Cricket: Retro Australians rout India in opening ODI
Updated 11:14, 16-Jan-2019
Sports Scene
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After their humiliating Test series defeat against the touring Indian team, a new-look Australia bounced back strongly with a clinical 34-run victory in the opening One-Day International (ODI) match in Sydney on Saturday.
With the bilateral series moving to white balls, color clothing, floodlit grounds and 50 overs-a-side format from the traditional red ball, white flannels and five-day format, the Australians made a valiant comeback in the opening game of the three-match ODI series at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Australian batters make merry

Australia's Peter Handscomb (R) plays a shot over the boundary line for six runs as India's wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (L) looks on during the first ODI match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, January 12, 2019. /VCG Photo

Australia's Peter Handscomb (R) plays a shot over the boundary line for six runs as India's wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (L) looks on during the first ODI match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, January 12, 2019. /VCG Photo

Bringing back memories of their indestructible World Series era side of the 1980s with their reintroduced yellow and green retro kits, the hosts won the toss and elected to bat first under their ODI captain Aaron Finch.
After losing both their openers – Finch and Alex Carey – early within the power play overs, the Aussies consolidated their innings with Usman Khwaja and Shaun Marsh hit patient half centuries. Once Khawaja (59 off 81 balls) and Marsh (54 off 70) perished after placing their side on course for a competitive total, Peter Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis kept the momentum going with some power-packed batting. Handscomb top-scored with swashbuckling innings of 73 off 61 deliveries while an unbeaten Stoinis chipped in with a quick-fire 47 off 43 balls to guide the Australian innings total to 288 for 5 in the stipulated 50 overs. Among the lackluster Indian bowlers, speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar and spinner Kuldeep Yadav picked up two wickets each.

India's batting meltdown as Aussie bowlers turn screw

Jhye Richardson (L) of Australia celebrates taking the wicket of Virat Kohli of India during game one of the ODI series at Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, January 12, 2019. /VCG Photo

Jhye Richardson (L) of Australia celebrates taking the wicket of Virat Kohli of India during game one of the ODI series at Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, January 12, 2019. /VCG Photo

Chasing the below-300 target, the Indian batting suffered a rare collapse early in their innings with Australian strike bowlers – debutant Jason Behrendorff and Jhye Richardson bowled a fiery opening spell to reduce the tourists to four for three. Both opener Skhikhar Dhawan and middle-order batsman Ambati Rayudu fell for zero while skipper Virat Kohli was sent back to the pavilion after scoring just three runs.
However, former captain and wicket-keeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined opener Rohit Sharma to steady the ship. The duo stitched together a valiant 137-run partnership before Dhoni was dismissed for 51. Continuing his sublime form, Sharma did manage to score the only century of the game with a gritty 133 off 129 balls but once he got out, it was all over for India.
Rohit Sharma (R) of India celebrates and acknowledges the crowd after scoring a century against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, January 12, 2019. /VCG Photo

Rohit Sharma (R) of India celebrates and acknowledges the crowd after scoring a century against Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, Australia, January 12, 2019. /VCG Photo

Although Kumar used the long handle to score some brisk runs towards the end, his 23 ball 29 wasn't enough for India to thwart the defeat. Player of the Match, Richardson was the pick of the Australian bowlers with a match haul of four for 26 while debutant Behrendorff and Stoinis bagged two wickets apiece.  
The second ODI will be played on January 15 at the Adelaide Oval ground while the third and final match of the series is scheduled to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 18.