David Warner breaks out of “Pushpa” celebration during India vs. Australia game, “Jhukega Nahi,” after Australia shock India
After a thrilling third and final match in Chennai on Wednesday, Australia handed India their first One-day International series defeat at home since 2019.
David Warner appears to have saved his best for last. Following Australia’s third ODI victory over India, David Warner performed the Pushpa celebration on the trophy pedestal with his teammates by his side. In a thrilling third and final match in Chennai on Wednesday, Australian spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar turned the match around, handing India their first one-day international series defeat at home since 2019.
In the first two balls of the 36th over, left-arm spinner Agar dismissed in-form Virat Kohli (54) and the world’s top-rated Twenty20 batter Suryakumar Yadav for his third consecutive golden duck, leaving the hosts shaking at 185-6 with a target of 270 to win.
After Australia’s stand-in-captain Steve Smith won the toss and chose to bat first in the series decider, the visitors won by 21 runs, bowling out the hosts for 248 in the final over.
Before the ODI World Cup in India later this year, Australia used the series as crucial preparation for South Asian pitches.
Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav each took three wickets in Australia’s first innings, leaving India needing 270 to win the series, which was tied at 1-1 going into the final game.
Before that, India’s Pandya (3-44) and left-arm spinner Kuldeep (3-56) were instrumental in keeping Australia to a manageable 269 in the 49th over.
Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh, two in-form openers, had 10 boundaries between them by the eighth over, including three sixes, and appeared to be setting up for a commanding partnership before Pandya took three quick wickets for Head (33), Smith (0), and Marsh (47).
David Warner, who scored 23 while batting at position four after recovering from an elbow fracture that kept him out of the second Test in February, gave Yadav the upper hand in the middle order.
Marnus Labuschagne (28) came next, but Alex Carey clung on for another 10 overs before departing on 38.
Sean Abbott (26), Agar (17), and Mitchell Starc (10) added significant runs to a below-par total as left-arm spinner Axar Patel and frontline pacer Mohammed Siraj each claimed two wickets.
Australia was cruising through the first 10 overs of their chase when India bowled them out for 269 before Rohit Sharma, the team captain, fell after making 30 off 17 balls and leaving them at 65-1.
Shubman Gill, Sharma’s reliable opening partner, also failed shortly after, making a steady 37 off 49 balls against leg-spinner Zampa.
Kohli and KL Rahul of India put on a 69-run stand before Rahul was dismissed for 32 by Zampa.
After all-rounders Hardik Pandya (41) and Ravindra Jadeja (18) also lost to Zampa, who finished with 4-45 in his 10-over spell, the hosts’ lower-middle order, which had previously been dependable, provided little resistance.
Agar, Zampa’s spin partner, finished with 2-41, while pacers Sean Abbott and Marcus Stoinis each took one wicket.
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