India vs Australia, ICC World Cup 2023 Highlights: Rahul-Kohli stand takes India over the line against the mighty Aussies in Chennai

India defeated Australia in their first game of ICC World Cup 2023 by six wickets as a masterclass partnership from Virat Kohli and KL Rahul took India home in Chennai.

India's spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja along Jasprit Bumrah first bundled out Australia on 199 on a pitch that had some help for the spinners. Jadeja outperformed everyone with a 28/3 in his full quota of 10 overs.

India's chase did not start well as Starc and Hazlewood took three wickets for just two runs in the first two overs. Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer all went for ducks.

Post that, it was all about Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. Although Mitchell Marsh gave Kohli a chance on 12 as he missed a catch off Hazlewood. But, post that, chase master was at his best. Kohli was finally dismissed on 85 after putting up a record fourth wicket world cup partnership of 165 along with KL Rahul. Though Kohli got out, Rahul made sure he took India home as up the NRR before facing Afghanistan in their next game on 11th October.

KL Rahul was man of the match for this unbeaten 97 from 115 balls.

Read the full match highlights of India vs Australia match from our below LIVE Blog.

KL Rahul needed 9 for a ton and India needed 5! Rahul wanted to hit a four first and then obviously go for the big money to get the ton. However, a swiftly timed shot goes over the boundary as he drops to his knees. Rahul remains not out on 97 as India win by six wickets.

India looking to close the game as quickly as possible and get that NRR up from the first game. Hardik steps out to Hazlewood and launches the ball over the long off for a six.

In the next over, Rahul hit a six and a four to Maxwell to close in the gap for a well-deserved ton.

A short ball does the trick for Australia and Josh Hazlewood. Kohli tried to pull the ball in front of the wicket and could not get it over the mid-wicket where Marnus Labuschagne was waiting to do the rest.

A brilliant inning from the chase master. Probably his one of the best in World Cups. Kohli departs for 85 from 116 balls after a 165-runs partnership with KL Rahul to bail India out from 2/3.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul now have the record for highest 4th wicket partnerhsip for India in any World Cup. They surpassed the pervious record of Navjot Singh Sidhu and Vinod Kambli's 142 against Zimbabwe in 1996. This is now also India's highest partnership v Australia in ODI World Cups.

In the last 30 minutes, there has not been a single ball that looked like getting either of Kohli or Rahul dismissed. That's how god both has been against the Aussies bowling line up. Pat has tried all of his cards, but Kohli and Rahul played the good balls for singles with dabs and cashed on bad balls with boundaries.

India need 59 runs from 99 balls as we type in. Kohli 72 from 100 balls, Rahul 62 from 91 balls.

KL Rahul completes his fifty in 72 balls and along with Kohli he is also now looking really good; taking India's score close to Asutralia's one. The dew is not helping the Indian batters as well. India 119/3 after 29 overs.

Virat Kohli looks in ease as he completes his 64th ODI fifty in chases for India in ODIs! 64th! That's quite a number from the chase master. A small rise of the bat from him as he knows more work is yet to be done.

Meanwhile, India corss 100 as Kohli and Rahul completes their third 100-run partnership in ODI cricket

Virat Kohli in successful chases for India in ODIs

◼️97 matches
◼️5432 runs
◼️89.04
◼️22 tons

Can Kohli take India over the line again?#INDvAUS #ICCWorldCup2023 #ICCWorldCup

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) October 8, 2023

Rahul plays out with Adam Zamapa's length as he first late cuts two balls for fours and then Zampa helps him with a fulltoss while trying to rectify. 13 from Zampa's over and India now looking good with two good players of spin at the crease.

Virat Kohli flicks Cameron Green for two back-to-back fours. He is now looking setelled against the spin and pace. Head on top of the ball, wristy flicks and boundary from mid-wicket region; we know now that the chase master is getting ready for another hunt.

India 49/3 after 15. Kohli 31 from 51 and KL Rahul 15 from 29.

Both India and Sri Lanka have the record for the lowest powerplay score in ODI cricket history with minimum of 10 overs of play. Read about the record here.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are trying to weather the storm for India as we get into the second porweplay of the chase.

Kohli looking positive as he trying to come out of the crease to negotiate the movement Hazelwood and Cummins are getting. Meanwhile, Rahul is trying to stay at the crease and play as late as possible.

Meatime, Glenn Maxwell, who had a great time during the ODI series, is introducted in the bowling. Maxwell looking to bowl a bit quicker forcing Kohli and Rahul stay on the backfoot.

India 35/3 after 12 overs. Kohli 19 off 39 and Rahul 13 off 23.

This is the first match in India's entire history of playing ODIs that three of their top four have bagged ducks.

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Fastest to reach 50 wickets in WC19 inns - Mitchell Starc
25 inns - Lasith Malinga
30 inns - Glenn McGrath
30 inns - M Muralitharan
33 inns - Wasim Akram

Ishan Kishan's world cup debut does not last for long. A first ball duck for the southpaw as he tries to fetch a delivery way outside his reach and gets an edge towards Cameron Green who did not make any mistake.

Then it was Josh Hazelwood who first got Rohit Sharma struck in front of the wicket. Although, Rohit had appealed for a DRS, it was the upmires decision that stood out at the end. Indian captain also went for a duck.

India's turmoil continued as Shreyas Iyer's world cup debut lasted only for three balls as he was caught at cover by David Warner playing a upish drive.

Three ducks by three top-order batters and India struggle at 2/3

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Australia once were 102/2 and looking good with David Warner and Steven Smith at the crease. But, it was all about the spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who ripped through the middle order to restrict to 140/7. However, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc provided some valuable contribution in the latter part of the inning to take Australia close to 200.

On a pitch that turned and helped the spinners a lot, Australia without any major spinners except Adam Zampa will be finding resources in the second inning. It will be interesting to see if Australia can make a match out it or will they face their fist defeat in Chennai in ODI World Cup history?

Mitchell Starc figts a lone a lone battle with the bat. The left arm pacer always came handy the long handle and proving his skills with the bat. Starc scores 28 from 35 balls and takes Australia's score to 199.

Australia added 59 runs with last three wickets as Starc and Cummins (15 off 24) added valuable contributions with the bat.

Ravindra Jadeja 10-28-3

Kuldeep Yadav 10-42-1

Ravichandran Ashwin 10-34-1

India's spin trio controlled the middle overs and ripped through the Aussies middle order.

India's spin trio dominates the Australian batting line up! 🔥

Live Blog-https://t.co/FEA2AK6Ift#RavindraJadeja #RaviAshwin #KuldeepYadav #CricketTwitter #WorldCup2023 #INDvAUS #KuldeepYadav #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/Pd62G8HmWK

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) October 8, 2023

Australian captain Pat Cummins is trying his best who is the score line to close to 200. But, he perishes while trying to take on Jasprit Bumrah who takes his second wicket off the day. He goes for 15 from 24 balls.

Rohit Sharma had brought Kuldeep Yadav just for this. Runs were drying up and we all knew Maxwell will try to get going against Kuldeep.

A quicker one from Kuldeep and Maxwell tries to pull it out of length. It spins and gets the leg stump. Maxwell goes for 15 from 25 balls with only one boundary against his name.

In the next over, Ravinchandran Ashwin comes in the act with Caemron Green's wicket. It was there to be cut, but Green could not get on the top of the bounce. He cuts it hard straight into the hands of Hardik Pandya in point. Green goes for 8 from 20 balls. Aussies are seven down.

This is the 11th time in international cricket that Ravindra Jadeja has got Steven Smith, more than any other batter.

Ravindra Jadeja in 30th over

1 W • W • •

Marnus Labuschagne's long vigil comes to an end. He tries to sweep Ravindra Jadeja which is always asking for trouble. A 97kmph delivery from Jadeja gets the edge and KL Rahul behind the stumps takes a great catch.

Marnus goes for 27 from 41 balls.

Alex Carey came to the crease to replace Marnus but he goes for second ball duck as India look to rip through the Aussie middle order. Jadeja from around the wicket to Carey pitches the ball in the middle stump and then it turns enough to miss Carey's bat. Alex was looking for a DRS but decided not to go for it. Luckily for them it would have been a waste as the ball was hitting the middle of middle stump.

Australia 120/5.

A left arm spinner's delight. Ravindra Jadeja flights the ball and pitches it around middle and off. Then, goes onto spin enough to hit the top of off-stump. Smith just could not do anything about that. Is this the turning point of the match?

Smith goes for 46 from 71 balls. Australia 112/3 after 28th over!

At the halfway mark, Australia are 102/2. Steve Smith looking solid as usual and set for a "big one" in Chennai although his strike rate has slowed down a bit. Marnus Labuschagne has also struggled a bit against the spinners.

Smith 44 from 68 balls and Labuschagne 18 from 30 balls as we type in after 26th over.

33 dots have been bowled by the spin duo till the 20th over as Rohit looked to build pressure on the well set Warner and Smith. With Warner now back to the pavilion, it will Siraj, Jadeja and Bumrah in shorter spells before Ashwin and Kuldeep come back again.

Rohit Sharma trying to unsettle Steven Smuth with pace as he is looking solid against the spin. Siraj starts with a cross seam and looking to scuffing up one side of the ball as Dinesh Karthik in the com box expects the ball to go reverse later in the day.

We are into the 23rd over and Australia closing in to 100 mark.

With two batters at the crease, Rohit brings left arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja into the attack. Jadeja can be an important bowler with Hardik already leaking a few runs in his first overs.

Kuldeep outfoxes Warner with the flight. Somehow Warner was looking a impaitent and wanted to go on with the flow. Warner tried to go for an inside out kind of a shot and gets the inside edge of the bat right back to the bowler.

Kuldeep did not make any mistake to send the well-set Warner back to the pavilion. Warner goes after scoring a well-made 41 from 52 balls. Australia 74/2 and Marnus Labuschagne comes to the crease.

Even with the spin duo of Ashwin and Kuldeep into the attack, India have not been able to stop the run flow. Warner (40 off 45) and Smith (31 off 39) looks in control of everything. They are looking to rotate strike in every ball with a boundary every here and then.

19 - David Warner
20 - Sachin Tendulkar
20 - AB de Villiers
21 - Viv Richards
21 - Sourav Ganguly

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Australian batters looking to capitalise anything that was loose from Hardik Pandya. He has now gone for 21 in his two overs. Even with the end of first powerplay, Rohit has not been able to give him a field to stop leaking boundaries. Looks like India will have to go to spin more to stop Warner and Smith.

Australia 54/1 after 12 overs.

We are into the seventh over and Ravichandran Ashwin isinto the attack. Australia 29/1 and looks like spin would be a factor on this track.

1 • • • 1 1

Ashwin gives away only three in his first as Rohit was forced bring him after Hardik Pandya was smashed for 13 in his first over. Ashwin got some bounce from the go and looked to be on the spot as well. It will be interesting how Warner tackles Ashwin on this pitch.

How does this Jarvo guy sneak into the stadium every time? 😂 #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/4yE6vfiwjP

— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) October 8, 2023

Jasprit Bumrah gets the opener. What a sight to have. If you are an Indian fan, damn, this is what you were looking for in the last 10 months or so. Pitched just outside the offside from a good length at a quick click and Marsh had to knick this one off. Virat Kohli dives to his left and does the rest.

India get their first. Australia 5/1 with David Warner and Steve Smith at the crease for them.

14 out of 23 games in MA Chidambaram Stadium have been won by the team batting first.

Australia: Warner, Marsh, Smith, Labuschagne, Maxwell, Carey (wk), Green, Cummins, Starc, Zampa, Hazlewood

India: Rohit, Kishan, Kohli, Shreyas, Rahul (wk), Hardik, Jadeja, Ashwin, Kuldeep, Bumrah, Siraj

Pat Cummings won the toss at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and they will bat first.