India wins after Australia comes close in run chase
India has won the third and final match against Australia in Canberra but it was a close run thing.
Australia could make it a 3-0 series win over India in the final match of the ODI series at Canberra’s Manuka Oval today. Follow the big moments below.
Peter Lalor 10.30pm: India wins after Australia comes close
India has won the third and final match against Australia in Canberra but it was a close run thing.
Australia was all out for 289 with three balls remaining in the game. Earlier India posted 5-302.
Another big-hitting innings from Glenn Maxwell threatened to get his side over the line but the exciting batsman could not quite get the job done.
The home side had already secured victory in the series and came close to a clean sweep, but when Maxwell was dismissed for 59 in the 45th over the remaining batsmen could not muster the 34 remaining runs.
Changes to the bowling attack for the visitors proved effective with Shardul Thakur cleaning up the tail after earlier removing the very dangerous Steve Smith and Moises Henriques.
It was India’s first ODI victory after five successive losses in the format.
Australia was without David Warner and Mitchell Starc through injury and Pat Cummins was rested for the match.
Peter Lalor 9.50pm: Hopes rest on rejuvenated Maxwell
Better hope no politicians are getting amorous in Manuka’s bars tonight, because Glenn Maxwell is in a mood and nobody is safe.
The batsman who did not hit a six in the entire IPL hit one six out of the ground in the direction of the suburb favoured by Canberra’s elite classes.
A reverse sweep into the stands was another highlight for the batter who, like Finch, has reversed his form on return from the Indian tournament.
Maxwell, with 57 off 35 balls, and probably Australia’s last hope to chase down the 50 odd runs needed for victory.
Maxwell brought up his second successive 50 with a six over square leg.
His partner Ashton Agar has had his calf strapped after pulling up short in a single.
Peter Lalor 8.50pm: Green shows his colours
OK, Australia, that was your first taste of Cameron Green. The tall 21-year-old made 21 from 27 deliveries before holing out in the deep off the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav in his first match for Australia.
He also bowled four overs without disgracing himself.
Thing is, ODIs are not where he is expected to prosper. This kid has the potential to be a once-in-a-generation Test match all-rounder.
Fingers crossed, we get to see him in that format soon.
Meanwhile, Carey and Maxwell are in and will have to score most of the 150 odd runs needed for victory.
Australia is 5-162.
Peter Lalor 8pm: Finch powers to 50
Aaron Finch brings up his 50 with a slog sweep and in doing so confirmed he has shaken off problems that saw him dropped during the IPL.
The Australian skipper had scores of 114 and 60 leading into this game.
More important than individual successes is the fact Australia came to the Manuka game having already sealed the series.
Steve Smith was dismissed for 7 after two consecutive centuries.
Moved to the opening position, Marnus Labuschagne struggled and was bowled for 7 by Natarajan.
Australia was 2-95 from 19 overs chasing India’s 302.
Peter Lalor 6.20pm: Kohli reaches milestone and India amass 302
Virat Kohli proved his brilliance as a batsman at Manuka on Tuesday even as questions about his captaincy and team harmony continued to swirl dust in the courtyard of Indian cricket.
Dismissed for 63 to the finest of edges from the bowling of Josh Hazlewood, Kohli moved past 12,000 ODI runs in what was his 242nd innings.
To put that into perspective: Sachin Tendulkar reached the mark in his 300th innings, Ricky Ponting in his 314th.
Kohli’s 63 from 78 balls was his 60th half century at this level, but it was some brilliant hitting from Hardik Pandya 92 and Ravi Jadeja’s 66. The pair’s 150-run partnership pushed a pale total to 5-302.
The duo scored 87 from the last six overs from Sean Abbott and Hazlewood.
India came into the match having lost the series and the captain facing criticism with the side losing the previous five matches. Kohli’s lack of success as a skipper in the IPL has also been noted in criticism from home.
The brilliant cricketer appears to have had a falling out with Rohit Sharma, who did not make the trip to Australia because of injury, despite playing for his successful Mumbai franchise in the IPL finals.
Kohli complained in a recent press conference that when the squad was announced that selectors were told Rohit was injured and assumed he would not play in the rest of the IPL.
The captain went on to say that opener’s appearance in the finals led him to assume he would be on the plane to Australia but he didn’t know where he was or why.
“There has been no information, there has been a lack of clarity. We have been playing the waiting game,” Kohli had said.
Soon after the BCCI confirmed Rohit was undergoing rehab at home and would be assessed ahead of possibly joining the squad. There are reports a phone conference with the interested — and distant — parties was held soon after.
Rohit will be ready to play by the time Kohli has left to be with his wife for the birth of their first child after the first Test.
The third and final match of the series may have been a dead rubber, but the teams were not on cruise control. India made four unforced changes to the team that played the first two games and Australia brought three new faces in.
David Warner was unavailable because of a groin strain but Mitchell Starc’s absence through injury was more of a surprise.
“Starcy has got a little bit of a back and a rib niggle,” captain Aaron Finch said at the toss. “The medical staff think he will benefit from a few days off.
“It’s very exciting to have Cameron Green make his debut, Sean Abbott comes back into the side and Ashton Agar.”
Green is 21 and rated by Greg Chappell as the best batsman he has seen since Ponting. The West Australian is also a serious bowling option but has only recently returned to the craft after a lay off due to stress fractures.
He is earmarked as a Test player and is expected to be released to play the Australia A game against India A on Saturday, which will also feature the other “best since Ponting” William Pucovski.
Green has reconstructed his bowling action and is operating with limited output. Kohli pounced on two loose deliveries in his first over and another 21-year-old, Shubman Gill, did the same in his second.
In what was essentially a game where Australia exposed its extra squad members, Green’s inexperience was not an issue.
The young cricketer still showed enough to suggest his bounce and pace is a significant asset in the four overs he bowled.
India made three changes to its struggling bowling line up and brought in Gill to replace Mayank Agarwal at the top of the order. The son of a Punjabi farming family had only played two ODI before this match but looked confident on his way to 33 before being trapped in front by Ashton Agar.
An excellent review by captain Aaron Finch has brought Kohli’s innings to an end.
The Indian captain was on 63 when keeper Alex Carey made a half hearted appeal for a caught behind. Bowler Hazlewood liked unconvinced but the Australian skipper went upstairs.
Teams have two reviews in the ODIs because the game is not using neutral umpires.
There was nothing on hot spot, but a slight sound on the graph had Kohli on his way and India 5-152. Hazlewood had his man for the third time from three encounters.
Abbott made an immediate impact, removing opener Shikhar Dhawan (16) with the fifth delivery of his first over.
Peter Lalor 4.55pm: Superb review sends Kohli on his way
An excellent review by captain Aaron Finch has brought Virat Kohli’s innings to an end.
The Indian captain was on 63 when keeper Alex Carey made a half hearted appeal for a caught behind. Bowler Josh Hazlewood liked unconvinced but the Australian skipper went upstairs.
KOHLI IS OUT ‼ï¸
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 2, 2020
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Teams have two reviews in the ODIs because the game is not using neutral umpires.
There was nothing on hot spot, but a slight sound on the graph had Kohli on his way and India 5-152.
Kohli scored his 12,000th ODI run in the innings and is fastest to achieve this feat doing so in 242 innings. Tendulkar took 300 innings, Ponting 314.
Peter Lalor 4.01pm: Our first glimpse at the new-look attack
The first hour of the new-look Australian bowling attack was interesting.
First look at 21-year-old Cameron Green and also – for Australian fans – first look at 21 year old Shubman Gill.
Green bowled four good balls in each of his first two overs but was hit for pairs of cracking boundaries by Kohli and Gill.
He is tall, he gets bounce and movement and he is going to be a dangerous all round proposition but he is still feeling his way back after stress fractures.
OUT!
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) December 2, 2020
Ashton Agar sends Shubman Gill back for 33. 2-82
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Ashton Agar trapped Gill LBW with the score on 82 and Abbott had Dhawan caught on 26.
India are moving along at five runs an over and hoping to break a five match losing streak in the short form game.
Peter Lalor 3.07pm: Abbott’s immediate impact
Glenn Maxwell was given the new ball in the absence of Pat Cummins (rested) and Mitchell Starc (injured).
The spinners two overs were unsuccessful and he was replaced with Sean Abbott who is playing his first game of the series.
Abbott made an immediate impact, removing Shikhar Dhawan (16).
India made wholesale changes to its bowling lineup too but that appears to reflect a frustration with the effort in the first two matches.
A first: Starc did not come to the ground as there is limited space in the players area and too many people in the squad.
He is back at the team hotel.
Peter Lalor 2.34pm: Starc out, big changes for both sides
Big changes for Australia and India in the third game of the ODI series this afternoon at Manuka Oval.
India won the toss and will bat first.
Mitchell Starc has joined David Warner in the injury room, the quick reporting back and side soreness after his side sealed the series at the SCG.
All rounder Cameron Green will make his debut and is joined in the team by Sean Abbott and Ashton Agar. Pat Cummins has been rested.
Marnus Labuschagne moves up the order to open with Aaron Finch.
Indian bowler T Natarajan makes his debut also in the match replacing Navdeep Saini. Shubman Gill replaces Mayank Agarwal. Kuldeep Yadav Yuzvendra Chahal.
Shardul Thakur replaces Mohammed Shami.
“Starcy has got a little bit of a back and a rib niggle,” Finch said at the toss. “The medical staff think he will benefit from a few days off.
“It’s very exciting to have Cameron Green make his debut, Sean Abbott comes back into the side and Ashton Agar.”
Ben Horne 11.37am: Rising star set for international debut
Cameron Green is set to make his hotly anticipated international debut on Wednesday in Canberra, making game three against India a must-watch encounter.
The prodigiously talented all-rounder who is in the frame to make an explosive entry into Test cricket this summer, is expected to come into the Australian ODI side for the final match of the series.
It will be Australia’s first look at a talent dubbed by Greg Chappell as Australia’s most exciting since Ricky Ponting.
David Warner’s injury has opened the door for Green to potentially benefit from a top order reshuffle, with either Marnus Labuschagne or Alex Carey looking most likely to shift to opener to accommodate the youngster in the middle order, unless Matthew Wade is also brought into the team.
Green doesn’t have a substantial 50-over record behind him, but his first-class numbers are eye-watering.
At 21 years of age, he averages 50 with the bat, including four hundreds from his 19 games, and he has taken 30 wickets at an average of 22 runs per scalp.
Australia is salivating at the prospect of a generational all-rounder with the ability to change the dynamic of the Test team.
Green still faces an uphill battle to force his way into the Test team given the quality of a middle-order featuring Matthew Wade and Travis Head, but he could come into contention later in the series when bowlers might be tired.
Australia has been very cautious about managing Green’s bowling loads given he only made it back from lower back stress fractures earlier this year.
It adds enormous excitement to an otherwise dead-rubber affair against India, as Green gets to test himself at the top level.
It was reported Green would have debuted in Sydney for game two of the series, had Steve Smith not been able to recover from his vertigo episode.
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