IND vs AUS 2017: Hardik & Dhoni steer India towards a remarkable come back

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Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni played brilliant knocks against Australia today. Image Source: BCCI

Internet Desk: A blistering 83 by Hardik Pandya and a patient 79 by former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni powers the hosts to 7-281 against Australia in the first ODI at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai today. At one stage the Men in Blue were 11 for 3 and everybody started thinking that they will fell like a pack of cards just like the Champions Trophy final, but young Pandya and experienced Dhoni held the innings together and helped the hosts to post a convincing total on board.

After winning the toss against Australia India skipper Virat Kohli choose to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane got the chance to open the innings in the absence of star opener Shikhar Dhawan. Rahane failed to capitalize on that chance as he got out on just 5 as he gave a simple catch to Aussie wicket-keeper Mathew Wade from a delivery of Coulter-Nile. Skipper Virat Kohli too failed to live up to the expectations of the fans as a brilliant catch from Glenn Maxwell sent the home skipper back to the pavilion on a duck. Manish Pandey too followed him on a duck from a brilliant delivery of Coulter-Nile. Another opener Rohit Sharma (28) too didn’t last long as he gave his wicket to Marcus Stoinis. Middle order batsman Kedar Jadhav played a handy knock of 40 runs before getting out to Stoinis.

After that Pandya (83 from 66 balls; 4*5, 6*5) and Dhoni (79 from 88; 4*4, 6*2) forged an 118-run sixth wicket stand to help India recover from a precarious 87/5 .The 23-year-old Pandya meted out special treatment to Adam Zampa, taking the young leg-spinner to the cleaners on three consecutive occasions to get to his third ODI fifty off 48 balls before falling to the same bowler, later in the innings.

This was the Baroda all-rounder’s career-best ODI score, surpassing the 76, which he belted against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy final in England, earlier this year.

Dhoni, at the other end, provided stability with a patient 75-ball 50 but more importantly carried on after the loss of Pandya to forge another healthy 72-run seventh wicket stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (32 not out from 30; 4*5).

Brief scores:

India 281 for 7 (Hardik Pandya 83, MS Dhoni 79; Nathan Coulter-Nile 3 for 44) vs Australia.