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47th over: India 231-8 (Kuldeep 3, Shami 3) Three runs from this Starc over. He looms desperate for a wicket but hasn’t been able to bowl that killer yorker. He does find an outside edge but it squirts down to deep third where Stoinis does well to stop it before it reaches the boundary. Starc is done. He ends wicketless for 67 runs.
46th over: India 228-8 (Kuldeep 2, Shami 1) Zampa closes his 10 overs with 4-45. That’s his beat return against India in ODIs. India’s tail need an unlikely 42 from 23.
WICKET! Jadeja c Stoinis b Zampa 18 (India 225-8)A difficult to watch innings comes to an ugly end. It’s another wild swipe from Jadeja and he can only watch as the edge spoons to Stoinis at point to hand Zampa his fourth wicket. Australia two away from a series win.
45th over: India 225-7 (Jadeja 18, Kuldeep 1) Starc is going in for the kill, targeting the yorker in search of shattered stumps. He doesn’t find his range to Kuldeep as the full toss crashes into the pad and trickles down to deep third for a single leg-bye. Starc’s slower ball bamboozles Jadeja who’s made to look ordinary with a wild hoick. The bowler then morphs into his own worst enemy as a wide down leg is followed by another, the second worth three runs as Carey can only parry it towards fine leg. Two dots sees out an eventual over. 45 now needed from 30 balls. Australia’s to lose I reckon.
44th over: India 219-7 (Jadeja 17, Kuldeep 1) Excellent from Zampa. He’s snared big wickets at crucial times and his third is perhaps the game changer (well, one game changer in this ever changing game). Three runs from the over means India now need 51 from 36 without any of their top seven remaining.
Could be another first-baller. Kuldeep has unfurled a reverse sweep to his first ball and missed it. The Aussies review for lbw. Bat I think, yup, clearly an under edge.
WICKET! Hardik Pandya c Smith b Zampa 40 (India 218-7)Is that the game? Tossed up with a scrambled seam, Pandya was looking to heave this over midwicket. He loses his shape as his body contorts into an ugly slog. The ball catches the leading edge and it loops towards the covers where Smith catches on the run.
“Hardik did all the bowling but Pandya is doing the batting. It’s confusing me at least!”
Thanks for the message, Linda Gray, and sorry for the confusion.
That’s the risk when two different OBOers are at the wheel. For the sake of consistency I’ll stick to Pandya, but if anyone else was confused please be aware that this is Hardik Pandya.
Then again, he’s a brilliant all-rounder. Are we sure he’s not actually two different people?
43rd over: India 216-6 (Pandya 39, Jadeja 16) Sharp fielding down at deep third cuts off Jadeja’s late dab just ahead of the rope. That takes off two from the target and it’s down another one when Abbott pushes a wide down the leg side. Abbott is round the wicket looking to cramp the left hander and he’s doing just that. There are no runs to be found in a packed cover region. Jadeja charges but misses. Three of the over. Pandya needs to hog the strike for a bit as his partner is struggling. Jadeja has scored 16 from 28 balls. 54 needed off 42.
42nd over: India 212-6 (Pandya 39, Jadeja 13) This is the deep breath before the plunge. Something has to give soon. Stoinis is stciking to the plan and gives up just three runs as he’s banging it short into the pitch. Not too short, mind. Just short enough to keep the batters on the back foot and force them to wait for it as it sticks into the pitch. 57 needed from 48. When do they look to take on the bowler?
There is a break in play because of birds, big birds, kites I think, flying about, catching moths.
41st over: India 209-6 (Pandya 38, Jadeja 12) There’s a half chance at midwicket as Jadeja chips Abbott over a diving Smith. Just out of reach. The skipper does well to cut off another one that comes his way. Jadeja has to play it there as Abbott is tight into him from round the wicket. Two leg-byes and a single for Pandya is all India can muster throughout the over. Just five off it and they now need 61 from 54 balls. That’s easy pickings for modern batters but a wicket would change the complexion of this chase.
India pass 200 as required run rate climbs40th over: India 204-6 (Pandya 36, Jadeja 8) Stoinis is back. The plan is clear: hit the pitch hard and don’t offer width. Pandya tries to muscle a ball down the ground but it’s well fielded. He looks frustrated with himself but he’s given a freebie on the next ball with Stoinis delivering a bit if dross down the leg side. Hardik pivots and takes four to the fine leg and then a single. Jadeja, though, is feeling the pressure and takes an ugly swipe at a full ball, missing it entirely.
39th over: India 199-6 (Pandya 31, Jadeja 8) Abbott is back, hitting a hard length that’s cramping Pandya, forcing him to play straight. Four dot balls to start before he strays onto Pandya’s pads. It’s OK though, as it’s just a single down to fine leg. Jadeja can’t work a run so that’s a good set from Abbott.
38th over: India 198-6 (Pandya 30, Jadeja 8) Spin replaces spin as Adam Zampa returns. He delivers a tidy over that costs just two runs. He’s got two more overs left. Starc also has two. Stoinis and Abbott each have four in the bank.
Colum Fordham has been in touch again. Glad you’re enjoying it mate.
“Just when you thought India were cruising, they’re in the mire. It does look like they are doing their level best to ape England’s almost unsurpassed talent for sudden collapses.
It has to be said that Agar is getting his just deserts after going wicketless until now. He has baffled the [Indian] batters with his turn and bounce.”
He’s been brilliant. Turn and bounce as you say, but control too. On another day he’d have left here with seven scalps.
37th over: India 196-6 (Pandya 29, Jadeja 7) With the lower order peeping over the horizon Smith throws the ball to his premier fast bowler. But Jadeja is no bunny and plays an expert late cut that sends the ball screaming to the boundary. Starc then follows that up with two wides. He’s looking for the reverse swinging yorker but can’t find his radar, shoving them both down the leg side. There’s another wide down the leg side. That’s three of them to go along with three singles and that boundary. 10 off the over.
36th over: India 186-6 (Pandya 28, Jadeja 1) In the blink of an eye Australia are in control of this series decider. And it’s that man Agar who finishes with 2-41 after 10 overs. He was superb and rightly bagged the wicket of Kohli who played a poor stroke by his standards. Surya then got bowled to leave the field with a third consecutive golden duck. I wonder if that’s a record? Anyway, just a single from that over means India now need a run a ball with six batters back in the hut.
He doesn’t get it. Jadeja is in behind it and dabs it with soft hands to the covers.
Ashton Agar on a hat-trick!
WICKET! Suryakumar b Agar 0 (India 185-6)I don’t believe it. That is the third golden duck in a row for one of the best white ball batters of the last four years. It skidded low but he should have been moving forward. Instead he’s going back and it sneaks under his cross-bat slash and thwacks the off stump.
WICKET! Kohli c Warner b Agar 54 (India 185-5)In his final over Agar gets Kohli and he deserves that! He’s been magnificent and could have nicked off the Indian superstar on three occasions before this. It’s not an outside edge that does but instead it’s a poor shot from Kohli who rushes out of his crease but doesn’t get to the pitch of the ball. He reaches for it and spoons a tame catch down to Warner who far inside the rope. What a game changer! Australia very much in this.
35th over: India 185-4 (Kohli 54, Pandya 28) What power from Pandya who drives on the up and biffs it past a diving extra cover for four. He’s come in and changed the tempo of this run chase. Abbott sticks with that back of a length, which is the right thing to do, and also adheres to a straight line for the most part. Four singles close out the over.
34th over: India 177-4 (Kohli 52, Pandya 22) David Warner down at long off is in business twice. A pair of chipped drives from both batters only just lands short in the deep. Pandya’s was closest though both reached Warner after just one bounce. Earlier in the over Agar’s extra bounce almost catches the edge of Pandya’s sweep. Five singles from this one.
33rd over: India 172-4 (Kohli 50, Pandya 19) A bustling over with five runs going to Pandya with some swift work between the wickets between the two batters. Two to deep point, another two to deep square and then a single, thanks to some sharp fielding from Agar, to deep midwicket, means Abbott keeps a lid on this counterattack from Pandya.
32nd over: India 167-4 (Kohli 50, Pandya 14) Pandya gets low to firmly sweep Agar past fine leg. He sweeps again and picks up two in front of square and then gets a single to deep point. Loved that from the Indian all-rounder. He’s such a handy operator. Kohli can’t get off strike and plays Agar with respect for three balls.
31st over: India 160-4 (Kohli 50, Pandya 7) A half century for Kohli. He really is the king of run chases. He reaches the milestone with a nudge off his hips. Abbot tries to dig one in short to Pandya but it doesn’t climb high enough and the aggressive batter clatters it for a big six over cow corner on the pull. He got a whole lot of that and is off the mark with a maximum. He’ll keep the strike with as he taps a single to deep point.
30th over: India 152-4 (Kohli 49, Pandya 0) That is a truly outstanding over from Agar. The commentators on BT are wondering why he never played in the Test series and it’s a fair question. Drift, turn, bounce, he’s got the better of Kohli twice there. The second time is almost unplayable and Kohli survives only because of the extra bounce as it goes over his off stump. A single closes out the over.
29th over: India 151-4 (Kohli 48, Pandya 0) What a turnaround. Run-outs are a key ingredient to any collapse and two wickets in as many overs is a sure sign that this Indian innings is collapsing. Starc is looking to bowl full. Too full, though that’s irrelevant when the batters throw their wickets away with needless run-outs.
WICKET! Patel run-out (Smith/Carey) 2 (India 154-4)Yes, no, wait, OH NO! A calamitous mix up has cost India another wicket in quick succession. It was a full toss from Starc and the left handed Patel nudged it firmly enough past a diving Smith. Except, it wasn’t past the fielder who did brilliantly to haul it back and then fling the ball towards the ‘keeper’s end. Kohli had sent his partner back and watched on as Carey gathered and then broke the stumps.
28th over: India 147-3 (Kohli 45, Axar 1) Zampa’s return to the attack was always going to lead to something interesting. Either it would force India back into the shell they’d just left or it would lead to a wicket. Kohli collected four past short third and then bunted a single to bring Rahul on strike. He didn’t wait around and tried to clatter the first ball he’d face for six. The bat turned in his hand and so caught the ball with the toe-end. Abbott leaps to catch and Zampa, as he’s done already in this innings, opens the game up once more.
WICKET! Rahul c Abbott b Zampa 32 (India 146-3)Rahul falls by the sword. After shaking off the shackles he seemed determined to keep accelerating through the gears. He looks to take on Zampa’s googly but doesn’t catch it clean – toe- ending I think – and sends it high to Abbott down at deep midwicket. It takes some catching and the Aussie seamer does well to cling on above his head.
Just as India have switched gears, allow me to share this lovely bit of writing from Annesha Ghosh who makes her Spin debut. Here tells us how the WIPL impacted women’s cricket.
27th over: India 141-2 (Kohli 40, Rahul 32) That boundary the previous over has recalibrated Rahul’s thinking. He’s switched to beast mode as he tonks Starc back over his head for a mighty maximum. That was some shot! A dot ball follows before he picks up a decent delivery and deposits it to the extra cover fence after a couple of bounces. Perhaps he’s decided to up the ante a bit while Kohli builds at the other end.
26th over: India 130-2 (Kohli 39, Rahul 22) A boundary at long last, ending an eight over drought. Zampa over pitches and Rahul can free his arms and hit through the line, crunching it straight past the bowler. Three singles earlier on means the over is worth more than the number of balls delivered. Could that release the building pressure?
25th over: India 123-2 (Kohli 37, Rahul 17) Starc is back and he’s bowling without any visible sign of pain, so guessing his finger is golden. He’s full, looking for swing, before going back of a length and bowling into the pitch. It’s a good return, just two from that one with a pair of singles at the top of the over.
“Nicely poised decider.” says Colum Fordham.
“Can this vastly experienced India pair of Virat and Rahul nudge their way to victory by avoiding expansive shots on this tricky pitch or can Smith vary things and introduce his nuclear option – Starc – to dislodge them? In the meantime, Agar is posing real problems for both batters.”
It’s gripping (and I don’t just mean the pitch). Hard to call this. We’re just about half way and I think I’d still rather be in the Indian camp, but credit to the Aussies. They looked down and out when the openers were smashing them about.
24th over: India 121-2 (Kohli 36, Rahul 16) Agar might not have bagged the big fish but that is just delicious bowling. Drift, turn and bounce, that is the full package from the left arm finger spinner. A drag down earlier in the piece isn’t punished and was worth just one run off Kohli’s bat. By my count that’s 34 balls since the last boundary.
Not out… Kohli’s toe is just behind the line.
That’s a jaffa from Agar and I reckon he’s nabbed Kohli with a stumping…
23rd over: India 117-2 (Kohli 33, Rahul 15)
Stoinis has two men out in the deep on the leg side. One behind square, though not in a conventional fine leg position, and the other just in front of square. That could be a sign that he’ll dig one in and invite the pull. He holds it back of a length, hitting the pitch hard. Three singles comes before a shorter ball that doesn’t climb but does crunch Rahul on the hip. Australia have been impressive in this middle over period. Ticking a lot of boxes. But as long as Kohli is there, India will back themselves. Rahul might need to get a move on though. He’s 15 off 35 balls and struggling to get it off the square.
22nd over: India 114-2 (Kohlie 31, Rahul 14) Agar has his slip back and Smith catches the ball diving to his right. But it’s off Kohli’s pad. Big turn their for the spinner who has bowled brilliantly this evening. Kohli almost takes out Rahul with a swat down the ground though that single is the only run off another tidy Agar over.
21st over: India 113-2 (Kohli 30, Rahul 14) Stoinis unfurls the first bumper of the innings. He must have really bent his back to get that up. It’s a smart ploy as you don’t want the batter settling on a length. Two runs is all he concedes. The partnership is now worth 36 but it’s not getting away from Australia. Then again, India don’t have to get a move on themselves. I’ve got India ahead on points. Another wicket could change that.
20th over: India 111-2 (Kohli 29, Rahul 13) Terrific ball from Agar who has that in his locker. Drift in to Rahul, bounce and turn away, it’s beaten everything. The trick is to bowl that again. He doesn’t it’s too full so Rahul can work him down the ground for a single. He’s then too short and Kohli can nudge him with twisting wrists to deep square. Still, it’s only four runs off the over. The current run rate is below 6 and edging closer to the required rate of 5.3. Not that it matters much at this stage.
19th over: India 107-2 (Kohli 27, Rahul 11) That’s a smart bowling change from Smith. Just as the Indian batters seemed to have the measure of the spinners the Aussie captain has reintroduced seam. It comes in the form of Stoinis who has found a bit of swing through the air. One tails in to Kohli’s pads and the burly bowler sends down some some choice words. It’s a good over from Stoinis which costs just three. Thoughts turn to Starc and his finger. If the ball is shaping through the air then he’ll be crucial.
100 up for India as Kohli gets to work18th over: India 104 (Kohli 25, Rahul 10) Outstanding batting from Kohli. Agar drops one short and the prince of Indian cricket clatters it for four up and over midwicket. But that’s just the appetiser. The main course comes in the form of a delicious lofted inside- out drive that drifts effortlessly over the rope at long-off. He’s not going to let the spinners settle. A single follows and then a couple for Rahul. India win this round which brings up the 100.
17th over: India 91-2 (Kohli 14, Rahul 8) Zampa has discarded his slip. Maybe Smith feels that the building of pressure could result in a false stroke. His leggie is looking to give it a rip while bowling into the surface. But Kohli is nonplussed. He averages 89 in successful chases. He’s the key (obviously). Though this over costs just two runs with a single apiece for either batter.
16th over: India 89-2 (Kohli 13, Rahul 7) The mid-innings lull has descended on this ODI. The run-rate is not an issue for India so they’re content to knock around the singles. Australia don’t have to chase wickets just yet so they’re happy to stay patient. Agar is twirling away on a fullish length and conceding four runs. It’s a game of chicken now.
15th over: India 85-2 (Kohli 11, Rahul 5) Another good over for Australia with just four runs coming from this one. After going for 10 in his over, Zampa has conceded 13 runs from his next three while picking up a wicket. India are looking to get a move on and restore their dominance, especially Kohli who is using his feet and crunches a flashing drive wide of long-on but it’s well fielded so worth just a single. That’ll be drinks.