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The highly anticipated three-match ODI series between India and Australia kicked off on Friday, September 22, at Mohali, and it began with a thrilling moment in the very first over. India’s ace pacer, Mohammed Shami, made an immediate impact by dismissing Australia’s star player, Mitchell Marsh.
India wins the toss and opts for bowling
India won the toss and elected to bowl first under the leadership of stand-in captain KL Rahul, who aimed to follow the historical trend of successful chases in Mohali. This match also marked the return of Shreyas Iyer, who had been sidelined with a back issue during the Asia Cup 2023. Additionally, the inclusion of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin added depth to the Indian lineup.
Also READ: IND vs AUS: Robin Uthappa reacts on Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the Indian squad
Shami’s jaffa and Marsh’s early dismissal
At the start of the game, Marsh and David Warner (52) opened the batting for Australia. In the first over, Shami adopted a strategy of angling the ball into the right-handed batter Marsh, consistently targeting the off-stump. Despite conceding a boundary on the second ball to Marsh, he persisted with his plan. It was on the fourth delivery of the over that Shami produced a wicked delivery just outside off. Marsh attempted a swipe, but instead, he managed to edge it straight into the safe hands of Shubman Gill in the slips. Marsh’s innings came to an end, with just four runs to his name from four balls.
Here’s the video:
Early success for #TeamIndia!
A wicket for @MdShami11 as Shubman Gill takes the catch.
Australia lose Mitchell Marsh.
Live – https://t.co/F3rj8GI20u… #INDvAUS@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/cNcwJeQiXN
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 22, 2023
Jadeja’s marvel and Shami’s magic
Following Marsh’s early exit, Warner and Steve Smith (41) took the reins, constructing a formidable partnership worth 94 runs for the second wicket. Their collaboration seemed to steady the Australian innings after Shami’s initial strike.
Ravindra Jadeja’s brilliance came to the fore as he dismissed Warner near the boundary, with Gill taking a crucial catch. This breakthrough ended Warner’s innings and disrupted his partnership with Smith. Meanwhile, Shami returned in his second spell to create magic with the ball and castles Smith’s stumps, reducing the visitors to 112/3.
Labuschagne-Green’s resilience and Ashwin’s breakthrough
The match witnessed a display of resilience from Marnus Labuschagne (39) and Cameron Green as they built a partnership that took Australia’s total to 157/4. Despite their determined efforts, R Ashwin managed to break the partnership with his precision, getting the crucial wicket of Labuschagne through stumping.
