David Warner, Aaron Finch star as India suffer their worst-ever defeat against Australia
Published on
RNA Monitoring Desk
New Delhi, Jan 14 (RNA); Skipper Aaron Finch and his opening partner David Warner defined total domination as Australia crushed India by 10 wickets in the first ODI at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. This is India’s worst-ever defeat to Australia, since it is the first time Aussies have won an ODI without losing a wicket against them. Overall, it is only the fifth time in history that India have suffered a 10-wicket loss. The last time India lost an ODI by 10 wickets was in Kolkata against South Africa in 2005.
This is the 2nd highest total which has been chased down by any team without losing a wicket. Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock’s chase of 279 against Bangladesh in 2017 remains the highest in this list.
Warner and Finch started Australia’s 256-run chase and remained glued to the middle till the very end. The duo chased down the total in just 37.4 overs, stitching a record-breaking 258-run partnership for the first wicket. Both managed to get to their hundreds, with Finch scoring 110* in 114 balls, while Warner scoring 128* in 112 balls, as they helped their side to an easy win.
Warner was the first one to get to his hundred, as he reached the mark in the 31st over, with a boundary off Kuldeep Yadav. This was his 18th ODI ton, and 3rd against India. Finch reached the mark in 35th over, in 108 balls. This was his 16th ODI hundred, and 3rd against India.
Earlier, India were asked to bat first after Finch won the toss. After losing Rohit Sharma early for 10, Shikhar Dhawan stitched a 121-run partnership with KL Rahul for the 2nd wicket. Dhawan managed to bring up his half century, but Rahul missed out on his fifty, as he was dismissed spinner Ashton Agar for 47. Rahul just flicked one from Agar to Steve Smith inside the circle and had to walk back.
Rahul’s fall triggered India’s middle-order collapse, as the hosts lost Shikhar Dhawan, captain Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in the next five overs. Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur tried to go for big hits in the death overs, but Aussies kept taking wickets at regular intervals, which hurt India’s resolve.
With Shami getting dismissed falling prey to Kane Richardson in the first ball of the final over, India were bundled out for 255. HT