• India defeated Australia by 6 wickets in their opening game of the ODI World Cup 2023.

  • KL Rahul was named Player of the Match for his scintillating batting performance.

Twitter goes wild as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul steer India to victory over Australia in Chepauk at ODI World Cup 2023
Virat Kohli, KL Rahul lead India to a famous win over Australia (Image Source: Twitter)

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In a high-stakes encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, India emerged victorious against their arch-rivals Australia in a gripping match of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023. The contest lived up to its billing, delivering a roller-coaster of emotions for fans on both sides.

Disciplined bowling pack Australia at 199

Australia’s innings began with early hiccups as they lost wickets at regular intervals. They got bundled out for 199 runs. David Warner top-scored with 41 runs, while Steve Smith contributed a valuable 46 runs. The Indian bowlers exhibited exceptional control, making scoring difficult for the Australians. Ravindra Jadeja, with his precision, took three crucial wickets, while Jasprit Bumrah claimed two.

Virat Kohli, KL Rahul guide India to win

India’s reply displayed resilience and determination. Despite losing early wickets, skipper Virat Kohli anchored the innings with a composed 85 runs, while KL Rahul played a stellar knock, scoring 97 runs. India chased down the target, reaching 201/4 in 41.2 overs. The partnership between Kohli and Rahul was the cornerstone of India’s successful run chase.

Also READ: Virat Kohli overtakes Sachin Tendulkar to become India’s leading run-scorer In ICC white-ball tournaments

Australia’s bowlers gave it their all, with Josh Hazlewood being the standout performer, taking three wickets for 38 runs. Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins provided crucial breakthroughs, but it wasn’t enough to stem the flow of runs.

“I was just trying to get my breath back. Virat said there’s a bit in the wicket, so play like Test cricket for a while. There was a bit of help for the pacers with the new ball, and then the spinners also. In the last 15-20 overs, dew played a part and that helped quite a bit. The ball also skidded on better. However, it was a bit two-paced, it wasn’t the easiest of wickets to bat on and it wasn’t flat as well. It was a good cricket wicket, bit for the batters and the bowlers,” said Rahul, who was named Player of the Match for his batting brilliance.

Also READ: CWC 2023 – India’s top-order collapse sparks fury among fans as Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer depart for ducks against Australia

Here is how Twitter reacted:

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