India v Australia: third men’s one-day international – live

WICKET! David Warner c. Hardik b. Kuldeep 23 (Australia 125-4)

24th over: Australia 122-3 (Warner 23, Labuschagne 17) Ravi Jadeja starts his fifth over with 0-16 to his name… and it’s almost 1-16 as Labuschagne fends on the up and sends a catch to where silly mid-on might’ve been. They take a single but no more as the run rate slides back to 5.08. India putting the squeeze on!

23rd over: Australia 121-3 (Warner 23, Labuschagne 16) This partnership had pottered to 29 runs from 48 balls and Kuldeep Yadav had it well in check… until Labuschagne slog swept him for a SIX. Risky shot to a ball that was pitched outside off and swinging to a part of the ground where Axar Patel was loitering with intent. But Marnus gave it enough to clear fielder and fence. The 40,000+ strong Chennai crowd enjoyed that too. Eight runs from the over.

22nd over: Australia 113-3 (Warner 22, Labuschagne 9) It’s been said that 280 is a minimum score at this ground and with Australia strolling along at 5.14 per over that puts them thirty runs short. A single run from the Jadeja over won’t help. Australia nearing the half-way mark. When will they risk an acceleration?

21st over: Australia 112-3 (Warner 21, Labuschagne 9) Kuldeep returns and after a Labuschagne single Warner has a whack over cover for FOUR. A single off the last takes Warner to 21 from 23 balls – a good start in the unfamiliar No 4 slot.

20th over: Australia 106-3 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 9) Almost a catch! Warner, batting in a golden floppy, wafted at that Jadeja ball and it was almost caught. Not an easy chance – Siraj needed to dive and did but it wasn’t enough as the catch fell short. But it reaffirms the obvious: India are on top! With three quick wickets to Hardik Pandya, they have reduced the torrent of runs from Marsh and Head to a trickle under Labuschagne and Warner.

19th over: Australia 101-3 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 6) Kuldeep is in his 81st ODI and he has 131 wickets at 27 to show for them. he started as a fast bowler before switching to left-arm wrist spin. Kuldeep made his Test debut against Australia in a deciding match in Dharamsala in March 2017 and claimed 4 for 68 in the first innings. He also has the rare distinction of a hat-trick in against Scotland to his name – a feat he achieved in 2014 as a 19-year-old. He flings them down at about 81-88kph and goes for four runs in his first over today.

18th over: Australia 97-3 (Warner 10, Labuschagne 5) Warner works a single from Jadeja. Warner has been crisp but circumspect in his approach so far. Marnus looks less at ease but he taps a run in return to keep things ticking over. Looks like Kuldeep Yadav will get a bowl here.

17th over: Australia 94-3 (Warner 8, Labuschagne 4) From 68-0 Australia fell to 85-3 after Hardik Pandya, the 29-year-old quick from Gujarat, claimed three big wickets in 11 fiery deliveries. And he has Labuschagne swinging and missing! Although he has an average of 57 from his 37 Tests, it drops steeply to 31 from his 30 ODIs so far with just one century and six fifties. Hardik Pandya has the crowd cheering his every ball and he’s rising to the occasion with good line and length bowling. Just two runs from that over. Run rate is down to 5.53 now.

16th over: Australia 92-3 (Warner 7, Labuschagne 3) The duel resumes! Jadeja to Labuschagne was an enthralling contest in the Test series with the India spinner getting the better of the world’s No 1 batter. Can Marnus extract some revenge here with a match-winning innings in this deciding ODI? He and Warner are happy to rotate the strike for three singles from the over.

15th over: Australia 88-3 (Warner 6, Labuschagne 1) David Warner takes a single from the first Hardik ball after the break. He looks in good nick, clearly refreshed by the spell at home nursing that fractured arm. Mitch Marsh looked in good nick too, having swatted Hardik’s second delivery over square leg for FOUR before being bowled middle stump by the third. Labuschagne, demoted from his familiar No 3 position in the Test side, has strode out at No 5 and taken a single to get off the mark. Warner takes one off his eyebrows to end the over with a two.

WICKET! Mitchell Marsh b. Hardik 47 (Australia 85-3)

14th over: Australia 80-2 (Marsh 43, Warner 3) Ravi Jadeja is into the attack and the Australian batters take three single from his first three deliveries. Three dots follow as Australia’s run rate slips to 5.7. Drinks.

13th over: Australia 77-2 (Marsh 42, Warner 1) Pressure back on Australia! Warner gets off the mark with a late glance to fine leg. Will we see Warner The Monk consolidate Australia’s good start and play himself back into the selector’s affections? Or will we see Warner the Bull bashing Australia into the ascendency? Much depends on the man at the other end and if Mitch Marsh plays loose shots like that – almost caught on the long off boundary – it’ll be the former from Warner. Does Australia attack or settle? Interesting overs ahead.

WICKET! Steve Smith c. Rahul b. Hardik 0 (Australia 74-2)

12th over: Australia 74-1 (Marsh 40, Smith 0) Steve Smith is in the centre and for just the second time in his 142-ODI career David Warner is readying to bat in the middle order. It didn’t go well last time for Warner – he lasted only six balls. But already Smith is busy, calling Marsh through for a lightning-fast two. Brilliant fielding from Kohli saves a glorious back-foot cover drive by Marsh – that’ the second boundary the King has saved today. How crucial will that be in the end? We have a belated FOUR here for Marsh as his two to the boundary is shown to have sent the fielder onto his heels which connected with the toblerone. That’s 2000 ODI runs for Mitchell Marsh – well done, young fella! He’s done it at 35.11 from his 68 ODIs.

WICKET! Travis Head c. Yadav b. Pandya 33 (Australia 68-1)

11th over: Australia 68-0 (Head 27, Marsh 33) As we enter the second ten overs the field spreads and Sharma changes it up, bringing Hardik Pandya into the attack. Marsh dabs a single from the first and Head has a big swing at the next… but it’s DROPPED by Shubman Gill. The trap was set and Hardik did his bit, tempting Head into a cross-bat whack but Gill dived too far forward and it hit his hands too hard, breaking the seal and scurrying away for FOUR. Head tempts fate again lofting high and soft over the infield but short of the boundary. Will he try again? Of course he does but he miscues…

10th over: Australia 61-0 (Head 27, Marsh 33) Beaten on the bounce! That was very close to an edge from Marsh to that quicker ball from Patel. And Marsh is beaten again and almost chops this one on. Finally after four dots Marsh gets one away for a single. But that’s it as just one run comes from the over.

9th over: Australia 60-0 (Head 27, Marsh 32) Head swings the axe! That wasn’t a bad ball from Siraj but Head made it look pedestrian stepping back and leaning into it to swipe it over cover for FOUR. Great response from Siraj though – fast and straight with steepling bounce and it beats Head’s edge and flies to the wicketkeeper at head-height. The next is a true bouncer but despite the pace and bounce Head is undeterred and has a red-hot go at it, trying to loft over slips. He misses that one but gets the next one, backing way off the pitch to cut over the infield for a marvellously fashioned FOUR. Big appeal on the last as Siraj delivers a 143kph cross-seamer onto Head’s pads but again Sharma not tempted to review. Instead he call his team into a huddle to fire them up.

8th over: Australia 52-0 (Head 19, Marsh 32) Head goes downtown! Axar Patel bowled a tight over last time and Head showed it respect. But he showed that first delivery no respect whatsoever, stepping down and scorching it down the ground for a maximum. After a single to Head, Marsh uncoils a glorious slog over cover for FOUR. Three balls. Eleven runs. All that hard work by Siraj undone! But the next three are better from Patel. Australia’s fifty is up.

7th over: Australia 41-0 (Head 12, Marsh 28) India slowed the runs with that Patel over and now Rohit Sharma slows the game, with elaborate fielding changes. Kohli has gone to the midwicket boundary in a catching position. Can Mohammed Siraj find an off-middle stump line and lure Marsh into a skewed catch? In his 24th ODI for India Siraj is slinging them down at 139kph and finding skid and sure enough Marsh swings for the grandstand but misses. The next ball is a bouncer and Marsh swats at it as it flies over his right shoulder but he lost sight of it late and missed it. Two more skidders and a slower ball finish it off and what an over that was from Siraj – a much-needed maiden.

6th over: Australia 41-0 (Head 12, Marsh 28) Almost a run out! India have brought spin into the attack with Axar Patel and Head, pinned down for the first three, took a chance on the fourth. The throw was wide but a direct hit might’ve had Head in serious trouble. Marsh picks off a single from the last as India staunch the torrent of runs at last. Just two from that over.

5th over: Australia 39-0 (Head 11, Marsh 27) Head joins the party! That ball from Shami was fast and hip-height and Head pivoted beautifully to send it over the fence for SIX. Head smokes the next two as well but Sharma’s field is good and both shots find the fielder. Head drops the fifth at his feet and Marsh responds with a quick single. India’s bowlers and fielders under real pressure here. Marsh adds to it, cheekily working a straight ball past the short fine leg for FOUR.

Mitchell’s Dad, Geoff, might’ve raised a Swan Lager to that one. India and Australia played the first ODI ever at this MA Chidambaram Stadium in 1987 and Geoff Marsh made a brilliant 110 to help Australia win a World Cup thriller.

4th over: Australia 28-0 (Head 4, Marsh 23) Siraj gets Head hopping! They run a leg-bye but there’s bite in this wicket and both batters have fallen afoul of balls that have jagged in and beaten them on a stump line. The power of Marsh is on show on the next delivery as he blocks Siraj to mid on but strikes it so sweetly it flies along the carpet to the rope for another FOUR. There’s an appeal on the fifth ball and to Siraj it looked very close. His screams fall on deaf ears as captain Rohit Sharma doesn’t review. Replays show it maybe flying over. Marsh celebrates by belting a full ball on off stump down the ground for another FOUR. Marsh has 23 from 15 with four fours and a six. Clearly not in a running mood.

3rd over: Australia 19-0 (Head 4, Marsh 15) Hot start from Australia! Now it will be Shami to Marsh for the first time. He is coming over the wicket to the right-hander and there’s some nip in this pitch as Marsh is beaten on the inside line. Pinned down for two balls, he unleashes at the third for SIX! That was sweet half volley and Marsh didn’t hesitate to cash-in. A slower ball – 124kph down from 141kph – foils another heave. And Shami repeats the dose on the last ball, bringing the ball back to beat bat and pad and send it flying through the gate. Good comeback by the veteran seamer.

2nd over: Australia 13-0 (Head 4, Marsh 9) Here comes Mohammed Siraj to Mitchell Marsh. The big allrounder from Western Australia has been in imperious form all series with 81 in the first game and 66 not out (from 36 balls) in the second. And straight away he’s seeing it like a watermelon, stepping inside the line to a straight ball and flicking it over midwicket for FOUR. And he goes again very next delivery as Siraj puts it in the corridor outside off and Marsh whips it high over the infield for another big FOUR. After a single from Marsh Kohli saves a powerfully punched shot from Head. Four runs saved.

1st over: Australia 4-0 (Head 4, Marsh 0) Here we go. Australia v India. Mohammed Shami v Travis Head. Shami is coming around the wicket and is bang on line, beating Head on the inside edge with his second delivery. Head has chopped onto his stumps before chasing hard contact and fast runs so Shami will try the ploy again. The offside is packed and the ball is repeatedly angling in at Head’s ribs… until the fifth which is full and met with a fat bat by Travis Head who sends it hurtling to the long on boundary for FOUR. We are away!

TEAMS ANNOUNCED

Australia have won the toss in Chennai and will bat first

Game Two found Australia climbing off the canvas to square the series with some masterful reverse swing from Mitchell Starc and a whirlwind opening partnership by Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/mar/19/cricket-india-australia-second-odi-match-report

Game One went India’s away… but only after Australia gift-wrapped it with an incredible batting collapse.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/mar/17/australia-crash-to-defeat-against-india-in-first-odi-after-losing-eight-wickets-for-59

Hot on the heel of the Test series, hard up against the IPL and non-existent on the schedule until a couple of months ago, this has been a hasty yet tasty ODI series between two proud cricketing nations.

For India, it will be their final ODIs until the tour of the Caribbean in August. For Australia it’s the last one-dayers until a tour of South Africa in late August. And for both, it’s kind’ve a six-match series given these teams meet again in Sept-Oct for another warm-up event of three rubbers ahead of the One Day International World Cup kicking off October 5.

Here’s how Geoff Lemon previewed the series…

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/mar/17/australias-odi-series-in-india-may-provide-more-questions-than-answers

Preamble