Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj shared three wickets apiece as India bowled out hapless Australia for a mere 188 in 35.4 overs in the first ODI of their three-match series in Mumbai on Friday. (More Cricket News)
The collapse was an inexplicable one as Australia lost last six wickets for only 19 runs in a space of 7.5 overs as Hardik Pandya's decision to bring in Shami for a quick second spell turned out to be decisive.
The delivery to Cameron Green that sent the off-stump cartwheeling was a real peach. It pitched on line of off-stump and Green had to commi,t but there was shade late movement that beat the batter and knocked back the off-stump.
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The veteran pacer helped India pull things back in control after an attacking 65-ball 81 from Mitchell Marsh set Australia on the course of a competitive total, as his second spell of 3-2-8-3 broke the back of Australia's resistance after a sparkling start.
Shami finished with brilliant figures of 6-2-17-3.
On the other hand, Siraj, who provided an early wicket in the second over, also enjoyed success in his second spell to return with 5.4-1-29-3, snaffling the last two wickets in the Australian innings.
Marsh provided Australia with a rollicking start, cracking 10 fours and five sixes in his first-ever innings as an opener in ODIs, on his comeback to international cricket after a three-month layoff following an ankle surgery.
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Marsh's charge in the first half of the game ensured Australia kept moving briskly towards a big total, but India kept making inroads at regular intervals and eventually bundled them out for a below-par score.
After Travis Head played one onto his wickets off Siraj in the second over, Marsh joined forces with Australia captain Steve Smith for a sturdy 72-run stand for the second wicket.
Smith, yet to record a half-century on the tour, chased one outside off from Hardik Pandya to walk back for a 30-ball 22.
Marsh continued with his attack, but as he was nearing his second ODI century against India and first since January 2016, he played one shot too many to be dismissed by Ravindra Jadeja.
The Indian spinner bowled a delivery wide on the off-stump, and Marsh mis-hit it to be caught at short third man.
Jadeja then produced a stunning one-handed catch to get rid of Marnus Labuschagne (15) off Kuldeep Yadav, and Josh Inglis chopped one onto his wickets off Mohammad Shami as Australia stuttered to 169/5 in the 28th over.
Shami produced a wicket-maiden 30th over in which Shubman Gill dropped a catch at first slip – his second in the innings – as Green’s off-stump went flying after a 19-ball 12.
But Gill finally held on to a regulation catch off Shami in the 32nd over to end Marcus Stoinis’ (5) innings, sparking a batting collapse for the visitors who slipped from 129/2 to 188 all-out, losing eight wickets for 59 runs.
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Glenn Maxwell (8) also flopped with the bat, hitting one straight to Pandya at short midwicket off Jadeja in the 33rd over.
Gill improvised further when he put in a dive to his right to help Siraj record his second wicket, with Sean Abbott (0) also failing to make a mark. The right-arm bowler had Adam Zampa (0) caught behind for the final wicket of the innings.
While the Indian pace duo of Shami and Siraj were spot-on, Australia rather found batting easy against the spin pair of Kuldeep and Jadeja, as they gave away 94 runs from a collective 17 overs with three wickets.
