3rd ODI: Rohit, Virat turn back the clock as India gets consolation nine-wicket win over Australia (ld)

Sydney, Oct 25 (IANS) Rohit Sharma led the charge with a vintage 121 -- his 33rd ODI century -- while Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 74, as the duo turned back the clock in amazing style and got India a stunning nine-wicket consolation win over Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground here on Saturday.

Australia had started brightly, but India clawed back through disciplined bowling, as Harshit Rana’s decisive spell of 4-39 helped the visitors bowl out the hosts for 236. India’s reply was assertive from the outset - Rohit and Shubman Gill put on 68 for the opening stand before Josh Hazlewood removed the latter.

That brought Rohit and Virat together, as India’s most experienced batting pair justified their high ceiling. Rohit’s strokeplay was crisp in hitting 13 fours and three sixes in his 121 not out off 125 balls, while Kohli’s composure was unwavering in hitting an unbeaten 74 off 81 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries.

Together, the duo stitched an unbeaten 168-run partnership in an absolute chasing masterclass and ensured India ended the series with a statement win by reaching home with 11.3 overs to spare and avoiding a clean sweep defeat to Australia.

India’s chase began with Rohit clipping, driving, cutting, and lofting Mitchell Starc for boundaries. With the SCG pitch offering less movement than it was in the first innings, it meant Rohit had greater fluency than in the previous game in Adelaide, with his timing and placement being standout factors.

Gill joined the boundary-hitting party by glancing Nathan Ellis for four, even as Rohit lofted and pulled Josh Hazlewood for more boundaries. Gill ended the power-play with a powerful slog-sweep off Cooper Connolly for six, as India signed off with 68/0 to shift momentum in their favour.

Gill, however, fell to a peach from Hazlewood - edging a delivery pitched around fourth-stump channel behind to Alex Carey. Kohli walked in to a standing ovation from the SCG crowd, due to this likely to be his final appearance at the venue.

After bagging consecutive ducks, Kohli got off the mark on the first ball and acknowledged the moment with a smile and a subtle fist pump, as the rest of the crowd roared in delight. After that, Kohli was at his best to cut Adam Zampa for four, before pulling off Hazlewood and straight driving off Starc for further boundaries.

Rohit, meanwhile, lofted Zampa over long-off for six before a single took him to his 60th ODI fifty in 63 balls. Post that, he swept Zampa for four, slog-swept him for six, and heaved Nathan Ellis for another boundary.

On the other hand, Kohli survived an lbw appeal off Ellis on the umpire’s call and went on to bring up his 75th ODI fifty and also go past Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run scorer of all-time in ODI history, just behind the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

Following the partnership crossing 100 runs, Rohit brought out the drive and sweeps off spinners to bring up his hundred from only 105 balls in front of a strong crowd supporting the Indian team. Rohit then hit a couple of excellent sweeps off Matt Short to get a six and two fours, before Kohli flicked and ramped Ellis for boundaries to ensure India got the win and sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Earlier, despite all six top Australian batters getting starts, Matthew Renshaw’s 56 off 58 was the highest score, thus summing up their innings. Rana, under pressure coming into the game, delivered in the latter stages to slice through the middle and lower order to pick a memorable four-fer.

Every Indian bowler chipped in with a wicket as Australia lost their last six wickets for just 53 runs. Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar applied the squeeze and struck regularly between overs 11–40 to stall Australia’s momentum after Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head added 61 for the opening wicket.

Head broke the shackles with a flick off Siraj in the third over, while Prasidh Krishna’s return to ODIs was met with aggression, as Marsh hit a six off his first ball and followed it with another boundary. Head reached 3,000 ODI runs with a single, and Australia moved to 44/0 by the seventh over.

But Siraj struck in the 10th over by removing Head for 31 to end Australia’s powerplay at 63/1. A misfield at short cover nearly led to a run-out as Short hesitated mid-pitch, but Gill’s direct hit missed the stumps. Short’s nervy start continued with a failed review off Kuldeep, even as Marsh was bowled by Axar for 41.

Short subsequently fell to a sharp catch by Kohli at square leg off Sundar. Alex Carey survived a dropped chance on eight but was later dismissed by a tumbling catch from Shreyas Iyer, who injured his left side and walked off in discomfort.

Renshaw looked fluent, bringing up his fifty with minimal risk, but was trapped lbw by Sundar after missing a flick. Australia’s collapse continued as Mitch Owen edged to slip off Rana, Kuldeep castled Starc, and Ellis hit three boundaries before falling to Prasidh. Rana wrapped up the innings with two wickets in three balls - Connolly caught at long-off and Hazlewood’s defence breached – to set the base for Rohit and Virat to lead India to a memorable win.

Brief scores:

Australia 236 all out in 43.4 overs (Matthew Renshaw 56, Mitchell Marsh 41; Harshit Rana 4-39, Washington Sundar 2-44) lost to India 237/1 in 38.3 overs (Rohit Sharma 121 not out, Virat Kohli 74 not out; Josh Hazlewood 1-23) by nine wickets

–IANS

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