IND vs AUS ICC World Cup 2023 Highkights: Virat Kohli showcased his champion’s resolve, guiding India to a triumphant six-wicket victory against Australia in their World Cup opener with a brilliant 85 runs. Kohli, backed by KL Rahul’s composed 97 not out, formed a match-winning partnership of 165 runs that made the challenging 200-run target appear easily achievable, though it took 41.2 overs.
Despite a rocky start with three top-order batsmen dismissed for ducks, Kohli’s audacity was on full display. He played a crucial drive off Josh Hazlewood, signifying India’s fightback. Kohli’s fortune favoured him when a misjudged catch by Mitchell Marsh allowed him to continue his innings. He exhibited remarkable fitness, earning 61 of his runs through singles and twos in his 116-ball innings.
ICC Cricket World Cup, 2023
India
201/4 (41.2)
Australia
199 (49.3)
Match Ended ( Day – Match 5 )
India beat Australia by 6 wickets
The track at the historic Chepauk Stadium, known for an average first innings score of 224 in 34 ODIs, is expected to offer early support to the batsmen. Additionally, with the prevailing conditions favouring spin, India’s spinners are anticipated to wield a significant influence during the game.
Catch all the highlights of the match here:
India defeat Australia by six wickets as Kohli and KL Rahul shine in the match.
Starc stays in, and after a couple of runs, Kohli takes a blow to the helmet. A concussion assessment is on the way, though Kohli insists he's fine. Play resumes, and Kohli smashes the next ball for a boundary! IND 146/3 off 34 overs
Virat Kohli hits half-century off 75 balls and KL Rahul hits a 50 off 72 balls. The batters are showcasing immense experience on the field. IND 116/3 (28)
KL Rahul hits three boundaries in Adam Zampa's over. The boundaries bring some respite to the Indian side. Virat Kohli from the other end plays his part well. IND 69/3 (18)
Australian bowling attack is making things difficult for the Indian side. Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are standing strong right now. IND 41/3 (14)
Australia's captain, Pat Cummins, makes an impactful debut as the evening's first change, immediately exploiting movement. His first over yields only two runs. IND 20/3 (7)
Hazelwood has put Indian team in a tough spot with quick fall of two wickets. Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer walked back to pavilion at zero. IND 2/3 (3)
Mitchell Starc has started the innings with a bang. He dismissed Ishan Kishan on his fourth delivery. Kishan walked back to pavilion for duck. IND 2/1 (1)
Australia gives a 200-run target to India. The last wicket came in Siraj's account. With the last wicket, all the Indian bowlers today at least took 1 wicket or more.
Hardik Pandya got his first wicket in the form of Adam Zampa. The Australian team is struggling to reach 200 runs. AUS 190/9 (48.2)
Mitchell Starc (15) hits a massive sixer after a long gap. The Australian team is trying its best to cross the 200-run mark. AUS 183/8 (47)
The game has entered the third powerplay. The batting side is still struggling in adding runs to the scoreboard. The projected score is under 200 with the Current Run Rate of 3.90. AUS 164/7
For his second wicket of the game, Yadav dismissed Australian heavyweight batter Glen Maxwell. And not long after, Ashwin took down Cameroon Green in the next over. Situation seems grim for Australia. AUS 140/7 (37)
Jasprit Bumrah, who was quite economical in his initial spell (4-0-11-1), seems determined to maintain that rhythm in his subsequent overs. The duo of Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green, typically known for their aggressive style, might encounter challenges against this formidable bowling lineup. The upcoming 20 overs will serve as a significant test for them, with the first over after the change yielding only four runs. AUS 131/5 (33)
Labuschagne walks back to pavilion on Jadeja's yet another fantastic delivery. Australia also lost a DRS in the process. The Aussie opening order seems to crumble. The ace spinner was in no mood to stop and took down Alex Carey on the fourth ball of the same over. AUS 119-5 (30)
Ravindra Jadeja throws a brilliant bowl, taking down set batter Steve Smith on 46. Indian spinners have taken 2 wickets in the game so far and has been successful in keeping the batting side tight. Maxwell comes in to play. AUS 112/3 (28)
Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Mohammad Siraj are bowling back-to-back economical deliveries, mounting pressure on the Australian batters. In the last 5 overs, only 15 runs have been added to the Australian scoreboard. The struggle is real for Aussies at this point but there is still long way to go. AUS 110/2 (27)
This clash is not just another match in a crowded cricketing calendar; it’s a continuation of a storied rivalry that has spanned over several decades and across multiple World Cup editions. In the past, these cricketing titans have locked horns in 12 ODI World Cup matches throughout nine editions of the quadrennial spectacle. In this captivating rivalry, Australia has maintained the upper hand, boasting a remarkable 75% win record. The five-time World Cup champions have notched up eight victories, eclipsing India’s four in their World Cup encounters. (Read More)
Ace spinner Kuldeep Yadav strikes and takes down second wicket of Australia. Set batsman David Warner gets out on 41. Australia 74/2 (17)
Ashwin bowls economical 11th over giving 3 runs in the over and Kuldeep Yadav also tried to keep the game well in control giving 5 runs. Warner and Smith are standing strong on the pitch and rebuilding the innings for the team after losing Mitch Marsh early on in the game. AUS 59/1 (13)
Ashwin bowls an economical over; the famous Chepauk bounce come to play! Both Smith and Warner faced the spinner giving 3 runs in the over. AUS 32/1 (8)
David Warner hits three boundaries in Hardik Pandya's over. On the second ball, Pandya hurt his finger while trying to catch the ball. Expensive over comes from India. AUS 29/1 (7)
Smith hits the first ball of Bumrah for a boundary. The rest of the over goes by smoothy. Warner again had a close shave in Bumrah's last ball. AUS 16/1 (5)
Jaspreet Bumrah takes down Mitch Marsh in his second over. Amazing catch in the slip by Kohli! Australia one down at 6 runs (3).
The first ball from Bumrah went close from David Warner's bat. The pacer looks in fine form, gives 1 run from the over. AUS 1/0 (1)
"It will be a slowish surface, might be two paced and just looking at the color, much darker on one side and lighter on the other. I have seen Chennai pitches being harder and flatter, but this will be a little bit on the slower side, if you bowl back of a length and don't give pace then it won't be easy," reads Ravi Shastri. "It looks drier than the usual Chennai wicket and will slow down as the game progresses. The spinners will come into the game from ball one only," adds Harbhajan Singh. "I would be tempted to play three spinners. I wouldn't be surprised if Australia are thinking in that fashion," says Ravi Shastri. "I think Siraj will be the one India will go with, you need pace and the new ball will do something, they will stick to Bumrah and Siraj," thinks Harbhajan Singh. "Don't underestimate Zampa,
Pat Cummins (Captain), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj
Australian Captain Pat Cummins won the toss and has elected to bat first.
Virat Kohli's performance holds immense significance for India today. As one of the world's premier batsmen, his resurgence in the World Cup is eagerly anticipated. If Kohli can sustain his exceptional form in the upcoming match against Australia, it will provide a substantial uplift to India. Renowned as a match-winner, he possesses the ability to single-handedly alter the course of a game. Kohli's versatility shines through as he can amass runs at varying tempos and adapt to any given situation. He adeptly toggles between aggressive and defensive innings based on the team's requirements.