India were hot and cold in their ODI World Cup 2023 opening clash against Australia, but KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were the saviours as the side secured an important victory at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, October 9. It was a moment of celebration that saw the whole country rejoice, with the country looking for their third World Cup triumph, and their first in 12 years.
The joy of the victory was also massively felt in the studios of Sports Tak (Aaj Tak) who had the company of World Cup-winning legends in Suresh Raina and Sunil Gavaskar. The duo, who were sharing their expert
inputs on the match, took a few minutes off to bask in the glory of beating the five-time World Champions in a slightly shaky, yet commanding manner.
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Sports experts Vikrant Gupta and Nikhil Naz joined in the celebrations, busting out their moves alongside Raina and Gavaskar.
It was a much-deserved few minutes of enjoyment after the shaky start that the Indian batters had. Pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood had unsettled the top-order, leaving India in a precarious position at 2/3. This dire situation arose as India's pursuit started off on the wrong foot, with the scoreboard indicating a mere 2 for 3. The formidable duo of Starc and Hazlewood ensured that Captain Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Shreyas Iyer returned to the pavilion with ducks to their name.
Then, Kohli and Rahul's partnership of 165 runs was the game-changer, leading India to a comfortable 6-wicket win. While Kohli departed after scoring 85, Rahul remained undefeated at 97, sealing the victory with ample balls to spare.
Earlier, the bowling department gave india the perfect start. Jasprit Bumrah made an impact In the third over itself, dismissing Mitchell Marsh for a scoreless inning. David Warner and Steve Smith found the Chennai conditions challenging but managed to resist the Indian pace attack. However, in the 17th over, Kuldeep Yadav secured Warner's wicket, with the batter offering a straightforward catch back to him after scoring 41 off 52 balls, which included six boundaries.
Marnus Labuschagne and Smith aimed to build a solid partnership, but the Indian bowlers kept them in check. Ravindra Jadeja delivered a masterful ball that took Smith's off stump, ending his innings at 46 from 71 deliveries. Jadeja's magic continued in the subsequent over, first dismissing Labuschagne, whose attempted sweep resulted in an edge caught by Rahul, and then sending Alex Carey back for a duck.
Glenn Maxwell's innings was cut short by Kuldeep, who bowled him with a ball that targeted the leg stump. Soon after, Cameron Green's reckless shot saw him fall prey to Ravichandran Ashwin. While Pat Cummins managed to hit a few boundaries, Bumrah returned in the latter stages to claim his wicket. Mitchell Starc's valuable contribution of 28 runs pushed Australia's total to 199 before they were bowled out in the last over.
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