While Steve Smith rued the fact that Australia didn’t have enough significant partnerships, India found one between Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, which yielded 91. It was a testament to Iyer’s form in the middle order and how he has owned the No.4 spot in this format. While he wasn’t at his attacking best, he kept the strike rotating.
It might not appear significant in the end result, but Axar Patel at No. 5 once again played a handy knock. With Kohli surviving a dropped chance and Iyer dismissed immediately thereafter, Patel walked out and played an important cameo. A slog-sweep for six and a gorgeous four over cover were standout shots on the night. He continues to impress in all three facets of the game.
At the 40-over mark, with the required rate creeping up, Nasser Hussain picked up a cue on air, watching KL Rahul’s body language. He sensed that there was an acceleration around the corner and Rahul did just that. He later told the broadcasters that, contrary to how Kohli batted, he found it tough to rotate strike, so decided to go for boundaries. He finished the match off with a six, and a confidence-boosting 42* off 34.
According to Rahul, Hardik Pandya walked in at the fall of Kohli’s wicket and said that he will take on Adam Zampa, because it was a good match-up for him. When he played out a few dot balls, some nerves were visible in the India supporters. But after smashing Tanveer Sangha into the stands, he went after Zampa for consecutive sixes. The 14 dots didn’t seem a big deal then, and by the time he was out, Pandya had put the match beyond Australia.
