India vs Australia: ‘Play like it’s Test cricket’: How India beat Australia in ODI World Cup with Test match approach cricket news


New Delhi: In a sharp departure from the trend of T20 cricket influencing batting strategies in ODIs, India adopted a Test match-like approach to pull out a tense win in the low-scoring World Cup opener against Australia on Sunday.
The match held in Chennai saw the dominance of the bowlers as India bowled out Australia for a paltry score of 199 runs. However, India faced a top-order crisis as three of its top four batsmen were out for ducks for the first time in a One Day International. Time.

KL RahulJoe remained unbeaten on 97, and Virat Kohli, who contributed 85 runs, put together a match-winning partnership of 165 runs, saving India and reaching their target with 52 balls to spare.

Rahul revealed that he received important advice from his senior teammate Kohli.

“Virat said the wicket is a big help (for the bowlers), and (we) just have to play proper shots and play like Test cricket for some time and see where it goes. That was mostly the plan, And I am happy that we can work for the team,” Rahul said.

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The relatively small target allowed the Indian batsmen to take their time in adapting to the challenging pitch, especially with the Australian fast bowlers applying pressure from both ends. Kohli also had a run of luck when Mitchell Marsh dismissed him for 12, a costly mistake for Australia.
Five-time World Cup champions Australia will be disappointed with their batting performance, as none of their batsmen were able to reach the fifty-run mark. India employed a three-pronged spin attack, which collectively conceded 104 runs in 30 overs while taking six wickets.
Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets among them and emphasized that he adopted a Test match-like approach, focusing on maintaining a tight line and length rather than attempting extravagant balls.

Describing his approach, Jadeja said, “That was my plan, that I should bowl on the stumps, and fortunately Smith’s ball turned a little bit more. My plan was simple. I was thinking it would be a Test match. Bowling is a wicket, and I shouldn’t experiment too much because everything was happening on the wicket. So I was trying to bowl stump to stump.”
In their next match, India are set to take on Afghanistan in New Delhi on Wednesday, aiming to boost the confidence gained from the hard-fought win over Australia and continue their journey at the World Cup.
(With inputs from Reuters)


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