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SPORTS NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | The Indian Eye 48

india in austRaLia

can india do anytHinG to stoP steVe

smitH wHo is unstoPPaBLe?

Australia register a 66-run win over India in the opening ODI of the three-match series

seen him return to rhythm.
Our Bureau

Sydney “Have been searching for some-

n all-round performance from Aus- thing for a couple of months now.
tralia saw them register a 66-run
Awin over India in the opening ODI about three days ago something just
of the three-match series at the Sydney clicked. my rhythm came back, ev-
Cricket Ground on Friday.
If skipper Aaron Finch (114) and Steve erything came back,” he pointed.
Smith (105) stole the show with the bat, it
was leg-spinner Adam Zampa who joined The Australians were off to a great start
Josh Hazlewood with the ball to derail the thanks to skipper Aaron Finch and David
Indian batting line-up. While Zampa fin- Warner and Smith acknowledged the fact
ished with figures of 4/54 from his 10, Ha- that it helped as he could walk out and en-
zlewood picked three from his 10 overs and joy himself in the middle.
gave away 55 runs. Chasing a monumental “Finchy and Davey played very well ear-
target of 375, the visitors were never really ly on. We could come in and be aggressive.
in the game except for a brief stage when Wasn’t thinking too much out there, just
opener Shikhar Dhawan (74) and Hardik seeing the ball and hitting it,” he said.
Pandya (90) put on 128 runs for the fifth Smith did admit that he did not play in
wicket. But the top half of the innings had the usual way and did go ahead to take a
already left a lot to be desired even though steve smith few risks. Fortunately for the batsman, the
openers Mayank Agarwal and Dhawan did risks paid off and the hosts smiled their way
get off to a flier and added 53 in the first to a 1-0 lead in the three-game series.
five overs. Speedster Hazlewood started “Was seeing the ball well. It was a good
the damage by removing Agarwal (22) in surface. I took a few more risks than I would
the sixth over. normally. I targeted some bowlers and for-
Skipper Virat Kohli joined Dhawan in tunately, it came off. Nice to contribute to a
the middle and added 25 runs for the sec- good win,” he said.
ond wicket. But looking to up the ante with Australia skipper Aaron Finch put the
an eye on the required rate, Kohli too be- team ahead of himself despite playing
came a victim of Hazlewood after hitting a a captain’s knock at the Sydney Cricket
run-a-ball 21. Ground against India on Friday and said he
Earlier, Smith and Finch’s tons guided was lucky that a couple of chances he took
the hosts to a mammoth 374/6 in their 50 came off well.
overs. Having opted to bat after winning While Finch found the going tough,
the toss, Australia got off to a brilliant start his opening partner David Warner looked
with openers David Warner and Finch scor- hardik Pandya in fine flow as he hit 69 off 76 balls. “Each
ing regular boundaries. guy has different strengths and weakness-
The duo kept the scoreboard running and Steve Smith might not be the most or- es. You embrace that. Davey, he’s moving
touched the 100-run mark in the 19th over. thodox batsman on display, but when on beautifully. His rhythm looked outstand-
Mohammed Shami handed India the first song, the former Australia skipper is un- ing,” Finch said.
breakthrough as he dismissed Warner (69), doubtedly a treat to watch. The crowd at If Warner was good, Steve Smith was
ending their 156-run partnership. But the the Sydney Cricket Ground was witnessed one better as he looked to be batting on a
joy was shortlived as Smith came out to bat. to some magical shots from Smith’s bat as different pitch altogether. Having sound-
Smith and Finch proved too good for he hit a scintillating 66-ball 105 that took ed the warning bells going into the ODIs,
the Indian bowlers and took Australia past the game away from India. Speaking about Smith hit a 66-ball 105 that was laced with
the 200-run mark in the 34th over. Smith the knock at the end of the game, Smith four sixes and 11 fours. Commenting on the
started playing aggressively and completed said he had been searching for something scintillating knock from Smith, Finch said:
his half-century off just 36 deliveries. that has finally fallen in place and that has “Smudge was different class altogether.”

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