||Desk Report||

Australia finally won an ODI-series in India 3-2 since their last series-victory in 2009. Australia won the 7-match-series beating the home side in four matches while the home side won just two matches and the last match was abandoned. After that series, Aussies played in India three more ODI-series and lost respectively in 2010 (1-0), in 2013 (3-2) and in 2017 (4-1) excluding this recently concluded series. Even, it was Australia's first ODI series win since January 2017, at home against Pakistan, and their first one-day series win on foreign soil since beat Sri Lanka in 2016.

However, the visitors finally ended their ODI series winning-drought on Wednesday in Delhi, beating the hosts by 35 runs in the series decider match. Usman Khawaja’s second ODI-ton led the visitors to 272 for 9 before Adam Zampa (3 for 46) and an all-round bowling effort bowled India out for 237 runs. Earlier, India, who were being clean swept 2-0 in T20s, started ODI campaign with the two successive wins, but then Aussies came back and consecutively snatched the last three matches.  

Earlier, Usman Khawaja and captain Aaron Finch gave Aussies a solid start after electing to bat first. The duo made a 76-run partnership in the opening-stand before Finch’s departure for 27. But then, Khawaja along with Peter Handscomb made a 99-run partnership in the second-wicket-stand that lifted the visitors to a strong position. while Handscomb knocked 52.

The pair was broken by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Khawaja finally dismissed for 100 off 106 balls, followed by Glenn Maxwell (1). Handscomb added some more runs and clinched his 4^th ODI fifty before being removed by Mohammed Shami. Allrounder Marcus Stoinis (20), Ashton Turner (20) and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey (3) fell in 12 overs.

Jhye Richardson (28) and Pat Cummins (13) put on a vital 34-run for the eighth wicket stand and led the visitors to 272 runs. Nathan Lyon was unbeaten for 1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up 3 wickets for the hosts while Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja picked up 2 wickets each.

In chasing the target of 273, India lost Shikhar Dhawan (12) for a total of 15.  Opener Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli tried to resist but failed as Kohli went back for 20. After that, the hosts regularly lost wickets to a well-drilled Australian attack as Rishabh Pant dismissed for 16, followed by Vijay Shankar for 16. Finally, Rohit, who knocked 56 off 89 balls, dismissed by Adam Zampa. Rohit joined the 8000-ODI-run club. In the same over, Zampa picked up another wicket of Ravindra Jadeja for the naught. But Kedar Jadhav (44) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (46) showed a heroic effort and added 91-run in the seventh-wicket stand. But the duo finally dismissed by respectively Jhye Richardson and Pat Cummins. Among the rest of the batsmen, Mohammed Shami removed for 3 while Kuldeep Yadav bowled out for 8. Jasprit Bumrah was not out for 1. Adam Zampa took 3 wickets for visitors while Jhye Richardson, Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis claimed 2 wickets each.

Brief Score:

Australia: 272/9

Khawaja 100, Handscomb 52; Kumar 3-48, Jadeja 2-45