India v Australia LIVE: Cricket World Cup result and reaction as India win by six wickets
India look to kickstart their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign against Australia
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India are under pressure from the weight of fans, media and all corners of the host nation when they get their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign up and running against Australia today.
As the host nation and the No 1 ranked side in the world, the expectation has rarely been higher for a nation to deliver, especially in front of a home crowd. After England were hammered by New Zealand in the tournament opener in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, both India and Australia will be looking to get their campaign off to a winning start.
India have not won a World Cup since 2011, and even Sachin Tendulkar spoke during the tournament opener on Wednesday about how sometimes the team have to remember that hundreds of millions are behind them rather than sitting on their shoulders. Australia lost the pre-tournament series in India against Rohit Sharma’s side, but as the England defeat to New Zealand has shown, the bilateral series results can have little effect on the outcome of a World Cup clash. India will also be hoping their side is up to full fitness.
Follow all the latest live coverage of today’s match in the live blog belowand get the latest match odds and tips here:
India beat Australia by six wickets
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.
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.
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.
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul lead India to dominant victory over Australia
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul steered India to victory over Australia in first World Cup match
India beat Australia by six wickets
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.
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.
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.
India beat Australia by six wickets
Rohit Sharma on the situation at the start of the innings: “I was nervous to be honest, you don’t want to start your innings like that when you’re chasing that kind of target. Some loose shots as well but that happens when you have that kind of target.
“But congrats to Virat and KL, how they stuck in the middle out there and created that match-winning partnership for us.”
“This World Cup this is going to be a bit of a challenge when you play in all kinds of venues and adapting to those conditions is going to be very different for us.
“The crowd was brilliant right from the word go, I can understand the players fielding in that heat, but for them sitting out in that heat and cheering means a lot.
India beat Australia by six wickets
Pat Cummins on how much his side would have needed: “ I think at least 50-odd it’s going to be tough trying to defend 200 on any wicket out there.
“I think obviously against a good bowling attack, I thought their spinners were tough work out there so it was a wicket you needed to get yourself in.
“We had them 3 for none with our quick bowlers, we still had 20 overs of spin, I think with another 50 that bowling innings looks a little bit different.
“You have a bit of review to this one but it’s only one game out of nine so we won’t dwell on it too much.”
India beat Australia by six wickets
KL Rahul said on coming to the crease so early on: “I was just trying to catch my breath and I thought I would get a good half an hour break so it was a bit of a rush but Virat said there was a bit in the wicket and we needed to play proper shots and play like it was Test cricket for some time and see how it goes and that was the plan.
“I think it (the pitch) remained the same for the most part of the game, but there was a bit of help for the fast bowlers with the new ball.
“I think in the last 15, 20 overs the dew played a bit of a part when they were bowling, but it was still two-paced, it wasn’t a great wicket to bat on but I think it was a good cricket wicket and that’s what you get in Chennai.”
India beat Australia by six wickets
Having been two for three at the start of the innings, that was an incredible recovery from India. Led by Kohli and Rahul they bounced back and ensured that their side, the host nation, would get their World Cup campaign off to a victory.
Kohli was dropped early on in his innings which proved to be the decisive moment, there would not even be another chance for Australia, until he was out on 85, and by then the result was already all but certain.
While Rahul may regret missing out on a century, it was a solid victory, when Australia won the toss and chose to bat first, but were bowled out for 199.
India win by six wickets!
The crowd is up and bouncing and singing their side over the line.
Rahul won’t get his century, but he has smashed Cummins for six and India have won the match!
Rahul went for the chip and a one-bounce four to give him the chance of a century, but he has 97 not out!
India 195-4 (41) Rahul 90, Pandya 11, Maxwell 0-33 (8) India need 5 runs to win
Rahul goes for a six and Maxwell has been hit straight down the ground over his head, that has gone a long way and India are going for the jugular.
He follows it up with another four and it could be done this over if he continues!
India 182-4 (40) Rahul 79, Pandya 10, Hazlewood 3-38 (9) need 18 runs to win
Hazlewood will continue and the question now will be whether India want to inflict maximum damage in terms of net run rate and really try and go for it as they chase down 28 runs to win.
Six! Pandya has changed the approach and smashes the first six of the boundary over mid off!
India 171-4 (39) Rahul 76, Pandya 3, Maxwell 0-20 (7) need 28 runs to win
Maxwell has bowled tightly, but even a few tight overs will not be enough now to really shift the pressure, despite the wicket, four runs from the over.
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