Kolkata: Despite half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, India was restricted to 252 all out in 50 overs in the second ODI against Australia.
Kohli scored 92 runs, while Rahane made 55 off 64 balls. The duo scored 102 runs for the second wicket after India won the toss and opted to bat. Kane Richardson, playing his first ODI since February 2016, took 3-55. Nathan Coulter-Nile also returned 3-51.
India lost Rohit Sharma (7) quickly, caught off a simple return catch by Coulter-Nile in the sixth over. Kohli and Rahane then came together and steered the Indian innings, scoring 50 runs off 51 balls.
The score crossed 100 in the 20th over. Kohli overcame his patchy start and reached his 45th ODI half-century off 60 balls. Soon after, Rahane reached his 20th ODI half-century off 62 balls.
Their 100 partnership came off 113 balls, but was then broken against the run of play. Kohli forced Rahane for a second run in the 24th over, and the latter was run out, unable to beat Hilton Cartwright’s throw from long on. It became a double blow as Ashton Agar (1-54) bowled Manish Pandey (3) cheaply four overs later.
Kedar Jadhav (24) then joined Kohli in the middle and put on 55 runs for the fourth wicket. India was slacking a bit in the middle overs as Australia exerted great control over the run-rate.
Jadhav then got out trying to force the pace, caught at backward point off Coulter-Nile in the 36th over. There was another double blow when MS Dhoni (5), playing in his 300th ODI for India, was caught.
It was only the fifth time in ODI cricket that Kohli had got out in the nervous 90s. The last occasion was in Perth in January 2016 when he scored 91 against Australia.
India crossed 200 in the 38th over, but the big blow came just prior. Kohli played on off Coulter-Nile and was bowled eight short of yet another ODI hundred. Overall, he faced 107 balls and hit eight fours.
Hardik Pandya (20) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (20) added 33 runs before a 15-minute rain break prior to the end of the innings.
There was some debate about the players walking off for rain, as Pandya was caught off a no ball in the 48th over just as the covers came on. Australia then affected a run-out as the batsman walked back to the dressing room without grounding his bat, but the umpires ruled in Pandya’s favor.
On resumption, Kumar was out caught after Smith dropped a skier. India lost two wickets in three balls as Kuldeep Yadav (0) was caught behind off Richardson in the penultimate over.
Pandya’s anticipated flourish never came, and he was caught at long on in the final over for Richardson’s third wicket. India finished with a below-par score losing its last four wickets for 13 runs.
(IANS)
