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 32-1 (8), Smith 16, Warner 16, Ashwin 0-3 (1)
Ravichandran Ashwin comes into the attack for a bit of spin now. He’ll be a big factor in India’s World Cup campaign and if he’s on song then the hosts will be difficult to beat.
Warner takes one off the first ball bringing Smith on strike. He rocks onto the back foot and misses out on a cut shot that sees the ball go finely past the edge of the bat.
Three singles come from a tight first over from Ashwin.
Australia 29-1 (7), Smith 15, Warner 14, Hardik 0-13 (1)
After a slight break in play to strap some fingers and make sure Hardik Pandya is okay to play on the Indian all-rounder continues his over.
A back of the length delivery gets David Warner pinned to the crease but the next ball is shorter and Warner hooks the seamer down to fine leg for four runs!
Steve Smith also gets into the action after the batters scramble through for a single. The final ball of the over is whipped over the legside for four more runs. That’s a big over for the Aussies.
Australia 20-1 (6.2 overs)
Hardik Pandya comes into the attack. After a dot, a stunning straight drive by David Warner fires back down the ground. It goes for four via the fingertips of the bowler, who now needs some treatment. It’s a welcome break for the other players in searing heat, and Warner and Smith take the chance to cool down.
Australia 16-1 (6 overs)
Siraj v Smith, and the bowler will be delighted to get a maiden over on the board. He doesn’t resort to the bouncer but instead offers some solid line and length bowling, and one or two deliveries are skidding low and causing some problems.
Australia 16-1 (5 overs)
Smith plays a beautiful cover drive to the boundary, before snatching a single. Bumrah responds with a series of testing balls to Warner, who survives as yet another beats the bat.
Australia 11-1 (4 overs)
Smith and Warner start to settle against Siraj and add a few more runs to the early tally.
Australia 6-1 (3 overs)
Steve Smith pinches a single, before Bumrah almost dismisses Warner with a beautiful final delivery which threatens the stumps before darting across the left hander. Warner manages to pull the edge of his bat out of harm’s way.
Wicket! Marsh 1 c Kohli b Bumrah, Australia 5-1
Mitch Marsh is gone! He prods tentatively at a rising Bumrah delivery and edges to slips where Virat Kohli takes a flying catch to his left. An early breakthrough for the hosts.
Australia 5-0 (2 overs)
David Warner shows his intentions with an immediate boundary off Mohammed Siraj’s first ball, but India are sharp in the field to deny anything more in the over. Bumrah will continue.
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