Australia sets a target of 200 runs at Chepauk; India off to a poor start

Australia has been dismissed for 199 runs in 49.3 overs during their World Cup opener in Chennai. It’s worth noting that the lowest total Australia has successfully defended in ICC events was 207 runs in the 1996 World Cup at Mohali. Keep in mind that Australia has never lost a World Cup game at Chepauk. In the lead-up to the match, Australian captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bat first, overcoming the initial challenge in this high-stakes contest. The pitch was expected to favor spin, and it indeed behaved like a typical Chepauk surface, with India’s spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravichandran Ashwin causing problems for the five-time world champions. Jasprit Bumrah delivered an early blow to Australia when Virat Kohli took an outstanding catch at first slip to dismiss the dangerous Mitchell Marsh without him scoring any runs.

The experienced David Warner (41 off 52) and Steven Smith (46 off 71) combined for a partnership of 69 runs for the second wicket before the Indian spinners began taking wickets at regular intervals. Ravindra Jadeja was the standout Indian bowler, finishing with figures of 10-2-28-3. His delivery that bowled out Smith was one of the highlights of the innings. Jadeja utilized his extensive experience of bowling at Chennai for CSK in the IPL and played a crucial role in breaking Australia’s batting backbone. Australia paid the price for their cautious approach, but their lower-order, including Cummins and Mitchell Starc, managed to add some valuable runs, ultimately helping Australia reach a respectable total given the challenging pitch conditions. Starc’s runs did create frustration for the Indian captain before Mohammed Siraj dismissed the Australian number 9 on the third ball of the final over of the first innings.

Read More: India vs Australia – ODI World Cup History and Recent Form

Jasprit Bumrah concluded his outstanding performance with figures of 10-0-35-2. Kuldeep Yadav claimed two wickets while conceding 42 runs during his spell. Ravichandran Ashwin secured one breakthrough but proved to be very economical on his home ground, maintaining an economy rate of 3.40 runs per over. With the ball showing signs of turn, it could assist the seamers later in the game. India is missing Shubman Gill, and Ishan Kishan faces a challenging task against the likes of Mitchell Starc and company.

In reply, India has gotten off to the worst possible start and has lost 3 wickets in the space of no time. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli rebuild the innings..