Ind vs Aus ODI series 2017: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya smash Australia
Indore: All-rounder Hardik Pandya rose to the occasion yet again with a fluent 78-run knock as India registered a comfortable five-wicket win over Australia in the third ODI to grab the number one spot, here on Sunday.
Chasing 294 for a win, India overhauled the target with 13 balls to spare in front of a packed Holkar stadium to take a series-clinching 3-0 lead.
Openers Rohit Sharma (71) and Ajikya Rahane (70) set the platform for the win with their 131-run partnership while Pandya steered the side to victory with his crucial knock, which came off 72 balls.
Aaron Finch
Australia opener Aaron Finch's fluent century came to a nought due to self-destructive batting by Australia in the last 10 overs.
Finch, playing his first game of the series, had placed Australia at a commanding 232 for two in 40 overs with his 124-run innings but they lost plot after that. When they could have gone for a kill and a score in the vicinity of 350, all Australia could manage was just 59 runs and lost four wickets to settle for 293 for six.
India faced a few anxious moments in their run chase after losing the set openers along with captain Virat Kohli (28) and Kedar Jadhav (2) but Pandya, who had played crucial role in India's win in the series-opener in Chennai, ensured there were no more hiccups.
He kept Australia under pressure with his confident batting as he not only rotated the strike comfortably but also smacked four sixes off Ashton Agar to keep the run-rate under control.
Pandya found a good partner in Manish Pandey (36) as they went about their business calmly and shared a 78-run stand for the fifth wicket.
The win meant that India have maintained their unbeaten run in Indore and have now recorded sixth consecutive ODI series win since June 2016.
India, already number one in the Test format, replaced South Africa at the top of ODI ranking table by taking their tally to 120 points, one more than the Proteas. Rohit subdued Australia with his punishing knock on a flat track, which had nothing for the bowlers. His knock was studded with six fours and four sixes.
Scorecard
Australia: D. Warner b Pandya 42, A. Finch c Jadhav b Yadav 124, S. Smith c Bumrah b Yadav 63, G. Maxwell st Dhoni b Chahal 5, T. Head b Bumrah 4, M. Stoinis (not out) 27, P. Handscomb c Pandey b Bumrah 3, A. Agar (not out) 9. Extras (lb2, w14) 16. Total (for 6 wickets in 50 overs) 293.
FoW: 1-70, 2-224, 3-243, 4-243, 5-260, 6-275.
Bowling: Kumar 10-0-52-0, Bumrah 10-0-52-2, Chahal 10-0-54-1, Pandya 10-0-58-1, Yadav 10-0-75-2.
India: A. Rahane lbw b Cummins 70, R. Sharma c sub (HWR Cartwright) b Coulter-Nile 71, V. Kohli c Finch b Agar 28, H. Pandya c Richardson b Cummins 78, K. Jadhav c Handscomb b Richardson 2, M. Pandey (not out) 36, M.S. Dhoni (not out) 3. Extras (lb 3, w 3) 6. Total (for 5 wickets in 47.5 overs) 294.
FoW: 1-139, 2-147, 3-203, 4-206, 5-284.
Bowling: Cummins 10-0-54-2, Coulter-Nile 10-0-58-1, Richardson 8.5-0-45-1, Stoinis 8-0-61-0, Agar 10-0-71-1, Maxwell 1-0-2-0.
