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<\/p>\nKL Rahul and Virat Kohli steered India to victory over Australia<\/p>\n
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India launched their home World Cup campaign with a six-wicket victory over Australia after Virat Kohli and KL Rahul guided them through a jittery run chase on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The hosts probably expected their chase to be a cakewalk after their spin-heavy attack bundled out the five-times champions for 199 with three deliveries left in the Australian innings.<\/p>\n
India, however, made a shocking start to their reply with three of their top four batters falling for ducks — for the first time in an ODI — inside two overs.<\/p>\n
Dropped on 12 by Mitchell Marsh off Josh Hazlewood, Kohli went on to make 85 as he masterminded yet another successful chase for India.<\/p>\n
His partner in the 165-run fourth-wicket stand, KL Rahul, produced a chanceless knock of 97 not out as India reached the target in 41.2 overs.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to start our innings like that. You have to give credit to the Aussies,\u201d India captain Rohit Sharma said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were some loose shots but that happens…Credit to Virat and KL for creating that match-winning partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n
Australia would be particularly unhappy with their batting as no one reached fifty though David Warner (41) and Steve Smith (46) got decent starts after Pat Cummins elected to bat.<\/p>\n
Kohli took a sharp, diving catch in the slip to dismiss Marsh for a duck when the opener edged Jasprit Bumrah in the third over.<\/p>\n
Warner and Smith combined in a rebuilding job though boundaries were not easy to come by as India\u2019s three-pronged spin attack applied the chokehold.<\/p>\n
India had used Kuldeep Yadav sparingly in the buildup to the tournament wary of over-exposing him and the wrist-spinner struck two crucial blows.<\/p>\n
Kuldeep broke the 69-run stand when he took a return catch to dismiss Warner before Jadeja (3-28) wrecked Australia\u2019s middle order.<\/p>\n
The left-arm spinner pegged back Smith\u2019s off-stump, removed Marnus Labuschagne caught behind and trapped Alex Carey lbw to leave Australia reeling.<\/p>\n
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KL Rahul hit an unbeaten 97<\/p>\n
Kuldeep returned to remove Glenn Maxwell and Ravichandran Ashwin sent back Cameron Green to reduce Australia to 140-7.<\/p>\n
Cummins hit their first six of the match in the 40th over but it was Mitchell Starc\u2019s 28-run cameo down the order that took them near the 200-mark.<\/p>\n
Defending a paltry total, Australia\u2019s pace attack decided to fight fire with fire and Starc set the tone by removing Ishan Kishan for a first-ball duck.<\/p>\n
India\u2019s poor start became a veritable nightmare as Josh Hazlewood began with a double-wicket maiden.<\/p>\n
Hazlewood trapped Rohit lbw with his third ball and Shreyas Iyer became the third Indian to fall for a duck when he slapped the ball to Warner at short cover.<\/p>\n
It could easily have been 20-4 for India had Marsh not dropped Kohli in what proved a costly mistake.<\/p>\n
While Kohli absorbed pressure at one end, Rahul released it by hitting Adam Zampa for three boundaries in one over as the batters focused on risk-free accumulation of runs.<\/p>\n
Kohli fell to Hazlewood but Rahul held firm to seal India\u2019s victory with his second six.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were at least 50-odd runs short,\u201d Cummins rued.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was going to be tough defending 200 on that wicket. Their spinners in particular made it tough out there.\u201d<\/p>\n