The dress rehearsal for the IND vs AUS opening fixture at the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 ended with the Aussies claiming a consolation 66-run victory at Rajkot.

Australia made the most of the batting conditions on offer and rallied to 352/7 in 50 overs, thanks to Mitchell Marsh's 96 and respective half-centuries from Steve Smith (74), Marnus Labuschagne (72) and David Warner (56).

India's road to 353 was initially built on the contributions of Rohit Sharma (81) and Virat Kohli (56) but the bowling prowess of Gleen Maxwell (4/40) and Josh Hazlewood (2/42) put the breaks on the run chase and ensured the Aussies end their five-match losing streak in ODIs.

Follow our running blog with consolidated updates of each game in the IND vs AUS ODI series 2023.

ODI #3: As it happened

Warner’s Fifty and wicket: Vol 3

For the third time in this IND vs AUS series, David Warner (56) hit a ODI half-century and would give away his wicket. This time around, it was Prasidh Krishna who dismissed the southpaw who was attempting to scoop the delivery but ended up taking a top edge straight to wicket-keeper KL Rahul.

Marsh, Smith exit after AUS cross 200

Mitchell Marsh’s fourth 50-plus score in six innings against India (102* - 2016,
81, 66*, 47, 4, 96 - 2023) and Steve Smith’s 74 helped Australia cross the 200-run mark in 26.2 overs, but they would see their time at the crease cut short by Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj respectively.

While Kuldeep took advantage of Marsh’s attempt to clear the offside but got him to bunt it to cover where Prasidh Krishna was waiting, Siraj trapped Smith for a clean LBW dismissal.

Labuschagne fifty amidst the fall of wickets

Marnus Labuschagne (72) saw his budding partnerships with Alex Carey (11), Glenn Maxwell (5) and Cameron Green (9) end at the hands of Boom Boom Bumrah (dismissed Carey and Maxwell) and Kuldeep Yadav (dismissed Green), but the former managed to notch his eighth ODI fifty and second on Indian soil by the end of the 45th over. He would be Bumrah’s third wicket of the game in the 49th over.

Target locked: 353

Australia finish their innings at 352/7, which is the the highest ODI total at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. India will look to win their third game when chasing a 300-plus total at home against the Aussies, having done so successfully twice out of four games.

Hitman, Kohli half-tons elevate India to 140

Skipper Ro-Hit Sharma (81) and Virat Kohli (56) got their first taste of cricket in the ongoing IND vs AUS ODI series, and the seasoned duo ensured they made the most of it with their respective ODI half-centuries.

Rohit, for one, came close to breaking Chris Gayle's record of most sixes in international cricket (553) but inadvertently, became the fastest player to 550 sixes.

Iyer falls short of 50

Shreyas Iyer took the baton from Rohit and Virat, and carried India to the 250-run mark in the run chase. But, he would fall one short of a deserved half-ton as Glenn Maxwell managed to penetrate his defences and hit the stumps.

Jadeja fights back, but India fall short of target

Ravindra Jadeja's run-a-ball 35 was the faint ray of hope for India to possibly chase 353 on his home turf of Rajkot, but the bowling strategies of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, debutant Tanveer Sangha and Cameron Green in the final 10 overs enabled the visitors to reduce the hosts to 286 in 49.4 overs.

Final score: Australia - 352/7 (Mitchell Marsh 96, Steve Smith 74; Ravichandran Ashwin 3/41, Ravindra Jadeja 3/42) BEAT India - 286 (Rohit Sharma 81, Virat Kohli 56; Glenn Maxwell 4/40) by 66 runs.

ODI #2: As it happened

Centurions Iyer and Gill elevate India past 200

There was rain, but there was a much bigger outpour - one of runs thanks to the steady batting exploits of Shreyas Iyer (105) and Shubman Gill (104).

Iyer, for one, notched his third ODI hundred - and first in 11 months - since a back injury kept him on the sidelines since March. 11 fours and three sixes in 90 balls means Iyer is truly BACK. His 200-run partnership with Gill ensured India’s revival from 16/1 to 216/2 after the dismissal of Ruturaj Gaikwad (8, 3.4 overs).

Gill, on the other hand, has been a different kind of beast in 2023. Today, he hustled to register his sixth ODI ton, fifth in 2023, and fourth in a calendar year at home (equalling Rocky Ponting’s world record, a record for an Indian). His knock started slow with nine runs from 19 deliveries, but later, Gill refined it into a package of six fours and four sixes that kept Indian fans at the edge of their seats.

KL Rahul & SKY present ‘The 50-50 Show’, supported by Ishan Kishan

Pocket dynamo Ishan played the cameo act to set the launchpad for KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav, with his 18-ball 31. And then, Rahul (52) and Aapla Dada Surya (72 not out) entered with one thing in mind - show no mercy to the Aussie bowlers.

Surya Dada presented a batting masterclass at Indore with his unbeaten 37-ball knock. This included a power-packed 44th over - where he dispatched Green for 26 runs to rise from 4 (9 balls) to 29 (14). The over would read something like this,

Over 43.6: Green to KL Rahul, one run
Over 43.5: Green to SKY, one run
Over 43.4: Green to SKY, SIX
Over 43.3: Green to SKY, SIX
Over 43.2: Green to SKY, SIX
Over 43.1: Green to SKY, SIX

‘P’ in Prasidh stands for precision

Two different deliveries (overs 1.2 and 1.3), two outside edges and two crucial wickets of Matthew Short (9) and Steve Smith (0) - Prasidh Krishna’s comeback in 2023 is going smoothly.

Ash-Jaddu reign after the rain

Another intrusion by the weather gods, the pitch at the Holkar Cricket Stadium became kind to India - especially for spin specialists Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin went on the throttle in his third over, with his trademark carrom ball sneaking through Marnus Labuschagne (27) to crash into the latter’s off stump.

He would open his immediate next over with the dismissal of half-centurion David Warner (53). Warner pre-empted the reverse sweep, but Ash managed to deceive the AUS opener for an LBW. P.S. India escaped with a game-changing dismissal as replays showed there was indeed a bottom edge involved in the run to the wicket.

Taking a cue from his spin partner, Ravindra Jadeja opened his account for the evening with the wickets of Alex Carey (14, 18.2 overs) and Adam Zampa (5, 20.4 overs).

AUS put up a final stand, but the winner is… INDIA

Sean Abbott arrived at number eight and left the Indore audience with an unexpected late blitz. He stitched a 77-run partnership for the ninth wicket with Josh Hazlewood (23) while plundering four boundaries and five sixes in his 36-ball 54.

However, Sir Jadeja brought in the swirl with his deliveries to take Abbott’s wicket and power India to a 99-run victory by DLS.

Final score: India - 399/5 (Shreyas Iyer 105, Shubman Gill 104; Cameron Green 2/103) BEAT Australia - 217 (Sean Abbott 54, David Warner 53; Ravichandran Ashwin 3/41, Ravindra Jadeja 3/42) by 99 runs.

ODI #1: As it happened

Shami lifts the shutters up

Clear blue skies, lush green pitch and an early wicket - a start to the ODI series that India loves. Having won the toss, KL Rahul handed the ball to Mohammed Shami to lift the shutters of the game, and the pacer didn’t disappoint. A good length delivery that angled and kissed the bat of Mitchell Marsh, who edged it to Shubman Gill at first slip.

… and he returns with a knockout punch against Smith

After Ravindra Jadeja took the traditional approach to toggle a confident David Warner (52) to miscue a slog sleep shot towards Gill at wide long on, Mohammed Shami returned to do what he is known for - dismantling stumps. Steve Smith aimed to go for a drive, but officer Shami’s upright seam delivery broke threw the defences of the Aussie star and dispatched him back to the pavilion for 41.

Rain, Ashwin comeback and a SKYfall run out

The early heat wave was briefly dished out by a mild shower of rain. And note, this was a blessing in disguise as the returning Ravichandran Ashwin claimed his maiden ODI wicket in 609 days. Marnus Labuschagne (39) went for the reverse sweep only to be outfoxed by Ashwin’s delivery that slipped past the former and taking a ricochet off wicket-keeper KL Rahul’s leg pad and stumping him out.

Our very own Cameron Green was involved in a disheartening run out. His attempt to take a second run was denied by his team-mate Josh Inglis and after crossing three-quarters of the pitch, his time at the crease was ended by the combined effort of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Suryakumar Yadav - who got Green out.

Boom Boom, Shami, Shardul draw curtains on AUS innings

When you see Jasprit Bumrah bowling slow off-cutters, you know what to expect right, Paltan? Josh Inglis miscued Boom Boom’s delivery and gifted his wicket to Shreyas Iyer.

Bumrah’s strike came amidst the stellar run of Mohammed Shami, who grabbed three wickets from overs 47 and 49 to complete his second ODI five-for and career-best figures of 5 for 51.

Captain Pat Cummins’ handy 21 off just nine balls and Adam Zampa’s late run out off Shardul Thakur’s final over meant the visitors finished with 276 in 50 overs.

Gaikwad-Gill’s red-hot headstart halted by Zampa

Chasing 277, the opening pairing of Ruturaj Gaikwad (71) and Shubman Gill dictated the early pressure with calculated and precise shot selections to carry India closer to 150 inside 22 overs.

The 142-run partnership was broken by Adam Zampa, who trapped Gaikwad with a delivery turning in to attack the middle stumps via the batter’s right thigh. Zampa would return to hunt wickets, this time dismantling the castle of Gill (74) with a skid through the bat and shook the stumps.

Captain KL, SKY to the rescue

Following the run-out of Ishan Kishan (18), stand-in skipper KL Rahul and Aapla Dada Surya each notched their ODI half-centuries to take home a well-deserved five-wicket victory. To make it sweeter, Rahul hit the winning runs with classic maximum straight downtown above Sean Abbott’s head.

This game meant a lot to SKY, given the chatter around his ODI form. “That was what I was dreaming off when I started playing this format. Try and bat till the end as much as possible and finish the game for the team,” Surya said after the game.

“I couldn't do that today but definitely loving my new role. I have been wondering what has been happening. The colour of the ball is the same. The teams are the same. The bowlers are the same. I think I was hurrying a bit. I thought, let's take a little bit more time. Calm myself, take it slowly and try and bat deep." he added.

Final score: India - 281/5 (Shubman Gill 74, Ruturaj Gaikwad 71, KL Rahul 58*; Adam Zampa 2/57) BEAT Australia - 276 (David Warner 52, Josh Inglis 45; Mohammed Shami 5/51) by five wickets.