After 16 years; The Indian team won the ODI against Australia to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

▫️Rayat Samachar▫️

Mumbai (Gurudatta Wakdekar) 18.3.2023 

     India defeated Australia by five wickets in the first ODI played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Batting first after losing the toss, Australia was bundled out for 188 in 35.4 overs. Mitchell Marsh top-scored for Kangaroos with 81 runs.

In reply, India reached the target of losing five wickets in 39.5 overs. KL Rahul returned to form and batted well with an unbeaten 75 off 91 balls. Apart from him, Ravindra Jadeja also remained unbeaten with 45 runs.

Chasing the target, India lost four wickets for 39 runs at one stage. After this, Rahul shared a partnership of 44 runs with captain Hardik Pandya. After Hardik's dismissal, Jadeja and Rahul put on an unbeaten 108-run partnership for the sixth wicket. With this win, India has taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against Australia. Team India defeated Australia in an ODI after 16 years at the Wankhede Stadium. Five ODIs have been played between the two on this ground. Out of these, India has won three matches and Australia has won two games. Team India last defeated Australia in an ODI at this ground in 2007. Then in 2020, Australia defeated India on this ground. Now after 16 years, India has once again managed to defeat Australia.

Australia had set a target of 189 runs in front of India. Kangaroos were bowled out for 188 runs in 35.4 overs. At one point Australia was 129 for 2 in 19.3 overs, then the team lost eight wickets for 59 runs. Then Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuchen were at the crease. Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Marsh and then the entire team collapsed in 35.4 overs. In other words, India ended Australia's innings in 17 overs. Mitchell Marsh scored the most runs for Australia. He scored 81 runs off 65 balls. Without him, not a single batsman could settle on the pitch.

Batting first, Australia got off to a poor start. Travis Head was Siraj's victim with five runs. After this, Mitchell Marsh and captain Steve Smith shared a partnership of 72 runs for the second wicket. Smith was caught by Hardik Pandya in the hands of wicketkeeper KL Rahul. He could score 22 runs. Marsh then shared a 52-run partnership with Labuschagne for the third wicket. Marsh is caught by Jadeja in the hands of Siraj. He returned to the tent with a blistering knock of 81 off 65 balls with 10 fours and five sixes.

As soon as Marsh was dismissed, the entire Australian team collapsed. Labushen was caught by Kuldeep in the hands of Jadeja. He could score 15 runs. After this, we saw the havoc of Mohammed Shami. He took three wickets in three overs. Josh English's triple was destroyed in the 28th over. English could score 26 runs. After this, in the 30th over, Cameron Green was dismissed for 12 runs. Then in the 32nd over, Marcus Stoinis was caught at slip by Shubman Gill. Stoinis was dismissed for five runs.

Jadeja forces Maxwell to take a catch to Hardik. Maxwell was able to score eight runs. At the same time, Siraj dismissed Shaun Abbott and Adam Zampa to wrap up Australia's innings for 188 runs. Mohammad Shami and Mohammad Siraj took three wickets each, while Jadeja took two wickets. Hardik and Kuldeep took one wicket each.

Chasing the target of 189 runs, the Indian team got off to a poor start. India had lost their top four batsmen at 39 runs. Ishan Kishan 3, Shubman Gill 20, Virat Kohli 4, and Suryakumar Yadav were dismissed without opening their accounts. Mitchell Starc took three of the first four wickets. At the same time, Stoinis dismissed Hardik Pandya without Ishaan.

However, Rahul and Jadeja managed the innings and withstood the pressure to give Team India victory. Rahul scored his 13th half-century in his ODI career. He scored an unbeaten 75 off 91 balls with the help of seven fours and a six. At the same time, Jadeja hit five fours in his innings of 45 runs off 69 balls. Starc took three wickets and Stoinis took two wickets for Australia. Ravindra Jadeja was adjudged man of the match for his all-round performance. Now the next ODI will be played at Visakhapatnam on Sunday 19 March.