New Delhi: India suffered a 35-run defeat against Australia in the fifth and final ODI to lose the series 2-3 here Wednesday.
Adam Zampa (3/46) stole the show in the India innings. The leg-spinner picking the wickets of Rohit Sharma (56), Vijay Shankar (16) and Ravindra Jadeja (0) to completely derail the innings. The Indian innings folded up for 237.
Chasing 273 to win the game and with it the series, India got off to a terrible start with Pat Cummins sending back Shikhar Dhawan (12) in the fifth over of the innings. With the score on 15/1, Virat Kohli joined Rohit at the crease.
The duo tried to settle the early nerves and all looked fine till Marcus Stoinis dismissed Kohli (20) against the run of play. Rishabh Pant was promoted to the number four position, and Nathan Lyon ensured that this experiment also failed for India as he walked back for 16, caught at first slip by Ashton Turner.
New No.5 Shankar too flattered to deceive and when Rohit was stumped by Alex Carey in the 27th over, it looked like the start of the end of the India chase.
But Kedar Jadhav (44) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (46) had other plans as they looked to play smart cricket and put on 91 runs off 103 balls. With 96 needed off the last 10, they mixed caution with aggression and stretched the game towards the death. Just when it looked like India would scamper home, Bhuvneshwar was sent back by Cummins. With Kedar dismissed off the first ball of the very next over by Richardson, it was curtains.
Earlier India staged a decent comeback to restrict Australia to 272 for nine after Usman Khawaja (100, 106b, 10×4, 2×6) continued with his imperious form. Khawaja shared two big partnerships at the top of the order.
Australia were placed comfortably at 175 for one in the 33rd over and set for a kill in slog overs, but the script changed for the hosts when Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/48) got rid off Khawaja.
The visitors added only 97 runs after that in 17 overs, surrendering the advantage. The left-hander raised a 76-run stand with Aaron Finch (27) after his skipper elected to bat in hazy and overcast conditions and followed it up with a 99-run partnership with Peter Handscomb (52). Ravindra Jadeja (2/45) and Mohammed Shami (2/57) accounted for two batsmen each.
Jadeja then got rid of Glenn Maxwell (1) and Shami sent back Handscomb as Australia lost three wickets in the space of 14 balls. The tide turned in India’s favour with Australia managing just 27 runs in overs between 34 and 40.
Jasprit Bumrah (0/39) was exceptional in his first eight overs giving just 14 runs but Jhye Richradson (29) spoilt his figures by creaming off four boundaries from his ninth over.
