11:32 pm: Indian captain Virat Kohli
“A top, top win for us after losing that series in India. We had a point to prove. We came in with intent right from ball one. The opening partnership was outstanding. Unfortunately Rohit got out but Shikhar got a hundred. It was an outstanding performance with the ball as well on a good batting track. You can’t take things for granted. We decided to send Hardik to cash in. For us, if Shami has to play, it has to be overcast and proper bowling conditions.”
11:29 pm: Australian captain Aaron Finch
“They got about 120 off the last ten overs and that’s a lot. They bat very deep, you want to go for wickets. Just that type of a game, they outplayed us. You look at everything. You look for different combinations depending on the situation. We’re starting to pick up the tempo.”
11:25 pm: He may not have featured in the second half of the match due to a finger injury, but it was his century earlier that set up India’s win today. Shikhar Dhawan rightly gets the player of the match award. Read the match report here.
11:18 pm: Player of the match Shikhar Dhawan (117 off 109)
“Very happy with the win and to get the man of the match award. Glad that this was a complete team effort. We’re a great fielding side, a well-balanced side, I’m happy to be a part of it. We work very hard at the nets and the results are showing. We ticked all the boxes today. We’re going to try and keep performing well.”
Buvneshwar Kumar gets his third wicket as Adam Zampa gets caught at mid-off. The right-arm pacer finishes with impressive figures of 3/50 from 10 overs. He was India’s best bowler today. This is India’s 50th ODI win against Australia.
INDIA WIN BY 36 RUNS!
Australia are all out for 316 in 50 overs.
After 49.1 overs, Australia are 313/9 – Carey 53
WICKET! Another one bites the dust for Australia as Micthell Starc is run-out after some good work by substitute Vijay Shankar in the deep.
Starc run-out Shankar 3 (3)
After 49 overs, Australia are 312/8 – Carey 52, Starc 3
Just one run off the bat and two byes from the penultimate over. Absolutely sensational stuff from Jasprit Bumrah. He manages to completely outfox the marauding Alex Carey. The right-arm pacer finishes with figures of 3/61 from 10 overs.
After 48 overs, Australia are 309/8 – Carey 51, Starc 3
FIFTY for Alex Carey! He gets there in just 25 balls. This has been a valiant knock from the left-hander ‘keeper-batsman. Australia manage to take nine runs from Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s ninth over. They need 44 off 12.
After 47 overs, Australia are 300/8 – Carey 45
WICKET! Pat Cummins gets his first boundary but then edges one to Dhoni. Bumrah gets his third wicket. India are almost there.
Cummins c Dhoni b Bumrah 8 (7)
After 46 overs, Australia are 291/7 – Carey 43, Cummins 1
Shot! Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls it wide and Alex Carey drives it over covers for four. The left-hander has been super impressive so far. He’s in line for the fastest half-century of this World Cup.
After 44.5 overs, Australia are 283/7 – Carey 37
WICKET! Australia’s hero from the last match Nathan Coulter-Nile is gone. The right-hander slogs a slower ball from Bumrah and finds Kohli at the mid-wicket boundary. India are inching closer to the win.
Coulter-Nile c Kohli b Bumrah 4 (9)
After 44 overs, Australia are 278/6 – Carey 31, Coulter-Nile 4
Alex Carey is powering on here. The left-hander has faced just 14 balls and smacked two fours and a six. Hardik Pandya finishes with figures of 0/68 from 10 overs. Good job from the all-rounder.
After 43 overs, Australia are 269/6 – Carey 23, Coulter-Nile 3
Alex Carey is doing his best to keep the Aussies in the chase. The left-hander hits Yuzvendra Chahal for a six and a four. The leg-spinner finishes with figures of 2/62 from his 10 overs.
After 42 overs, Australia are 256/6 – Carey 10, Coulter-Nile 3
Jasprit Bumrah concedes ninth nines from his seventh over as KL Rahul gives away four overthrows. Australia are going to need a lot more than that to have a chance.
After 41 overs, Australia are 247/6 – Carey 4, Coulter-Nile 0
A successful over for Yuzvendra Chahal, a wicket and eight runs from it. India have shut the door on a late Aussie fightback. The defending champions could’ve posted a challenge but they’s lost too many wickets.
After 40.4 overs, Australia are 244/6 – Carey 1
Glenn Maxwell is gone! India get the wicket they wanted! The right-hander goes for a wild hoick and Jadeja takes a brilliant running catch from deep mid-wicket. Alex Carey and Nathan Coulter-Nile are the new men at the crease for Australia.
Maxwell c Jadeja b Chahal 28 (14)
After 39.6 overs, Australia are 238/5 – Maxwell 23
WICKET! Bhuvneshwar Kumar, you beauty! The right-arm pacer gets two in the over! Marcus Stoinis is clean bowled off the second ball. India are well on top now.
Stoinis b Bhuvneshwar 0 (2)
After 39.4 overs, Australia are 238/4 – Maxwell 23
WICKET! Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismisses Steve Smith! It was a straight ball and the right-hander tried to flick it on the leg side. The ball crashed into the front pad but umpire Ian Gould didn’t raise his finger. India took DRS and the review showed all three reds.
Smith lbw Bhuvneshwar 69 (70)
After 39 overs, Australia are 235/3 – Smith 68, Maxwell 21
Well, well, well. Australia are not going to go down without a fight (if they even go down, that is). This is superb batting from Maxwell and Smith, who manage to hit three boundaries in the Bumrah over. Maxwell started off with one wide of long on, Smith then hit two down to fine leg.
In the last 5 overs, Australia have scored 55 runs!
10.11 pm: Australia need 131 off 12 overs. Tough but certainly not impossible because India were almost at the exact same position at this point.
After 38 overs, Australia are 222/3 – Smith 60, Maxwell 16
The Maxwell show is on!
37.2: Slightly wide from Bhuvi, Maxwell cuts one in front of point for four.
37.3: Closer to Maxwell this time, and he late cuts it past Dhoni for four.
Three boundaries off the first five balls he has faced. He is a player capable of changing the match around single-handedly.
Smith finishes the over with a four through fine leg. Bhuvi’s radar not quite right in that over.
After 37 overs, Australia are 207/3 – Smith 56, Maxwell 5
Shot! Glenn Maxwell thumps the first ball down the ground for a four. Australia need something special from him today. Six runs and a wicket from Jasprit Bumrah’s fifth over.
After 36.4 overs, Australia are 202/3 – Smith 56
WICKET! Jasprit Bumrah returns for another spell and strikes immediately. Usman Khawaja goes for an uncharacteristic scoop-shot but ends up hitting it onto his stumps. Time for Glenn Maxwell to finally have a go.
Khawaja b Bumrah 42 (38)
After 36 overs, Australia are 201/2 – Smith 55, Khawaja 42
A six after 13 overs for Australia! Kuldeep Yadav tosses it up and Usman Khawaja slops it for a maximum. The left-hander follows that up with a sweep-shot for four. Good over for Australia, 14 runs come from it. Two-hundred comes up for the defending champions.
After 35 overs, Australia are 187/2 – Smith 54, Khawaja 29
Four! Hardik Pandya returns to the attack and bowls a short ball, Usman Khawaja pulls it over mid-wicket for a boundary. Seven runs come from the right-arm medium-pacer’s ninth over. He has figures of 0/59 at the moment.
After 34 overs, Australia are 180/2 – Smith 53, Khawaja 24
FIFTY for Steve Smith! He gets there in 60 balls with a drive through the ring on the off side for four. The eight-hander has been in fine form since his return. Eight runs come from Kuldeep Yadav’s eighth over.
Tennis update: Rafael Nadal has won his 12th French Open title with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 win over Dominic Thiem. The man is something else. Head over here for live updates.
After 33 overs, Australia are 172/2 – Smith 47, Khawaja 22
Another sweep by Usman Khawaja, another boundary for Australia. A hint of momentum for Australia. But they need a lot, lot more. Seven runs from that Chahal over.
After 32 overs, Australia are 165/2 – Smith 45, Khawaja 17
A boundary for Australia after 53 balls! Usman Khawaja walks across his stumps and sweeps one in the air off Kuldeep’s bowling. Six runs from that over.
After 31 overs, Australia are 159/2 – Smith 44, Khawaja 12
Ouch! MS Dhoni gets hit on his helmet as the ball bounces off Khawaja’s bat after an attempted sweep. No harm done, though. Four runs come from that Chahal over.
Read: World Cup 2019: Virat Kohli gestures India fans at The Oval to applaud Steve Smith, not boo him
After 30 overs, Australia are 155/2 – Smith 42, Khawaja 10
Kuldeep Yadav returns to the attack and bowls a splendid over. Just two single from it. The Australian batsmen are in a bit of a rut at the moment. It was probably a mistake to send Khawaja ahead of Maxwell. It’s now been seven overs since a boundary was hit.
After 29 overs, Australia are 153/2 – Smith 41, Khawaja 9
Top over from Yuzvendra Chahal. The leg-spinner is varying his pace and length wonderfully. The asking rate is mounting. Australia need to push on. There hasn’t been a boundary in the last six overs.
After 28 overs, Australia are 149/2 – Smith 40, Khawaja 6
Absolutely brilliant work from KL Rahul at the extra-cover boundary. He saves a certain boundary. Hardik Pandya has bowled eight overs now. He has figures of 0/53.
After 27 overs, Australia are 144/2 – Smith 36, Khawaja 5
Australia are biding their time and dealing in singles for now. They could pose a threat if the have wickets left in the last 15. Five runs come from Yuzvendra Chahal’s fifth over.
After 26 overs, Australia are 139/2 – Smith 34, Khawaja 2
Another good over for India as Hardik Pandya gives away just five runs from his seventh over. Australia can’t afford to lose sight of the run-rate. They have a long, long way to go.
After 25 overs, Australia are 134/2 – Smith 31, Khawaja 0
A successful over for India, the big wicket of David Warner and seven runs come from it. Yuzvendra Chahal has figures of 1/20 from 4 overs at the moment. Usman Khawaja is the new man at the crease for Australia.
After 24.4 overs, Australia are 133/2 – Smith 30
WICKET! Huge breakthrough for India as David Warner is gone! And it’s that man Yuzvendra Chahal who does the trick for India once again. Warner steps out and lifts it into the wind, the ball goes straight to deep square-leg.
Warner c Bhuvneshwar b Chahal 56 off 84
After 24 overs, Australia are 127/1 – Warner 56, Smith 27
Hardin Pandya returns to the attack and concedes six runs in his sixth over. A couple of twos there for David Warner. He has added 66 runs with Steve Smith for the second wicket.
After 23 overs, Australia are 121/1 – Warner 51, Smith 26
SIX! Well, well. Kedar Jadhav comes on to have a bowl and Steve Smith smacks him all the way. The right-hander ends the over with a boundary. Good over for Australia, 14 runs from it. The defending champions are making their move.
After 22 overs, Australia are 107/1 – Warner 50, Smith 15
FIFTY for David Warner! He gets there in 77 balls. This has been an uncharacteristic knock from the left-hander but Australia will be happy he’s still at the crease. Good over from Chahal, just two singles from it.
After 21 overs, Australia are 105/1 – Warner 49, Smith 14
Jasprit Bumrah comes on for his second spell and concedes a boundary. David Warner slashes hard and the edge beats third man. The pacer has figures of 0/17 from 4 overs at the moment.
After 20 overs, Australia are 99/1 – Warner 44, Smith 14
Better from Yuzvendra Chahal as he finds his length against both Steve Smith and David Warner. Five singles come from that over. It’s gotten quite dark at The Oval. The flood lights are on.
After 19 overs, Australia are 94/1 – Warner 42, Smith 12
Four! Kuldeep Yadav drops it short and David Warner cuts it away for four. Good over for Australia, seven runs come from it. The defending champions need to up the ante.
After 18 overs, Australia are 87/1 – Warner 36, Smith 11
Expensive start for Yuzvendra Chahal, eight runs come from his first over. Dhoni misses a tough chance to take a catch down the leg with Warner on strike.
After 17 overs, Australia are 79/1 – Warner 33, Smith 6
Kuldeep Yadav is off to a good start, he has figures of 0/18 from four overs at the moment. There are big, dark clouds hovering near The Oval. Hopefully, rain won’t ruin this contest. Yuzvendra Chahal is coming on to have a bowl.
After 16 overs, Australia are 75/1 – Warner 31, Smith 4
David Warner gets a boundary as Hardik Pandya bowls a short ball first up. It was a front-foot no ball as well but the left-hander failed to capitalise. Eight runs come from the over. Time for a drinks break.
After 15 overs, Australia are 67/1 – Warner 25, Smith 3
Another good over from Kuldeep, just four runs from it. India are piling on the pressure. Warner is struggling to find his groove. The left-hander has consumed 51 balls for his runs.
After 14 overs, Australia are 63/1 – Warner 23, Smith 1
Just the four runs and the big wicket of Aaron Finch from Hardik Pandya’s fourth over. Australia have promoted Steve Smith ahead of Usman Khawaja. They have their two best batsmen at the crease now.
After 13.1 overs, Australia are 61/1 – Warner 22
WICKET! Disaster for Australia as their captain is run-out! Aaron Finch charges off the field swinging his bat in anger. He has a terrible mix-up with David Warner after the left-hander hits it to the square boundary on the off side and sets off for two. Finch hesitates for the second and some great work from Kedar Jadhav in the deep leads to India getting the first wicket.
Finch run-out Kedar/Hardik 36 (35)
After 13 overs, Australia are 60/0 – Warner 21, Finch 36
Six runs come from Kuldeep Yadav’s second over. The Australian batsmen content with dealing in ones and twos. Australia have added 11 runs on the last three overs.
After 12 overs, Australia are 53/0 – Warner 19, Finch 32
Hardik Pandya gets another over, brave call from Virat Kohli. But the medium-pacer doesn’t disappoint his captain and delivers a superb over. Just the single from it. Good comeback by the Indians in the last two overs.
After 11 overs, Australia are 52/0 – Warner 19, Finch 31
Kuldeep Yadav comes on to have a bowl. This will be a crucial battle within the match. The left-arm spinner hasn’t been in great form of late and will be under slight pressure. He starts off by conceding four runs in his first over. Not much turn on display.
After 10 overs, Australia are 48/0 – Warner 18, Finch 28
Big over! Much-needed push for Australia. Hardik Pandya bowls a short ball and David Warner pulls it behind short-fine for four. The right-arm medium-pacer comes back with a snorter that hits the left-hander on his glove. That ball climbed sharply from slightly short of a length. Aaron Finch then slams a six and two fours to give the momentum to Australia. Poor bowling from Hardik. The defending champions finish the powerplay with seven more runs than what India had posted at the same stage.
After 9 overs, Australia are 29/0 – Warner 13, Finch 14
This has been a wonderful start for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He is operating around the 85 mph mark, moving the ball both ways and keeping a tight line. He has figures of 0/12 from 5 overs at the moment.
After 8 overs, Australia are 24/0 – Warner 8, Finch 10
Virat Kohli brings Hardik Pandya into the attack in the powerplay. Interesting tactic. The right-arm medium-pacer manages to bowl a decent over, five runs from it. It seems at this stage that Australia aren’t going for the chase.
After 7 overs, Australia are 19/0 – Warner 8, Finch 10
Aaron Finch survives! He tries to sneak a single as Kohli pounces on the ball and has a go at the stump. The Australian captain scampers back and luckily for him the ball fails to hit the stumps. Another good over for India and Bhuvneshwar, just a single from it.
After 6 overs, Australia are 18/0 – Warner 8, Finch 9
Maiden over! After getting hit for a couple of boundaries in his first two overs, Jasprit Bumrah makes a fine comeback. The right-arm pacer comes from around the wicket and bowls a tight line to the left-handed David Warner. Some away movement there as well.
After 5 overs, Australia are 18/0 – Warner 8, Finch 9
Top over from Bhuvi. Just one run and that was a wide down the leg side. Facing his nemesis, Finch is taking his time to get his eye in. Great line and length by the Indian pacer but to Finch’s credit, he has covered the line well. Australia are pretty much following the template of the Indian innings... but the Indian bowlers have looked more threatening than the Aussie new ball bowlers.
7.42 pm: By all accounts, the Indian fans have taken over The Oval today. You could get a sense of that when Finch’s four off Bumrah was greeted with near pin-drop silence. Photo: ICC
After 4 overs, Australia are 17/0 – Warner 8, Finch 9
Shot! Jasprit Bumrah strays in line and Aaron Finch flicks it stylishly for four. The premier Indian fast-bowler has conceded a boundary in each of his first two overs. This hasn’t been a flying start for Australia, though. They needed one.
After 3 overs, Australia are 10/0 – Warner 8, Finch 2
Top over from Bhuvi once again. The right-arm pacer has found good rhythm and is moving the ball both ways. The Australian openers doing the smart thing and showing respect to the bowling early on. Just a two from that over.
After 2 overs, Australia are 8/0 – Warner 6, Finch 2
David Warner survives! Would you believe it, the bails don’t dislodge yet again! Jasprit Bumrah gets one to climb and the left-hander plays a back-foot defense. The ball rolls on to the stumps, at a good pace, but the bails don’t move. This is happening way too often! The Indians are distraught. Warner rubs salt into the wounds by hitting a glorious cover-drive for four.
After 1 over, Australia are 3/0 – Warner 1, Finch 2
A good start from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, just the three runs from the first over. Aaron Finch hits a powerful straight-drive but unluckily for him the ball crashes into the stumps at the other end.
6:54 pm: Shikhar Dhawan (117 off 109) – “I’d say that I played very smartly and calmly. I’ve got a good record in ICC events and I’m happy that we are in a good position. I play every game with the same determination. Bouncy wickets bring the best out of me. I think we’ve got enough on the board. The experience that our bowlers have will help them to restrict the Australians.”
END OF THE INNINGS:
India finish with 352/5 in 50 overs! KL Rahul with an awesome cameo at the end. The right-hander remains not-out on 11 off 3 balls. He had Kedar Jadhav for company at the other end to finish the innings.
After 49.5 overs, India are 348/5 – Rahul 7
WICKET! Virat Kohli didn’t get much strike in a while and ends up losing his wicket. He goes for a cut for six but finds the fielder in the deep. But this was a fine knock from the Indian captain.
Kohli c Cummins b Stoinis 82 (77)
After 49.1 overs, India are 338/4 – Kohli 80
WICKET! Brilliance from Marcus Stoinis! Mahendra Singh Dhoni gets the toe of his bat, the ball was still travelling at a high rate, Stoinis stretches his right arm out in his follow-through and grabs the ball. Wow! KL Rahul is the new man at the crease for India.
Dhoni c&b Stoinis 27 (14)
After 49 overs, India are 338/3 – Kohli 80, Dhoni 27
SIX! Mitchell Starc pitches it in the arc and MS Dhoni sends it out of the park. The veteran makes that hoick on the leg side look so easy. He follows that up with a pull for four. 13 runs come from that over. This has been a disastrous outing with the ball for Starc, After getting a five-for against West Indies in Australia’s last game, the left-arm seamer finishes with figures of 1/74 from his 10 overs. Final six balls coming up!
After 48 overs, India are 325/3 – Kohli 80, Dhoni 14
Dhoni gets his second boundary, this time off the middle of the bat. Stoinis bowls a slow, short ball and the right-hander swivels to pull it for four. Not too bad an over for Australia, though, nine runs from it.
After 47 overs, India are 316/3 – Kohli 79, Dhoni 7
SIX! What an absolutely gorgeous shot from Virat Kohli. He cover-drives Mitchell Starc for a maximum. That ought to hurt Australia’s premier fast-bowler. MS Dhoni then gets a top-edge for four after attempting a pull. Big over for India, 15 runs from it.
After 46 overs, India are 301/3 – Kohli 71, Dhoni 0
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the new man at the crease for India. The crowd goes wild, of course. But a word on Pat Cummins – this has been a phenomenal effort from the right-arm pacer in difficult conditions for bowlers. He finishes with figures of 1/55 from his 10 overs.
After 45.5 overs, India are 301/3 – Kohli 71
WICKET! Hardik Pandya misses out on a half-century! Pat Cummins finally gets a wicket as Pandya hits a low full-toss straight to mid-off. A game-changing innings from the 25-year-old comes to an end.
Hardik c Finch b Cummins 48 (27)
After 45 overs, India are 293/2 – Kohli 70, Hardik 42
Super shot from Virat Kohli! He manages to pick up just three runs from the first three balls of Mitchell Starc’s eighth over but thumps the fourth one over the long-on fence. The Indian captain needed that, was starting to look a bit edgy. 12 runs come from that over. India, though, need Hardik Pandya to get maximum strike in the last five overs.
After 44 overs, India are 281/2 – Kohli 59, Hardik 41
Classss from Hardik Pandya! Pat Cummins pitches it right in the zone, the right-hander drives it straight back for a six. He follows that up with a square-cut for four off the next ball. Usman Khawaja then puts in a Superman dive at the long-on rope to save a boundary. He draws a clap from Kohli, too. Meanwhile, Kohli and Pandya bring up their 50-run partnership off 37 balls. 14 runs come from that over.
After 43 overs, India are 267/2 – Kohli 59, Hardik 28
SIX! Adam Zampa bowls four good deliveries, conceding just three singles, but Hardik Pandya slogs the fourth ball for a maximum. The Indians take another single off the last ball. Ten runs come from the Australian leg-spinner’s sixth over. He has figures of 0/50 at the moment.
After 42 overs, India are 257/2 – Kohli 57, Hardik 20
Boss-shot from Virat Kohli! Nathan Coulter-Nile bowls it slightly wide and short of a length, the right-hander presses forward and drives it over covers for a boundary. Hardik Pandya finishes the over with a thumping straight-drive for four. The Australian right-arm pacer finishes with figures of 1/63 from his ten overs.
After 41 overs, India are 246/2 – Kohli 51, Hardik 15
FIFTY for Virat Kohli! He gets there in 55 balls. This is the Indian captain’s 50th ODI half-century. Yes, you read that right. Fiftieth. Hardik Pandya then gets on his knee and slog-sweeps one from Glenn Maxwell for a huge six. India are shifting gears, ten runs come from that over.
After 40 overs, India are 236/2 – Kohli 49, Hardik 7
Shot! Nathan Coulter-Nile bowls a short ball and Hardik Pandya pulls it away for a boundary. But another good over for Australia at the end, just six runs from it. Hardik struggling a bit to rotate strike. Fine ten overs coming up!
After 39 overs, India are 230/2 – Kohli 48, Hardik 2
Good over for Australia, just five runs come from it. Pat Cummins has had a fine day so far, he has been Australia’s most economical bowler. The right-arm pacer has figures of 0/33 from 8 overs at the moment.
After 38 overs, India are 225/2 – Kohli 44, Hardik 1
Hardik Pandya survives! Nathan Coulter-Nile draws the outside edge but the ball goes straight through wicketkeeper Alex Carey’s hands. That was a regulation catch. This could come back to haunt the Australians. Five runs come from Coulter-Nile’s eighth over.
After 37 overs, India are 220/2 – Kohli 40
WICKET! Mitchell Starc gets the breakthrough Australia so desperately needed. Shikhar Dhawan hoicks one on the leg side but finds substitute Nathan Lyon at the square-leg boundary. This has been a memorable knock from the left-hander, though. He has given his team the upper hand in an important game.
Dhawan c Lyon b Starc 117 (109)
After 36.5 overs, India are 220/1 – Dhawan 117, Kohli 40
What a shot from Shikhar Dhawan! Mitchell Starc pitches it right up and the left-hander goes bang! The ball came at 149 kmph but was drives straight back over the bowler at close to 200 kmph.
After 36 overs, India are 213/1 – Dhawan 112, Kohli 38
Coulter-Nile from the other end and he tries the bouncer at Virat Kohli, who is not often troubled by the bouncers. Shades of his MCG onslaught against Mitch Johnson as he rolls his wrist and pulls one in front of square for a four. He is looking in better touch now than when he started. Dhawan misreads a slower ball to end the over with a big heave.
After 35 overs, India are 206/1 – Dhawan 112, Kohli 33
Starc returns for a third spell and he tries a couple of bouncers at Dhawan, who once again gets away with a not-so-confident ramp shot. But once again, 5 runs without any risk.
After 34 overs, India are 201/1 – Dhawan 109, Kohli 30
Shot! Shikhar Dhawan can do no wrong at the moment. Glenn Maxwell resumes proceedings after the drinks break, the left-hander dances down the track and drives it over mid-wicket for four. He follows that up with a classy inside-out drive over covers for another boundary. Two-hundred up for India with plenty of overs remaining.
After 33 overs, India are 190/1 – Dhawan 100, Kohli 28
CENTURY for Shikhar Dhawan! He gets there in 95 balls. This is the left-hander’s 17th ODI hundred. A splendid effort from the 33-year-old. A bit of drama as he gets there as Virat Kohli has to scamper back into the crease, before the overthrow allows the batsmen to complete the single. Eight runs from that over. Time for drinks.
After 32 overs, India are 182/1 – Dhawan 99, Kohli 22
Shikhar Dhawan moves on to 99! He’s taking his time to get to his century. Glenn Maxwell does well to concede just four singles in his fifth over.
After 31 overs, India are 178/1 – Dhawan 97, Kohli 20
Brilliant from Virat Kohli. He hasn’t found the middle of his bat consistently so far so he decides to do the next best thing – ruin hard between the wickets. The skipper manages to pick up three twos from Marcus Stoinis’ fourth over. India collect eight risk-free runs.
After 30 overs, India are 170/1 – Dhawan 96, Kohli 13
Four! Maxwell drops it short and Dhawan pulls it hard, piercing the gap between the two fielders at the boundary, to pick up four.
England more than doubled their 30-over-total against Bangladesh yesterday. Will India do the same against the Aussies?
After 29 overs, India are 164/1 – Dhawan 91, Kohli 12
Shikhar Dhawan gets into the 90s with a risky shot for four. Pat Cummins bowls a short ball and the left-hander plays a ramp-shot, but the ball flies just inches past the ‘keeper. Good over for India, though, seven runs come from it.
After 28 overs, India are 157/1 – Dhawan 84, Kohli 12
Aaron Finch brings Glenn Maxwell back into the attack and the off-spinner bowls an economical over for the Australians. Just four runs from it. Both Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli not taking things lightly.
After 27 overs, India are 153/1 – Dhawan 82, Kohli 10
Virat Kohli gets his first boundary! Not the most convincing shot but it gets the job done. Pat Cummins returns to the attack and bowls a short and wide delivery, Kohli throws his bat at it and gets the ball over point for four. Six runs come from that over.
After 26 overs, India are 147/1 – Dhawan 82, Kohli 5
Shot! Adam Zampa tosses it full and wide, Shikhar Dhawan takes a big stride forward and drives it powerfully past covers for four. He follows that up with a drive over mid-on for another boundary. Classy batting from the left-hander. India need him to get a big one today. He hasn’t been in the best form
After 25 overs, India are 136/1 – Dhawan 73, Kohli 3
Another good over for Australia, just four singles come from it. Nathan Coulter-Nile has found some rhythm here. India need another partnership to set the base for a late flourish.
After 24 overs, India are 132/1 – Dhawan 71, Kohli 1
Shikhar Dhawan survives! He tries to lift one from Adam Zampa straight back but doesn’t find the middle of the bat. Luckily for him, the ball lands safely. Poor shot-selection from the seasoned opener, especially since Rohit Sharma just got out. Five runs come from that over.
After 23 overs, India are 127/1 – Dhawan 67, Kohli 0
Wicket-maiden! A top-class effort from Nathan Coulter-Nile. The right-arm fast-bowler has brought the Australians back in the game (a bit). Indian captain Virat Kohli has joined Shikhar Dhawan at the crease.
After 22.3 overs, India are 127/1 – Dhawan 67
WICKET! A massive breakthrough for the Australians! Nathan Coulter-Nile pitches it slightly short and the ball shoots up a bit, Rohit Sharma attempts a late-cut but gets a thick edge. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey takes a simple catch. Smart of the right-arm pacer to bowl cross-seam.
Rohit c Carey b Coulter-Nile 57 (70)
After 22 overs, India are 127/0 – Rohit 57, Dhawan 67
Adam Zampa comes back into the attack concedes six runs in his third over. The leggie isn’t getting any turn and hasn’t been accurate with his line and length either. Comfortable singles on offer all around for the Indian openers.
After 21 overs, India are 121/0 – Rohit 55, Dhawan 63
FIFTY for Rohit Sharma! He gets there in 61 balls. This is the Indian vice-captain’s 42nd ODI half-century. He got a hundred in the last game and is looking good for another one today. Ten runs come from Mitchell Starc’s fifth over.
After 20 overs, India are 111/0 – Rohit 46, Dhawan 62
Back-to-back boundaries! Shikhar Dhawan has cut loose! He hooks one for four and follows that up with a drive over mid-off to the fence. Marcus Stoinis is offering no challenge to the Indian openers at the moment. Not looking good for the Aussies.
After 19 overs, India are 100/0 – Rohit 44, Dhawan 53
Aaron Finch brings his trump card Mitchell Starc back into the attack in search of a wicket. The left-arm pacer bowls an economical over but fails to get the breakthrough for his team. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have brought up their 16th century stand in ODIs.
After 18 overs, India are 96/0 – Rohit 42, Dhawan 51
FIFTY for Shikhar Dhawan! He gets there in 53 balls. The left-hander gets a smile as he has had to fight off the pain in his fingers to get the runs. He’s looking in fine touch but it’s hard to say if he can tough it out and convert this half-century into a big one. Six runs come from that Marcus Stoinis over.
After 17 overs, India are 90/0 – Rohit 40, Dhawan 17
Classsss from Rohit Sharma! Nathan Coulter-Nile bowls a bouncer to India’s best player against short-pitched bowling. The right-hander controls his bat-face wonderfully to pull it for a six. First maximum of the day and it comes from the Hitman’s bat. Another good over for India, nine runs from it.
After 16 overs, India are 81/0 – Rohit 32, Dhawan 46
Shot! Marcus Stoinis joins the attack and bowls a bouncer to Shikhar Dhawan first up. The left-hander gets on his toes and plays the perfect ramp-shot for four. Six comfortable runs in that over for India. Time for the first drinks breaks of the match.
After 15 overs, India are 75/0 – Rohit 31, Dhawan 41
As expected, Australia bring Nathan Coulter-Nile back into the attack to have a go at Shikhar Dhawan’s injured fingers. But the left-hander swivels to pull it away for four. He almost took one hand off the bat while playing the shot. Six runs come from that over. This has been a wonderful start for the Indians.
After 14 overs, India are 69/0 – Rohit 30, Dhawan 36
Australia operating with spinners from both ends and the Indian openers are rotating the strike at will. Adam Zampa bowls another short ball and Rohit Sharma pulls it for two. Seven runs come from that over. Dhawan seems to be in pain after suffering a blow on his fingers earlier. The Aussies might want to consider bringing on a pacer and bowling short.
After 13 overs, India are 62/0 – Rohit 25, Dhawan 34
After not getting a boundary in the first 11 overs, Rohit has now hit one each in the last two. This time Maxwell pitches it right up and the right-hander drives it through the covers region for four. India’s vice-captain now has 2,000 ODI runs against the Australians. Super effort.
After 12 overs, India are 55/0 – Rohit 19, Dhawan 33
First boundary for Rohit Sharma and it’s a gift from Adam Zampa. The leg-spinner joins the attack and bowls a rank short-pitched delivery, Rohit pulls it away to the fence with ease. Shikhar Dhawan then plays a delectable late-cut that beats short-third and goes for four. Good over for India, 11 runs from it.
After 11 overs, India are 44/0 – Rohit 13, Dhawan 28
Turn and bounce for Maxwell in his first over. Sachin Tendulkar, in commentary, reckons that the Australians should consider putting in a slip. The Indian team management will be happy with what they’re seeing. Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav could prove to be a handful on this surface.
After 10 overs, India are 41/0 – Rohit 11, Dhawan 27
Shikhar Dhawan getting a little adventurous there. He steps way back on the leg and tries to pierce the in-field on the off. But the Australians have packed that area. Good comeback from Nathan Coulter-Nile after getting hit in his previous over. That’s the end of the powerplay, Glenn Maxwell is coming on to have a bowl.
After 9 overs, India are 39/0 – Rohit 10, Dhawan 26
Pat Cummins has been solid for the Australians so far. The right-arm pacer has kept a tight line and not given the Indian openers any room to free their arms. He has figures of 0/15 from 5 overs at the moment. Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan calls the physio to have a look at his fingers. The left-hander seems to be in some discomfort. Nothing serious, though.
After 8 overs, India are 36/0 – Rohit 9, Dhawan 24
Three fours! Release-shots from Shikhar Dhawan! Nathan Coulter-Nile replaces Mitchell Starc in the Australian attack and concedes a boundary off his third ball. Dhawan steps out and slaps it straight back. He didn’t time the ball perfectly but got the reward he wanted. The left-hander follows that up with the shot of the innings so far – a thumping square-cut past point. Finally, he smacks another square-cut to the fence. Big over for India, 14 runs from it.
After 7 overs, India are 22/0 – Rohit 9, Dhawan 11
Dhawan has a close call! Cummins bangs it in and the left-hander attempts a pull, but the ball flies past him and the Aussies go up in appeal for caught-behind. Luckily for India, there was no edge and umpire Ian Gould kept his finger down. Just a single from that over. This has been a sedate start with the bat for the two-time champions.
After 6 overs, India are 21/0 – Rohit 9, Dhawan 10
Another classy flick past square-leg from Rohit. He picks up a couple. The right-hander is vulnerable against left-arm pacers who shape the ball back in from over the wicket. But Starc hasn’t got a hint of movement so far. The ball is coming on to the bat wonderfully. Three runs come from that over.
After 5 overs, India are 18/0 – Rohit 7, Dhawan 10
Shikhar Dhawan picks up a couple with a stylish flick past mid-wicket off Pat Cummin’s bowling. The Aussie pacer comes back two balls later and beats the left-hander with a peach of a delivery. The opener follows that up with a beautiful on-the-rise cover-drive for four. The first boundary of the Indian innings. Seven runs come from that over.
After 4 overs, India are 11/0 – Rohit 7, Dhawan 3
The broadcasters show a pitch map that illustrates how pacers have got plenty of wickets by bowling short at The Oval. The Australians, though, have bowled just one bumper till now. Shikhar Dhawan middles a couple and mis-times a couple in that Mitchell Starc over. Two singles come from it.
After 3 overs, India are 9/0 – Rohit 6, Dhawan 2
Shot... for no runs. Cummins bowls it back of a length and Rohit cuts it powerfully, but the ball goes straight to Maxwell at point. The right-hander then gets an outside edge but the ball goes wide of the slip cordon. This has been a tidy start from the right-arm quick, just two singles come from his second over.
After 2 overs, India are 7/0 – Rohit 5, Dhawan 1
Rohit survives! What an effort from Nathan Coulter-Nile! Mitchell Starc pitches it on the legs and the right-hander flicks it in the air. Coulter-Nile dives full-length at square-leg, gets a firm hand at it but can’t hold on. Great effort. The Australian left-arm pacer struggles to find his line in his first over. Drama early on!
After 1 over, India are 2/0 – Rohit 2, Dhawan 0
Rohit Sharma gets off the mark with that trademark lazy elegance. Pat Cummins pitches it at a length but slightly wide, the right-hander leans in and drives it past covers for two. He follows that up with a few back-foot defenses. No movement in the air or off the wicket for the Australian pacer. Solid start for both sides.
2:59 pm: Right, it’s time for India vs Australia! Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are striding out to the middle. Pat Cummins has the new ball in hand. This is an acid test for both teams. Here we go!
2:56 pm: It’s time for the national anthems. Both teams are on the field. The atmosphere at The Oval in London is electric. First up, it’a Australia.
2:46 pm: India’s vice-captain Rohit Sharma started the campaign with an unbeaten century against South Africa. With India losing Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli early, the Hitman played with great responsibility. As long as Rohit was in the middle, the team management wasn’t worried and neither were the fans. From having a reputation of being a batsman who threw his wicket away to becoming one who finishes matches off, the journey has been a long and rewarding one.
In Rohit, India trusts: The opener swats aside World Cup pressure to lead team to easy win
2:41 pm: Australian captain Aaron Finch – “We would have batted first. It’s a dry surface, might get slower later. It’s a good chance for the players to get out there and express themselves. We didn’t have the best of games in the previous match. Will look to do better today.”
2:39 pm: Indian captain Virat Kohli at the toss – “Looks like a nice wicket. It’s been used before and it’ll get slower. Best conditions to bat first and put some runs on the board. With the sun out, it’s a no-brainer to bat first. It’s been used before so there is not much moisture in the pitch. We think it’s gonna play nicely and the bat will come on to the bat. We are playing with the same line-up because we have a nice balance.”
2:36 pm: Australia have gone in with the same team as well.
Playing XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (w), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.
2:35 pm: India is going in with the same team that won the match against South Africa.
Playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Lokesh Rahul, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (w), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.
2:33 pm: TOSS – Virat Kohli wins the toss and India will bat first!
2:29 pm: Australia have the momentum, having edged out India in a five-match ODI series during the build-up to the World Cup. With stalwarts David Warner, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc back in the side, the reigning champions have experience in their ranks as well. India have a good recent record against Aussies, though.
Data Check: Five-time champions Australia are India’s bogey team in World Cups
2:25 pm: “It’s a typical Oval wicket with a thick covering of grass. It will do a bit later in the day. Virat Kohli or Aaron Finch might select to bat first as it looks a good pitch to bat on. 280-plus score on the cards,” says Michael Slater in his pitch report.
2:23 pm: Australian captain Aaron Finch added a bit of spice to the encounter with his remarks at the pre-match press conference on Saturday:
2:19 pm: In their last game, Australia put in a vintage performance. From tottering at 38/4, they went on to post a massive total and defeated West Indies.
This is the stuff that, to borrow a cliche, champions are made of. This is the reason hundreds of thousands support Australia (not just Australians, mind you). This is also the reason fans of other teams often get fed up (with a begrudging appreciation). Like player of the match Nathan Coulter-Nile said, “If we had got bowled out for 150, we’d still back ourselves.”
The win at Trent Bridge was proof that even when the aura of invincibility around them is diminishing you cannot take the fight out of them. Not at the World Cup.
Read about that match here.
2.10 pm: The last time Australia lost an ODI was against India at home, to trail 2-0 in the five-match series. Since then they have won 10 matches on the trot. They have their star batsmen and bowlers back in the side and in form. In World Cups, their head-to-head against India is lop-sided, having won eight out of the 11 matches between the two sides.
So when Virat Kohli and Co, take the field against the defending champions today, it is not an understatement to say they face a stern test as one of modern cricket’s most storied rivalries resumes at The Oval in London on Sunday.
2.06 pm: Jasprit Bumrah has now assimilated red-ball learning into his white-ball tradecraft. Can Australia handle the in-form Indian pacer today? Chetan Narula reports from England.
2.00 pm: Virat Kohli led India to their first-ever Test series triumph in Australia earlier this year to consolidate their position as the world’s top side in the five-day format. And soon after, in the first three of the eight One-Day Internationals they have played so far in 2019, India clinched the series Down Under.
But the Aaron Finch-led Australia team came back to defeat India in their own backyard in a limited-overs series in March, setting up them up for the World Cup in England and Wales.
To add to the already spicy rivalry, Finch has hailed Steve Smith as the world’s best batsman across all formats, saying having him and David Warner back in the fold is a huge boost for the team.
Smith and Warner played their first official international matches at the World Cup in England and Wales after serving year-long ball-tampering bans.
Smith made a gritty 73 in Australia’s win over West Indies after Warner smashed an unbeaten 89 not out in his team’s opening win against Afghanistan, meaning both are in good form as they prepare to face Virat Kohli’s India on Sunday.
Would that spur Kohli on to improve what is a surprising below-par record in World Cup matches? We will find out today in what promises to be a cracker.