CHENNAI (AP): Virat Kohli inspired India’s recovery from 2-3 in its reply to Australia’s below-par 199 all out to secure a six-wicket win for the host nation in its opening match at the Cricket World Cup on Sunday.
Kohli hit 85 off 116 balls, including six fours, and delivered a calmly constructed fourth-wicket stand of 165 with KL Rahul (97 not out) as India reached 201-4 with 52 balls to spare in front of a passionate home crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Australia had taken three wickets in the first two overs to leave India in a perilous position before Kohli and Rahul came to the rescue in a meeting of two of the tournament favorites. After winning the toss, Australia — a five-time world champion — slumped after being 74-1 in the 17th over. Steve Smith was the top scorer with 46.
Rahul top-scored in the game with his 115-ball knock including eight fours and two sixes. Even so, for much of the innings, he played second fiddle to Kohli, who soaked up the Australian pressure after India’s top-order collapse.
This was after Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav had shared five wickets to wreck the Australian innings. On a spin-friendly surface, Jadeja finished with 3-28 in 10 overs, while Yadav picked up 2-42, as the duo negated Australia’s advantage of batting first. Mitchell Marsh (0) edged Jasprit Bumrah to slip in the third over, with Kohli holding a diving catch.
David Warner and Steve Smith stabilized the innings with a 69-run partnership for the second wicket. Warner scored 41 runs and hit six fours, but offered a return catch to Yadav just when he looked set for a big innings. India’s spin strategy had an impact with the introduction of Ravichandran Ashwin (1-34) in the eighth over choking the scoring rate.
Smith added another 36 runs with Marnus Labuschagne, before an armball from Jadeja cleaned up his off-stump in the 28th over. Smith, stunned at the delivery, hit five fours in his 71-ball innings.
His dismissal opened the floodgates for India. Two overs later, Jadeja had Labuschagne caught behind and then trapped Alex Carey (0) two balls later.
Australia collapsed from 110-2 to 119-5. Glenn Maxwell (15) and Cameron Green (8) batted sedately to stem the flow of wickets, adding 21 runs off 37 balls for the sixth wicket. There was more to come from the Indian spinners, though. Yadav returned to bowl Maxwell in the 36th over. Three balls later, Green was caught off Ashwin as Australia crashed again, this time to 140-7.
The Australian tail stuck around to add vital runs with the last three wickets adding 59 runs. Mitchell Starc scored 28 off 35 balls, with two fours and a six. Pat Cummins made 15 off 24.
Adam Zampa gave them company while facing 20 balls. Even so, Indian pacers finished up the job to restrict Australia to a total well below par for this wicket. Chasing 200 for victory, the hosts got off to a horrendous start.
Ishan Kishan chased a wide delivery in the first over and was out caught at slip off Starc for a golden duck. It was Starc’s 50th wicket in ODI World Cups.
Five balls later, Rohit Sharma was out lbw to Josh Hazlewood (3-38). The Indian skipper reviewed, but the decision stayed in Australia’s favor. Sharma was out for a six-ball duck.
Shreyas Iyer made it three ducks among the top four Indian batters, when he drove straight to cover three balls later. The scorecard now read an astonishing two runs for 3 wickets.
Australia could have strengthened its grip on the game — perhaps fatally for India —but Marsh dropped Kohli on 12 in the eighth over. Kohli pulled one off Hazlewood, but Marsh couldn’t complete the running catch despite making ample ground.
It was a costly miss as Kohli and Rahul rebuilt the innings, and their partnership led India to opening its World Cup campaign with a win.
Kohli was out caught at midwicket by Labuschagne off Hazlewood, but Rahul and Hardik Pandya (11 not out) finished the job.
