In a dramatic start to their home World Cup campaign, India secured a nail-biting six-wicket triumph over Australia on Sunday.
The match witnessed Virat Kohli and KL Rahul displaying nerves of steel as they guided India through a jittery run chase.
India's spin-heavy bowling attack had earlier impressed by bundling out the five-time champions, Australia, for a modest total of 199 with just three deliveries left in the innings.
However, India's chase began on a shockingly shaky note, with three of their top four batters dismissed for ducks within the first two overs—an unprecedented event in ODI history.
Despite the early setbacks, Virat Kohli, who was given a lifeline by Mitchell Marsh on 12, showcased his class by crafting a superb innings of 85, steering India towards victory.
His partner in the crucial 165-run fourth-wicket partnership, KL Rahul, played a chanceless knock of 97 not out as India successfully reached the target in 41.2 overs.
India captain Rohit Sharma acknowledged the rough start, saying, "We didn't want to start our innings like that. You have to give credit to the Aussies.
There were some loose shots, but that happens... Credit to Virat and KL for creating that match-winning partnership."
Australia, on the other hand, would be disappointed with their batting performance, as no batsman managed to reach the fifty-run mark, despite decent starts by David Warner (41) and Steve Smith (46).
The Indian spin trio, consisting of Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, applied the pressure, making boundaries hard to come by.
Kuldeep Yadav played a pivotal role, breaking the 69-run partnership by taking a crucial return catch to dismiss Warner. Jadeja further dented Australia's middle order, claiming three wickets for just 28 runs.
As Australia struggled to post a competitive total, Mitchell Starc's late cameo of 28 runs proved instrumental in taking them close to the 200 mark.
In response, India faced a challenging chase, with Josh Hazlewood delivering a double-wicket maiden over at the start. Kohli, however, held firm and absorbed the pressure, while Rahul provided momentum with well-timed boundaries.
Kohli eventually fell to Hazlewood, but Rahul's resilience ensured India's victory, sealing the match with a second six.
Australia's Pat Cummins expressed regret over falling short, stating, "We were at least 50-odd runs short. It was going to be tough defending 200 on that wicket. Their spinners in particular made it tough out there."
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