CHENNAI, India (AP) – Hardik Pandya notched up his highest score as India finished on 281-7 in 50 overs in the first ODI against Australia in Chennai on Sunday.
Pandya scored 83 off 66 balls, including five fours and five sixes, while MS Dhoni added 79 runs, as India recovered from a precarious start that at one point had the hosts struggling on 87-5.
Pandya’s previous top score was 76 against Pakistan in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy in June.
Indian cricket player Mahendra Singh Dhoni bats during the first one-day international cricket match between India and Australia in Chennai, India, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Opting to bat first, India made a poor start as they were reduced to 11-3 in the sixth over. Nathan Coulter-Nile picked up figures of 3-44, striking three times in the space of seven balls.
His first victim, Ajinkya Rahane (5), was caught behind in the fourth over. His highlight moment came when Glenn Maxwell held a stunning one-handed catch off Virat Kohli at backward point in the sixth over. The India skipper was out for a four-ball duck. Coulter-Nile struck again in the same over as Manish Pandey (0) edged behind two balls later.
At the other end, Steve Smith dropped Rohit Sharma (28) off Pat Cummins at second slip in the fifth over. The opener, on 4 not out at the time, made good use of this second chance and added 53 runs for the fourth wicket with Kedar Jadhav (40).
Just when India looked to be out of the woods, Marcus Stoinis (2-54) struck twice and removed both set batsmen in similar fashion. First, Sharma was caught in the deep pulling a short delivery from Stoinis in the 16th over. Jadhav then added 23 runs with Pandya, before he too miscued a pull off the same bowler to midwicket in the 22nd over.
That brought together Pandya and Dhoni at the crease, and they dug India out of its huge hole. They added 118 runs for the sixth wicket, though at first they were content rotating the strike as their 50 partnership came off 67 balls.
Pandya shifted gears thereafter and hit Adam Zampa (1-66) for three consecutive sixes in the 37th over. He reached his third ODI half-century off 48 balls. The 100 partnership came off 106 balls as India crossed 200 in the 41st over.
The hard-hitting all-rounder perished a short time later, out caught off Zampa. Dhoni took charge of the lower order thereafter with 83 runs coming off the last 10 overs, hitting four fours and two sixes in all.
Dhoni brought up his 66th ODI half-century off 75 balls, before he was dismissed in the final over of the innings off James Faulkner (1-67). In doing so, he crossed 4,000 ODI runs on Indian soil, becoming only the second India batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to do so.
He added 72 runs off 44 balls with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 32 not out off 30 balls. Kumar’s flourish, with five fours, meant that India reached a competitive score.
Indian cricket player Mahendra Singh Dhoni celebrates his fifty during the first one-day international cricket match between India and Australia in Chennai, India, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Australia cricket player Nathan Coulter-Nile, second from left celebrates after Ajinkya Rahane’s wicket during the first one-day international cricket match between India and Australia in Chennai, India, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Indian cricket player Rohit Sharma on his way to pavilion after got out during the first one-day international cricket match between India and Australia in Chennai, India, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Australia’s cricket player Marcus Stoinis celebrates after Kedar Jadhav’s wicket during the first one-day international cricket match between India and Australia in Chennai, India, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
Australia cricket player Nathan Coulter-Nile bowls during the first one-day international cricket match between India and Australia in Chennai, India, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
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