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India beat Australia by eight runs in 2nd ODI

Record 500th ODI win, become 2nd team to the landmark


March 07, 2019 00:00:00


India's Vijay Shankar is cock-a-hoop after dismissing Australia's Marcus Stoinis in the last over during the second ODI in Nagpur on Tuesday — Internet

NAGPUR, India, Mar 06 (Agencies): India pulled off an eight-run victory in a low-scoring thriller after all-rounder Vijay Shankar picked two wickets in the final over of the second one-day international against Australia on Tuesday.

The Australians needed 11 runs from the last over with two wickets in hand but Shankar, playing only his sixth ODI, kept his nerves to pick a wicket off his first and third balls in the day-night game in Nagpur.

Skipper Virat Kohli, who struck 116 in India's modest total of 250, asked Shankar to bowl the final over ahead of the regular Kuldeep Yadav, and he was rewarded amply for his move.

The Aussies were bowled out for 242 off 40.3 overs with Marcus Stoinis top-scoring with 52.

The visitors were off to a steady start with openers Aaron Finch (37) and Usman Khawaja (38) putting on 83 runs before being dismissed in successive overs.

Glenn Maxwell (18) saw his stumps being uprooted after a ball from Kuldeep Yadav sneaked from under his bat.

But it was the run-out of Peter Handscomb who looked set for a big score that hurt the visitors hard.

Handscomb, who made 48 off 59 balls, tried to take a risky single but Ravindra Jadeja made no mistake in hitting the stumps.

A double-strike by Jasprit Bumrah (2-29) turned the game around for the Indians who ensured there was no let-up in the pressure on the visitors.

Earlier Kohli smashed his 40th century on a challenging pitch that seemed to aid bowlers. Kohli hit 10 fours in his 120-ball knock and held anchor after Australian captain Finch had elected to bat.

The Indians got off to a rocky start, losing openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan (21) early in the innings.

Sharma (0) top-edged off Adam Zampa and Dhawan (21) was given out leg before wicket after Australia’s appeal was upheld on review. India had no such luck as Ambati Rayudu’s decision to appeal against the on-field umpire’s lbw decision was turned down, the hosts reduced to a shaky 75-3.

Kohli, the world’s top-ranked ODI batsman, went for the counter-attack, hitting two fours off the last two balls of the 18th over by Zampa to underline his top form

Meanwhile, It was the 500th win in one-day internationals for India.India has become the second team after Australia to record 500 wins in One-Day International cricket, getting to the landmark in 963 matches.

With 558 wins, Australia is the most successful ODI team and India, with an eight-run win on Tuesday in Nagpur, became only the second nation to notch up 500 ODI wins.

India's first-ever ODI win came against East Africa in the first edition of Cricket World Cup on June 11, 1975. India took 18 years to reach a century of wins in the format. A victory over South Africa gave India its 100th ODI win in 1993.

Its 200th, 300th, 400th and 500th wins have all come in this millennium.


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