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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Your support makes all the difference.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:
Australia 104-2 (26), Smith 44, Labuschagne 18, Jadeja 0-15 (4)
Close! Steve Smith chips the ball down the ground as he tries to increase the tempo. At long off Mohammed Siraj is too slow to react to the ball and it bounces short of him when he comes storming forward from the boundary rope.
The ball continues to get stuck in the wicket and Labuschagne is too early on the ball. He mistimes a couple before taking one.
Australia 102-2 (25), Smith 43, Labuschagne 17, Siraj 0-17 (5)
Australia pass 100 with a couple for Marnus Labuschagne who pulls Siraj into the legside. He then leans onto a whip through midwicket for one more and is starting to look at home on this tricky wicket.
Just four runs come from the over.
Australia 98-2 (24), Smith 42, Labuschagne 14, Jadeja 0-13 (3)
Steve Smith edges ever closer to a half-century as he continues to milk the Jadeja for ones.
Four runs come from four deliveries before Labuschagne finds the fielder at midwicket. The last ball of Jadeja’s third over brings one more but it is still just five from the over.
Australia 93-2 (23), Smith 40, Labuschagne 12, Siraj 0-13 (4)
Another change in bowling now sees Mohammed Siraj brought back into the attack. His first spell was a decent one but the reintroduction of pace bowling may allow Austalia to increase the run-rate.
Smith defends the first ball before guiding the second down the third man for a single. Marnus Labuschagne plays the same shot but angles it fine of Ravi Ashwin on the boundary meaning he can sprint back for a second run.
A pull shot brings him another run but Siraj’s return is strong with just four from it.
Australia 89-2 (22), Smith 39, Labuschagne 9, Jadeja 0-9 (2)
Jadeja is a little quicker through the air than Kuldeep and prefers to angle the ball into the pads of the right-handers. He gets through his overs quickly and leaves the batters no moment to gather themselves and think about the next ball.
Just one comes from his over.
Australia 88-2 (21), Smith 38, Labuschagne 9, Kuldeep 1-15 (5)
The run-rate has been pretty consistent over the first 20 overs, hovering a touch over 4 runs-per-over.
Kuldeep throws one wide to Smith who misses out on a cut shot and looks up to the heavens in disbelief. He then gets off strike leaving Labuschagne four deliveries.
A smoking cut shot is drilled to the fielder at point and Labuschagne misses out on a potential boundary. He takes one with a risky sweep shot before Smith pulls the ball into deep midwicket for one more.
Australia 85-2 (20), Smith 36, Labuschagne 8, Jadeja 0-8 (1)
Rohit Sharma wants to get his third spinner into the attack so on comes Ravindra Jadeja for a bowl. India have put the pressure on Australia and what they don’t want to do is relinquish it with a change of bowling.
Two singles sees the batters ease into the over before Labuschagne rolls onto the back foot and guides the ball wide of Ravi Ashwin for four runs!
That’s a needed boundary.
Another two runs come from the rest of the over and Australia get themselves moving on the scorecard again.
Australia 77-2 (19), Smith 34, Labuschagne 2, Kuldeep 1-12 (4)
Labuschagne flicks the ball into midwicket for one as Kuldeep repeatedly targets the stumps.
There’s no release shot for the Aussies right now and Rohit decides to compound the issue by moving into the gap at square leg to cut out that easy run.
Smith blocks out the rest of the over. One from it.
Australia 76-2 (18), Smith 34, Labuschagne 1, Ashwin 0-24 (6)
Rohit Sharma may decide to bowl Ravi Ashwin out here as the off-spinner is controlling the tempo of Australia’s innings quite well.
He gets the ball to grip and spin past the outside of Steve Smith’s bat before Smith awkwardly scoops the ball into the legside for one.
Marnus Labushagne gets off the mark with a single of his own. India are strangling Australia a bit now.
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