Fast-bowler Prasidh Krishna picked two wickets for India before rain arrived to interrupt Australia’s mammoth chase of 400 in the second ODI at Holkar Stadium on Sunday. At the time of interruption, Australia are 56/2 in nine overs, still needing 344 runs to win.
Australia were given the target after Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer smashed sparkling centuries, hitting 104 and 105 respectively while sharing a 200-run partnership. Captain KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav lit up the innings with their blazing half-centuries, 52 and 72 not out respectively as an absolute run-fest propelled India to a mammoth 399/5, their highest ODI score against Australia.
Their start to the chase was nice with Matthew Short taking two boundaries off Mohammed Shami, driving through extra cover and clipping through leg-side. But Krishna, playing in place of a rested Jasprit Bumrah, struck twice in his first over.
Short tried to hit on the up, but got a big edge and the ball flew to third man, giving the lanky pacer his first wicket. On the very next ball, Prasidh got some away movement and stand-in captain Steven Smith threw his hands at it, giving first slip a catch above his head.
David Warner (26 not out) and Marnus Labuschagne (17 not out) led Australia’s recovery from those twin blows by hitting eight boundaries while adding 47 off 45 balls for the third wicket till rain arrived, forcing players to go off the field.
Australia’s target will be adjusted as per DLS method as they started to lose overs from 7:26pm, owing to a brief 25-minute rain interruption happening already in India’s first innings, with 15 minutes deducted from the mid-innings break.
Brief Scores: India 399/5 in 50 overs (Shreyas Iyer 105, Shubman Gill 104; Cameron Green 2-103, Josh Hazlewood 1-62) against Australia 56/2 in nine overs (David Warner 26 not out; Prasidh Krishna 2-31), Australia need 344 runs to win.
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