Key events
38th over: India 243-5 (Shreyas 42, Jadeja 9) India have a longish tail, so Shreyas Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja have a lot of work to do. Jadeja makes a start with consecutive boundaries, a superbly placed cut and a steer to the left of Carey. India need 110 from 72 balls.
WICKET! India 233-5 (Suryakumar c Maxwell b Hazlewood 8)
Instant silence in Rajkot. Suryakumar clunks a slower ball from Hazlewood straight to Maxwell at midwicket – he may even have hit it twice. Either way, he’s gone and Australia are almost there.
37th over: India 232-4 (Shreyas 40, Suryakumar 8) Suryakumar gets his first boundary, sweeping Sangha vigorously round the corner. Then a square drive is superbly saved by Maxwell on the boundary, not the first he has done that tonight. India need 121 from 78 balls.
36th over: India 224-4 (Shreyas 39, Suryakumar 1) Suryakumar Yadav works his first ball off the pads to get off the mark.
WICKET! India 223-4 (Rahul c Carey b Starc 26)
The net is closing around India. Rahul slogs a Starc slower ball into outer space, and Carey steadies himself to take a good catch.
35th over: India 221-3 (Shreyas 38, Rahul 25) Shreyas edges Sangha through the vacant slip cordon for four, which brings up the fifty partnership from 48 balls. In normal circumstances that would be fine; today it has left India needing almost nine an over.
34th over: India 212-3 (Shreyas 33, Rahul 21) Starc returns to the attack. Rahul pulls towards deep square, where Maxwell saves two with a good stop, and then Labuschagne just misses the stumps with a throw from cover. It would have been touch and go for Shreyas had he hit.
Another boundaryless over, which is all Australia need to do. Since Maxwell took the crucial wicket of Rohit, India have scored only 68 in 13 overs.
33rd over: India 206-3 (Shreyas 32, Rahul 17) Sangha will learn so much today, some of it without realising. An LBW appeal is turned down when Rahul misses a sweep. Sangha signals that it was missing off, and he’s right, but Australia have no reviews left anyway.
Another very good over, just three from it. India’s required rate is 8.64 per over. But they have SKY, who on a good day can do that in a ball and a half.
32nd over: India 203-3 (Shreyas 31, Rahul 15) Cummins’ first ball is savaged over midwicket for four by Rahul. I used to think bowling in white-ball cricket was a bit like being a goalkeeper in a penalty shootout, with any success a bonus, but goalkeepers are rarely treated with such eye-widening contempt.
Cummins pulls the over back very well, conceding just three from the last five deliveries. Time for drinks. Australia need 150 runs from 108 balls.
31st over: India 196-3 (Shreyas 30, Rahul 9) That comment about boundaries being hard to find aged well: Shreyas Iyer has just pulled the new bowler Sangha over midwicket for six. The rest is ones and twos, which is enough to make it the first double-figure over since the 20th. Maybe the onslaught starts here.
30th over: India 185-3 (Shreyas 21, Rahul 7) Shreyas drags a slower ball from Cummins just past leg stump. As in the Australian innings, boundaries have been hard to score against the older, often slower ball. In the first 21 overs there were 10 fours and eight sixes; in the last nine overs we’ve had just two fours.
29th over: India 179-3 (Shreyas 17, Rahul 5) Maxwell’s dismissal of Rohit Sharma – when India were 144-1 in the 21st – is starting to feel like the pivotal moment. You can never sure, especially with Suryakumar Yadav to come, but for now Australia are on top.
28th over: India 172-3 (Shreyas 15, Rahul 0) Green’s doing a fine job here – just one from that over, and 23 from five so far. India need 181 from 132 balls.
Rahul is not out! Carey’s confidence was misplaced and Australia are all out of reviews. Rahul was too early on an attempted pull shot, but there was nothing on UltraEdge. A few of the players heard the noise, though I’ve no idea what it was.
Australia review for caught behind against Rahul! It’s their last review, but Alex Carey seems very confident.
27th over: India 171-3 (Shreyas 14, Rahul 0) The new batter is KL Rahul, who averages 72 in ODIs this year. Glenn Maxwell, meanwhile, has dreamy figures of 5-0-19-3. Before tonight he’d never taken two wickets in an ODI against India, never mind three. And he still has five overs remaining.
WICKET! India 171-3 (Kohli c Smith b Maxwell 56)
Glenn Maxwell might be winning this match off his own bat, or rather his own ball. He’s taken all three wickets, and this is another huge breakthrough. Kohli tried to hoick a shortish delivery over the legside and mistimed it over midwicket, where Smith backpedalled to take a superbly judged catch.
26th over: India 168-2 (Kohli 54, Shreyas 13) Hazlewood off, Green on, and Kohli goes to his fifty with a one-bounce blast down the ground. He has played with intimidating certainty, both in attack and defence: 56 balls, five fours, one six.
25th over: India 159-2 (Kohli 48, Shreyas 10) The wicket has slowed India down, as you’d expect. Maxwell hurries through another parismonious over to push the required rate closer to 8.
24th over: India 156-2 (Kohli 47, Shreyas 8) Shreyas drives Hazlewood over mid-off for two, though it would have been four but for a fine save by Warner. Every boundaryless over is a (very small) win for Australia; the required rate is 7.57.
23rd over: India 151-2 (Kohli 46, Shreyas 4) Another really useful over from Maxwell – no wickets, but only two runs. The spinners are the key to this game; between them they have figures of 7-0-36-2.
22nd over: India 149-2 (Kohli 45, Shreyas 3) Hazlewood returns and concedes five from his fourth over: 3×1, 1×2. Australia are still right in this game, though they need Kohli.
21st over: India 144-2 (Kohli 43, Iyer 0) Maxwell has taken two wickets in two overs. In the context of the match, the first was of debatable value; the second is incalculable.
WICKET! India 144-2 (Rohit c and b Maxwell 81)
The new bowler Glenn Maxwell takes a brilliant and pretty unusual catch. Rohit, who had smashed a six earlier in the over, pummelled the ball straight back at Maxwell. He lost it in the lights, and instictively moved his head to the left while also throwing up his right hand. The ball stuck, at which point Maxwell looked to all and sundry with a quizzical expression. Rohit goes for a punishing 81 from 57 balls, including six sixes; that’s a huge wicket for Australia.
20th over: India 135-1 (Rohit 75, Kohli 40) Virat is doing it again in a huge runchase. He charges Starc and swishes a flat six back over his head, and the usual singles make it an excellent over for India. Australia can’t stem the flow: India have scored 29 from the last three overs.
19th over: India 125-1 (Rohit 73, Kohli 32) Kohli, who looks ominously assured, lashes Sangha down the ground for four. It was in the air but would have needed an awesome catch from Sangha diving to his right.
Rohit sweeps four more to bring up a serene fifty partnership from 47 balls. Australia need a wicket at their earliest convenience.
18th over: India 115-1 (Rohit 68, Kohli 27) Starc returns in place of Cummins. This is his first game since the Ashes, so it’s understandable that he’s a bit rusty. His second ball is a wide, though the second legitimate delivery leads to an LBW appeal when Rohit misses a pull at a slower ball that keeps low. The ball was good, the appeal less so: it pitched outside leg and probably wouldn’t have even hit leg.
Rohit walks a single to square leg. Warner decides to hurry him up with a needless throw – and the ball deflects off Rohit’s bat for four overthrows. There’s are two more bonus runs later next ball when a throw from the outfield skids between Carey’s legs. Nine from the over, six of them donated by Australia.
17th over: India 106-1 (Rohit 63, Kohli 24) Sangha wasn’t in Australia’s preliminary World Cup squad, though he could yet replace Ashton Agar if he impresses tonight. He’s certainly the more attacking option, with a lovely loop, and he has just rushed through another boundaryless over. I suppose the real test will come when India go after him. Even so, he’s been impressive so far: 3-0-13-0, and that includes four off his first delivery.
16th over: India 102-1 (Rohit 62, Kohli 21) Kohli quickens the pace with successive boundaries off Cummins, a flick behind square and a mishit that clears mid-off. It would have been three in a row but for an outstanding stop by Sangha at cow corner. Cummins has been expensive: 4-0-35-0. Maybe that doesn’t count as expensive these days.
15th over: India 91-1 (Rohit 61, Kohli 11) No wicket, but that’s a really nice second over from Sangha – just three from it. Time for drinks.
Rohit is not out! Pitched well outside leg, next.
Review for LBW against Rohit! This looks very optimistic, in truth. Rohit missed a sweep and was hit on the arm by Sangha, who was understandably keen to go upstairs. We’ll soon find out whether he was right.
14th over: India 88-1 (Rohit 60, Kohli 9) Cummins replaces Green and gets through another boundaryless over. Since the Powerplay India have scored 16 for one in four overs.
13th over: India 84-1 (Rohit 58, Kohli 7) No non-opening pair have added more runs in successful ODI runchases than Rohit and Kohli. In fact, no pair has come close. They’ve put on 2355 runs at an average of 90; the next best is Joe Root and Eoin Morgan with 1446 at 80.
The young legspinner Tanveer Sangha has the dubious privilege of trying to break their latest partnership. His first ball, a tremulous full toss, is belted whence it came for four by Kohli. The rest of the over is better; just two from it.
12th over: India 78-1 (Rohit 57, Kohli 2) Cameron Green is bowling well here, hitting the pitch hard on or just back of a length. Four singles from his third over leaves him with figures of 3-0-13-0.
11th over: India 74-1 (Rohit 55, Kohli 0) Kohli has scored four centuries in successful ODI runchases against Australia, a record he shares with Desmond Haynes. In fact Haynes scored all four, all unbeaten, in successive runchases. That’s a purple patch.
WICKET! India 74-1 (Washington c Labuschagne b Maxwell 18)
Powerplay over, spinner on. It’s Glenn Maxwell first, not Tanveer Sangha – and he strikes fifth ball. Washington drives inside-out towards long off, where Labuschagne runs round the boundary to take a terrific low catch. Washington goes for a nervy 30-ball 18; without wishing to be unkind, I’m not sure which side benefits from that wicket. Not least because the new batter is serial run-chaser Virat Kohli.
10th over: India 72-0 (Rohit 54, Washington 17) Rohit tries to pull a heavy ball from Green and top-edges it high over the keeper’s head. Starc charges back from short third but can’t quite get a hand on the ball. It was an admirable effort from Starc. The two runs take Rohit to a six-laden fifty from 31 balls.
Washington survives a run-out chance next ball after being sent back by Rohit. Green collected the ball in his follow-through and just missed with a throw on the turn.
An otherwise messy over from India ends with a delightful clip through midwicket for four by Rohit. That’s the end of a good Powerplay for India, who need 281 from 40 overs.
9th over: India 66-0 (Rohit 48, Washington 17) Cummins decides to test Washington with a bumper, and instantly regrets it. Washington hooks extravagantly over long leg for six. We’ve now had six sixes and four fours in the innings. And no threes and one two, before you get too excited.
8th over: India 59-0 (Rohit 47, Washington 11) Cameron Green is on for Hazlewood, who bowled a decent spell of 3-0-18-0. An effect of Rohit’s pulsating start is that Washington can take his time at the other end. He’s still struggling to time it, never mind pick the gaps, and has 11 from 23 balls. Rohit has faced two deliveries more and has 47.
7th over: India 56-0 (Rohit 46, Washington 10) Pat Cummins replaces Starc (3-0-25-0). Rohit misses a wild hack on the run, realises it’s fine to stay in his crease and pulls the next ball exhilaratingly over square leg. That’s his fourth six of the innings and his 549th in international cricket. He’s four short of Chris Gayle’s world record.
Make that three short. He picks a slower ball and launches it into the crowd at midwicket. Cummins’ first over has gone for 13, and Rohit Sharma has hit 550 sixes in international cricket. I’d have to check, but I think the first was off Johan van der Wath in Durban on 20 September 2007.
6th over: India 43-0 (Rohit 34, Washington 9) Washington gets his first boundary from his 14th delivery, cuffing a short ball from Hazlewood over mid-on. That might settle him down.
Rohit is perfectly settled, thank you; he gets his third six with a slightly mishit pull over midwicket. India are off to the necessary flyer.
5th over: India 32-0 (Rohit 28, Washington 4) A slower ball from Starc – we’ll see plenty of those from Australia tonight – is dragged through square leg for a couple by Rohit.
Rohit is beaten by a good delivery, but a potentially excellent over for Australia is ruined when he drives another spectacular six over extra cover. The abilty of modern batters is obscene.
4th over: India 23-0 (Rohit 20, Washington 3) Washington is struggling in this unfamiliar role. An impatient pull off Hazlewood just clears the man running back from square leg; the resulting single takes Washington to 3 from 10 balls.
Rohit, who knows this position like the back of his bat, moves to 20 from 14 with an effortless flick for four.
3rd over: India 18-0 (Rohit 16, Washington 2) Rohit is feasting on Mitchell Starc. He clumps four back over Starc’s head, pings a magnificent six over extra-cover – and then plays an immaculate forward defensive, just to remind everyone that the game is currently being played on his terms.
Run-out referral
2nd over: India 8-0 (Rohit 6, Washington 2) Washington Sundar is the 74th man to open for India in ODIs. If you can name them all, you clearly know how to use Statsguru. He faces up to Josh Hazlewood, sharing the new ball with Starc. Apparently Matthew Short is on the field for Mitch Marsh, though there’s no word whether he’s suffering with cramp or something more serious.
Hazlewood starts very accurately, with a fullish length on off stump to the left-handed Washington. After four dot balls, Washington takes a very dodgy single to mid-on and is just home – and I mean just – when Short’s underarm throw hits the stumps. The third umpire took a long time to decide, but it was the right decision with the evidence available.
1st over: India 6-0 (Rohit 5, Washington 1) Mitchell Starc, one of the great ODI bowlers of his generation, is back in the team today, and Rohit Sharma couldn’t care less. He pulls the second ball over midwicket for four with elegant disdain, a cracking statement of intent. The rest of the over passes without incident.
Here come the players. With Shubman Gill rested, India’s new opener is… Washington Sundar. That means Virat Kohli will bat No3 and Shreyas Iyer No4.
In October 2013, India twice chased 350 to beat Australia. In those two games, Virat Kohli made 215 runs from 113 balls without being dismissed.
In other news, Virat Kohli is back in the India team today.
This is really good too. Ben Stokes spoke to Ali Martin about the joys of Perudo, having Freddie Flintoff around, the differences between Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan – they might surprise you, though they probably shouldn’t – and what he made of Tim Paine’s “me, me, me” comment.
