India outplay Australia to clinch series with win in third ODI

Rohit Sharma smashed a blitzkrieg century as India defeated Australia by seven wicket in the third one-day international to claim the series 2-1 on Sunday.

Sharma scored 119 and put up a 137-run stand with skipper Virat Kohli (89) as India went over the line for the loss of just three wickets with 15 balls to spare. The hosts put up a clinical performance after being drubbed by ten wickets in the series opener.

Pacer Mohammed Shami spearheaded the bowling charge with a four-wicket haul as the hosts restricted Australia to 286 for nine on a good batting pitch despite Steve Smith’s gritty 131.

Sharma took the attack to the opposition with a steady flow of boundaries -- eight fours and six sixes in his 128-ball knock -- and completed his eighth century against the Aussies.

He finally fell to Adam Zampa’s leg spin as the senior batsman attempted a big hit but the ball top-edged off his bat to be caught by Mitchell Starc at long-on. Kohli kept the chase on track with an attacking Shreyas Iyer, unbeaten on 44, as the pair put on 68 runs before the captain was bowled by Josh Hazlewood.

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan did not bat after injuring his shoulder while fielding in the fifth over Australian innings. He went for an X-ray later and TV pictures showed the batsman’s arm in a sling.

India though did not feel his absence as Sharma and wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul put on 69 runs to set up the chase. Rahul was given not out by the on-field umpire after being trapped lbw off Ashton Agar for 19 but Australia successfully reviewed the decision in their favour.

Earlier Smith followed up his 98 in the second match with his ninth ODI hundred and his first since January 2017 -- a period during which he served a one-year ban between March 2018 and 2019.

Smith put on 127 runs for the third wicket with Marnus Labuschagne to lay the foundation for Australia’s total after they elected to bat.

Shami struck first to send David Warner trudging back to the pavilion for three after the left-handed opener edged to wicketkeeper KL Rahul.

Finch and Smith started to build, but their partnership was cut short by a big mix up between the two batsmen with the captain being run out for 19.

Smith played the ball to short third man and Finch ran for a single only to get stuck with his partner at the striker’s end, and fell well short of the crease while trying to make it back.

Smith kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and twos and the occasional boundary with partner Labuschagne, who got a maiden ODI fifty after making his debut in the opening match of the series.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja broke the partnership with the wicket of Labuschagne for 54, and struck twice in his ninth over to pull Australia back. Smith played a lone hand before falling to Shami as the middle and lower order did not fire.

Agencies





Scoreboard

Australia

D Warner c Rahul b Shami    3

A Finch run out (Jadeja//Iyer/Shami)    19

S Smith c Iyer b Shami    131

M Labuschagne c Kohli b Jadeja    54

M Starc c (sub) Chahal b Jadeja    0

A Carey c Iyer b Yadav    35

A Turner c Rahul b Saini    4

A Agar not out    11

P Cummins b Shami    0

A Zampa b Shami    1

J Hazlewood not out    1

Extras (lb 14, w 13)    27

Total (9 wickets, 50 overs)    286

Bowling: Bumrah 10-0-38-0 (w8), Shami 10-0-63-4 (w4), Saini 10-0-65-1, Yadav 10-0-62-1 (w1), Jadeja 10-1-44-2

India (target 287)

R Sharma c Starc b Zampa119

KL Rahul lbw b Agar 19

V Kohli b Hazlewood    89

S Iyer not out    44

M Pandey not out    8

Extras (lb2, w8)    10

Total (3 wickets, 47.3 overs)    289

Bowling: Cummins 7-0-64-0 (w5), Starc 9-0-66-0 (w2), Hazlewood 9.3-1-55-1 (w1), Agar 10-0-38-1, Zampa 10-0-44-1, Labuschagne 1-0-11-0, Finch 1-0-9-0