IND v AUS Live Score: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja lift India to 302 for 5 with blistering half-centuries
All-rounders Hardik Pandya (92 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (66 not out) slammed brilliant fifties as India recovered from a poor first half with the bat to post a challenging 302 for 5 on the board in the 3rd ODI at Canberra.
Batting first after winning the toss, India were in trouble having lost skipper Virat Kohli for 63, with the score reading 152 for 5 after 32 overs.
Pandya and Jadeja, however, featured in a sizzling 150-run partnership for the sixth wicket to lift India. The duo were particularly harsh on pacer Sean Abbott (1/84), who was making a comeback into the Australian side.
Pandya hammered Abbott for two fours and a six as 17 came off the 46th over. When the paceer came up against Jadeja in his next over, he was in for even more severe punishment. The left-hander pulled and cut with elan as Abbott had nowhere to hide. The 48th over of the innings went for 19, and India came away with 76 runs in the last five overs.
Indian batting suffers due to poor strokeplay
Having won the toss, Kohli chose to bat first hoping to turn the team's fortunes around. Unlike Australia in the first two matches though, India could not get off to the desired start.
Shikhar Dhawan played a couple of impressive strokes before chipping Sean Abbott straight to Ashton Agar at cover, having made 16.
Coming in for Mayank Agarwal, the young Shubman Gill had a great opportunity to make an impression. Just like the batsman he replaced though, Gill got in and got out playing a premeditated sweep. Gill looked the part during his 33 from 39, but in the end could not cash in on the start.
Shreyas Iyer has not been himself on this tour so far. The story was the same at Canberra as Iyer could not reverse his fortunes. He made 19 from 21, and was dismissed slicing Adam Zampa to backward point.
India’s vice-captain KL Rahul failed to take responsibility and played a very poor sweep against Agar, completely missing the ball. Rahul was back in the hut for 5 as India stumbled to 123 for 4.
Even as wickets kept falling around him, Indian captain Virat Kohli was an assured presence at the crease. He kept the scoreboard ticking without taking too many risks.
Kohli crossed his half-century without much trouble, and was looking good for a big score. However, his nemesis on this tour, Josh Hazlewood, once again got the better of him.
The Indian captain poked at one outside off stump. However, there was no appeal or conviction from Hazlewood or the keeper. Aussie skipper Aaron Finch, however, went for the review. Ultra-edge showed a spike and Kohli was on his way for 63.