IND vs AUS, 3rd ODI: Brilliant India thrash Australia by 5 wickets, take unassailable 3-0 lead

New Delhi: Riding on a brilliant all-round performance from Hardik Pandya, Team India defeated Australia by five wickets in the third one-day international match at Holkar Stadium, Indore and thus took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match series.

Series of statistics follow in – with the victory, the Men in Blue not only maintained their unbeaten record on Indore track, but also they Virat Kohli-led side eqaulled India's longest winning streak in ODIs, which is nine. But what is surely a delight is that India have now eased past South Africa to claim the No.1 spot on th ICC ODI Team Rankings.

Well, for India, they too got off to a blazing start too, just like the Aussies. Opener Rohit Sharma (71) crackled up some quick boundaries and Ajinkya Rahane (70) took time to ease himself into the match. Boundaries stormed off Rohit's bat as the duo raced away to put up a 50-run stand well within the first powerplay. And finally with an elegant six off the last ball of the 13th over, Rohit notched up his 37th ODI fifty from just 42 deliveries. It is his fastest ever, crossing his 43-ball half century against Sri Lanka at Pallekele, last month. Few overs later, Rahane too joined the party with his 27th ODI fifty as their partnership breached a sensational 139-run mark. And soon game turned a little in favour of the tourists.

Pacers Nathan Coulter-Nile and Pat Cummins removed both the openers as India looked 147 at the loss of two wickets. But the hosts too had some surprise in their bag. Virat Kohli stepped forth and called Hardik Pandya at No. 4 and the two combined to once again steal the game from the jaws of an Australian fightback. But the 56-run stand fell short of taking India through to 293 as an inside-out delivery by Ashton Agar was looped straight to Finch at long-off and Virat departed for just 28 runs. And so did follow Kedar Jadhav (2) as Aussies seemed to shift momentum.

But Pandya conitinued with his rampage as he notched up his ODI fifty. A commendable 72-ball 78 laced with five boundaries and four sixes took India to the brink of a series win. In the end it was Manish Pandey (36) and his single off the fifth delivery of the 48th over as the hosts clinched victory in Indore.

Earlier into the match –after losing out on the toss on both the ODI matches, Steve Smith finally found himself lucky as the coin flipped in his favour. Opting to bat first, openers Aaron Finch and David Warner stepped in. Finch, owing to calf injury, had missed out on the first two matches. And now, with the nteam physio giving a clearance, the swashbuckling opener walked in to replace struggling debutant Hilton Cartwright. And how delighted was Smith! And he should be.

Finch (124) and Warner (42) hurdled past the initial danger, the one which the latter had mentioned in the pre-match preseer – a good start to their innings. The openers stitched a gritty partnership of 77 runs from 81 deliveries to put the Indian team at thought. Finally, ion the 14th over of their innings, pacer Hardik Pandya outfoxed the southpaw to a deceptive off-cutter as the ball sneaked through bat and pad to castle down the middle stump. Huge cheer broke out in Indore. Well it was the first wicket indeed. A bit of relief with that first breakthrough, or so they had thought. Walked in next – Steve Smith (63). And only little did the home team realise what they were in for.

Boundaries came in at regular intervals, sixes came in easily as the run rate for the Aussies soared slowly and silently. What was of course thrilling to watch, at least for the minimal Aussie crowd at Holkar Stadium was Finch's astounding return to cricketing action. 12 boundaries and and 5 sixes as the opener notched up his eighth ODI ton, first time by a cricketer from Down Under since 2009. He, along with the skipper stitched a brilliant 154-run partnership as their total bolstred to 224 runs. Smith joined the party too with his ODI half-century, back-to-back in fact from the skipper. And all added up to a huge concern for Virat Kohli. Even the wrist spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal failed to pick up those early wickets.

 

And just then, the chinaman struck. Tossed up delivery, Finch waited and then slaughtered it high over midwicket only to find Kedar Jadhav in the deep. Brilliant catch brought an end to an brilliant innings from Finch. And with that stuttered Australia's ininngs. A series of dot balls saw Maxwell (5) struggliong at the other end of the pitch. Smith, taking on the responsibility to carry on the momentum, miss judged the wrong 'un from Kuldeep and gifted it straight to Chahal at long-off.

Maxwell, continued with his poor performance with the willow as Chahal swindled him with a wide delivery. The Aussie shimmied down with a desperatye attempt to strike the ball but was left stumped out by Dhoni. A complete photocopy of what had happened at Eden Gardens in the second ODI. And with that, all of a sudden, 300-plus target seemed a little foggy. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah struck twice in the death overs to dismiss Travis Head (4) and Peter Handscomb (3) as the Aussies huffed and puffed at the fag end of their innings to finish at 292 for six. Well, they surely could have got more, but Maxwell seems to have messed it up for the visitors, ergo, an excellent fightback was indeed scripted by the Indian bowling unit.

Team India will now face Australia at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on September 28 for the fourth ODI match.