam Dube came out to bat next and got a streaky boundary down to third man region.
Dube was dismissed next ball as Bartlett got two in the over as Dube made 4 off 2 balls with a boundary to his name. Bartlett bowled short of a length delivery on the middle stump line. The one moved a tad away from the left-hander with bounce. Dube hung back and awkwardly poked at it as it got the outside edge to the keeper who took a good catch. Kuldeep Yadav came out to bat next.
Stoinis then got rid of Kuldeep Yadav for a duck. Stoinis bowled slower short ball wide outside off-stump. Kuldeep jumped back to play across the line and went for a flat batted pull and ended up managing only the toe end of the bat. The ball travelled aerially and went low in front of short midwicket. Varun Chakaravarthy came out to bat next.
Bartlett continued as Abhishek backed away to make room and freed his arms and threw his hands at it and sliced it over extra cover for a boundary. Abhishek then shuffled across and swivelled to use the pace of the bowler and pulled it over fine leg for the maximum. Abhishek managed to get a brace and a single to keep strike as 15 came off the over.
Ellis returned and got rid of Abhishek for 68 off 37 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Ellis bowled the yorker on the leg stump as Sharma was shuffling across deep in the crease and failed to get his bat down in time. The ball dipped under the bat and went onto thud the left-hander on his front boot. It looked OUT. Abhishek reviewed in hope and three reds and had to walk back with India losing their reviews. Jasprit Bumrah came out to bat next and was run out for a golden duck. Varun Chakaravarthy was unbeaten on 0 off 1 ball as India were skittled out for 125 in 18.4 overs. Just 3 extras given by the Aussies.
Australia were magnificent with the ball with Josh Hazlewood leading the way with 3/13 in 4 overs. Nathan Ellis finished with 2/21 in 3.4 overs. Xavier Bartlett finished with 2/39 in 4 overs. Marcus Stoinis finished with 1/24 in 4 overs. Matthew Kuhnemann bowled 2 overs for 14 runs while Mitchell Owen’s only over went for 13 runs. There were two run outs in the innings as well. This means Australia needs a mere 126 runs to win off 20 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Who’s Winning, Australia or India?Â
India have got a sub par score on the board. Despite Abhishek Sharma’s heroics, India managed only 125 in 18.4 overs. Australia will need 126 runs to win and are firm favourites to win this contest. Australia should win and it will take a miracle for India to make a match out of it.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
Also Read: AUS vs IND: Irfan Pathan Lauds Josh Hazlewood’s Unlucky Spell in Adelaide ODI