At the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, India and Australia are playing the first match of the ODI series. Rohit Sharma, India’s usual captain, is absent from the match, and as a result, Hardik Pandya is leading the team. Winning the toss, Pandya has chosen to bowl first.
The Indian team comprises four quick bowlers – Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Pandya himself – along with two spinners – Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav – who have been included in the playing eleven.
Siraj takes an important wicket as Mitchell Marsh is caught by him off Jadeja’s slower delivery outside off. Marsh attempted an ambitious shot but failed to connect well, resulting in an edge towards short third man.
Despite his impressive innings, Marsh missed out on a century and would be disappointed. This breakthrough is a significant one for India in the match.
Earlier, Smith’s attempt to play a cut shot to a wide ball from Hardik Pandya ended in his dismissal as he edged the ball to KL Rahul’s awaiting hands for an easy catch. Despite being a captain himself, Smith failed to take advantage of his good start and would surely be disappointed with his performance.
Although Pandya’s delivery wasn’t extraordinary, it was sufficient to send Smith back to the pavilion. Rahul took an impressive catch, securing the ball cleanly with both hands.
