IND vs AUS, 3rd ODI: Australia Register 66-Run Victory to Deny India Historic Whitewash

Rajkot: Australia defeated India by 66 runs in the 3^rd ODI at Rajkot on Wednesday to deny India a historic whitewash.

Glenn Maxwell emerged as the star for Australia, taking 4 wickets for 40 runs. India’s pursuit of a daunting target of 353 required a big innings from the top order, but despite promising starts from Rohit Sharma (81) and Virat Kohli (56), they couldn’t carry on.

Rohit Sharma set a blazing tone for India with his explosive 81 off 57 balls, forming crucial partnerships with Washington Sundar (74 runs) and Virat Kohli (70 runs). However, the chase faltered after their dismissals, and Australia tightened their grip on the game.

Jasprit Bumrah made a strong comeback, taking 3 crucial wickets, including Alex Carey, Maxwell, and Marnus Labuschagne, finishing with figures of 3/81. Despite Bumrah’s efforts, Australia posted a formidable total of 352/7, the highest at Rajkot.

Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith played pivotal roles, amassing 137 runs for the second wicket. Marsh fell just short of a century, while Smith managed a half-century before departing.

Marnus Labuschagne contributed with his third fifty, and Pat Cummins’ late cameo ensured Australia’s total crossed the 350-run mark. Mitchell Starc and Maxwell made their comebacks, while Tanveer Sangha made his ODI debut for Australia.

On the Indian side, numerous changes were made, including the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, the absence of Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, and Hardik Pandya, along with the exclusion of Ravichandran Ashwin for Washington Sundar, impacted the team. Ishan Kishan’s unavailability due to illness added to the woes.

Local state players Dharmendra Jadeja, Prerak Mankad, Vishwaraj Jadeja, and Harvik Desai supported the team as substitutes for drinks and fielding duties throughout the match.

Brief Scores: Australia 352/7 in 50 overs (Mitchell Marsh (96), Steve Smith (74), Jasprit Bumrah 3/81) beat India 286/10 in 49.4 overs (Rohit Sharma (81), Virat Kohli (56), Glenn Maxwell 4/40) by 66 runs.