India vs Australia 2020 ODI series: Turning point of the first ODI
In one of the most anticipated series in the calendar year, Australia started their three-match ODI series against India on an emphatic note by registering a 66-run victory in the first game in Sydney.
It was a bittersweet day for Indian fans around the globe, as the team struggled to find their mojo all day, despite the excitement of seeing the team back in action after a nine-month hiatus.
On that note, let us have a look at a few turning points in the game.
A commanding batting performance by the Australia top order set the tone
Beautiful sunshine greeted the two teams as they walked into the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground for the first game of the series. Aaron Finch won the toss and had no qualms to bat first.
Opening the batting along with David Warner, Finch started Australia's innings on a cautious note, steadily manoeuvering the ball for ones and twos. The duo managed to lay a solid foundation by putting on 51 runs in the powerplay without taking too many risks.
With hardly any swing on offer, the Indian bowlers struggled with consistency in their line and lengths, leaking way too many runs in the initial overs of the game.
The partnership of 156 runs for the first wicket in less than 30 overs between Finch and Warner set the tone for a massive onslaught at the back end of the innings, from which India never really recovered.
The turning point of the game
With David Warner back in the pavilion, it was time for one of the greatest players in the modern game, Steve Smith, to take centre stage. Despite having a very scratchy IPL by his staggering standards, Smith found his mojo on familiar home turf.
Going by the innings he played and the shots he executed, Steve Smith well and truly found his form back. However, it wasn't easy for the 31-year-old, as he survived a scare very early in his innings. While on 15, Steve Smith was adjudged plumb in front by the on-field umpire after missing a straight delivery from Ravindra Jadeja.
One of the mainstays in the Australian batting unit, Smith, along with the Australian captain Finch, decided to review the decision. While it looked dead straight in real-time, the only hope for Smith was the delivery missing the stumps.
The ball tracking and the replays suggested that the ball would have gone over the stumps, much to the delight of the Australian fans at the SCG. With the rub of the green going his way, Smith took the attack to India and managed to score some quick runs.
However, the last ball of the 37th over, bowled by Ravindra Jadeja, provided the visiting side with an ideal opportunity to scalp the all-important wicket of Australia's number three.
In an attempt to clear the boundary rope at long-on, Steve Smith lofted the ball in the air. With not much timing on his stroke, the ball went up high in the sky as Shikhar Dhawan steadied himself under the catch.
However, an error in judgement from Dhawan meant that he ran in a couple of yards from the boundary only to miss the ball completely. Not only did the catch go down, but it also trickled into the boundary cushions to give Australia and Smith four crucial runs.
The hosts were 223 for the loss of one wicket with Smith batting on 38 runs off 34 balls when the Australian team were handed a massive reprieve.
The missed opportunity proved to be costly for the Indian team, as the right-hander smashed the visiting bowlers all around the park. With lofted hits over the cover boundary and some mighty pull shots, Smith registered his tenth ODI hundred off 62 balls with the help of 11 fours and four hits over the fence.
It was the third-fastest hundred by an Australian player in ODI cricket. With 151 runs coming in the last 13 overs, Australia posted a mammoth total of 374 runs for the loss of six wickets.
Chasing 375 runs under lights at the SCG was always going to be a tall task for the young Indian team. And so it proved, as the loss of three wickets inside the first ten overs, including the wicket of Virat Kohli, meant that the visitors were never really in the chase.
Despite a fine partnership of 128 runs between Shikhar Dhawan and Hardik Pandya for the fifth wicket, the writing was always on the wall for the visitors, who eventually fell short by 66 runs.