KL Rahul conjures up magical knock under pressure to script sensational win over Australia

KL Rahul during his 75 not out v Australia at Wankhede yesterday. Pics/Ashish Raje

Ravindra Jadeja continued to be a thorn for Australia with yet another excellent all-round show that helped India recover from early shocks and successfully chase down the visitors' total in the first one-day international at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday night. Jadeja (45 not out) and KL Rahul (75 not out), who lost his opening slot as well as the team's vice captaincy in the preceding Test series, produced a match-winning, unbroken partnership of 108 for the sixth wicket to help India cruise to a five-wicket victory and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three rubber.

Jadeja, who came up with two man-of-the-match displays in the opening two Tests in the four-Test rubber, took the crucial wicket of a rampaging Mitchell Marsh in the Australian innings and also fielded brilliantly. Then, chasing a modest score of 188, the hosts were in deep trouble at 39 for four following a triple strike by veteran left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc.

India rallied through some diligent batting by the sixth wicket duo and stand-in captain Hardik Pandya (25) to romp home in 39.5 overs on a track sporting good bounce and carry. Starc had removed top guns Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav cheaply in successive balls in his third over by trapping them leg before. With Ishan Kishan having fallen leg before to Marcus Stoinis in the second over of the chase, India had been reduced to a tottering 16 for three at the end of the fifth over. Worse was to follow when Shubman Gill (20) was caught superbly by Marnus Labuschagne off Starc to leave India further in trouble at 39 for four just into the 11th over.

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Crucial partnership

Pandya (25) and Rahul repaired the damage with a stand of 44 before the latter was caught hooking at long leg that left the hosts at a difficult 83 for 5. It called for some careful approach with the asking rate not too high from Rahul and Jadeja. The sixth wicket duo did just to see the home team through in the tense run chase.

Rahul struck one six and seven fours in his 91-ball knock while Jadeja hit 5 fours in his 69-ball unbeaten essay. Earlier, the Indian bowlers were right on top of the Australian batting once the fielding side saw the back of the big-hitting Marsh who looked in terrific form while making a blistering 81 off just 65 balls. The tall Marsh caned the Indian bowlers for five big sixes before left arm spinner Jadeja brought his entertaining innings to a close.

Two half-century stands

Marsh struck 10 fours too in his 99-minute stay and got involved in two half century partnerships, the only worthwhile period in the visitors' innings. Marsh added 72 and 52 runs with Australia captain Steven Smith (22) and Labuschagne (15) for the second and third wickets. Smith was caught superbly with a right side dive by stumper Rahul off Pandya to end the blossoming second wicket stand.

Marsh was the third batsman out at 129 in the 20th over after which the innings went into a steep decline, especially after Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj came back for their second spells. Australia slumped from 129 for 2 to 188 all out in the space of 16 overs with pacers Shami and Siraj doing the bulk of the damage in this phase.

Shami bowled a devastating second spell when he picked up three wickets in 11 balls without conceding a run to finish with 3 for 17 while Siraj tore into the tail for impressive figures of 3 for 29. Jadeja, who plucked a brilliant diving catch at backward point to send back Labuschagne off Kuldeep Yadav, ended up with 2 for 46.

Brief scores

Australia 188 all out in 35.4 overs (M Marsh 81; M Shami 3-17, R Jadeja 2-46) lost to India 191-5 in 39.5 overs (KL Rahul 75', Jadeja 45'; M Starc 3-49, M Stoinis 2-27) by 5 wkts