3rd ODI: Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur shine as India avoid 3-0 sweep against Australia

India held their nerves, defending a sub-par 303 total to claim their maiden Australian tour win and avoid a 3-0 ODI series win. Australia won the series 2-1, but India opened their account with a 13-run win in the 3rd ODI which will help them down under ahead of the upcoming T20I and Test series.

Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja were the architects of the unimportant but important victory when the two batsmen were in close contact and sewed a record-breaking 150-run stand for the 6th wicket that helped India place 302 on the board.

Virat Kohli would have been the first Indian captain since Sunil Gavaskar in 1981 to lose more than 5 ODIs at the trot, India would have lost in Canberra, but an improved all-round performance helped her skipper avoid the unwanted record.

India versus Australia, 3rd ODI: Highlights

In response, India got the much-needed early wicket through Debutante T Natarajan who removed the stand-in opener Marnus Labuschagne on the 7th for 7. Australia seemed to miss David Warner, but it was the first time India hit in power play.

Shardul Thakur was the star of the ball for India when the Pacer ended 51 to 3 in a match-winning spell. Thakur, who replaced Navdeep Saini, took Steve Smith’s large wicket for 7, ending the Australian star’s one-hundred-hit streak.

Ravindra Jadeja picked up the all-important wicket from Aaron Finch for 75 on Matchday 26 as the Australian captain looked for another three-digit result.

India survived Glenn Maxwell’s fear

Australia struggled 158-5 in the 31st game, but Glenn Maxwell put India back under pressure with a masterful counter-attack. Maxwell took the Indian weirdos to the cleaners and followed up with Natarajan, reducing the equation from 33 balls to 32.

Jasprit Bumrah, however, dropped delivery of the game to send Maxwell back over for 59 of 38 balls in the 45th. It was a perfect Yorker that Maxwell missed and left the field in frustration after missing a good opportunity to seal the deal for Australia.

Ashton Agar carried on but Natarajan came back well and was very good supporter of Shardul Thakur in death.

Earlier in the day India got off to a bad start when it lost opening player Shikhar Dhawan, who was sacked on the 6th. It was Sean Abbot who struck early on his return to the Australian ODI team. However, Captain Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill 56 run for the 2nd wicket.

Just when things were looking good for the visitors, young Gill departed for 33 while attempting to sweep left-handed spinner Ashton Agar, finishing a 56-run stand with his skipper.

Kohli misses a ton, but Hardik and Jadeja do a breathtaking rescue job

Even when Virat Kohli kept the scoreboard moving with some exquisite punches, he kept losing partners as Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul’s poor form continued in the ODI series. While Iyer couldn’t have a say after 19 years, Rahul was sent back for only 5 when Adam hit Zampa and Agar in the middle.

Josh Hazlewood suffered a severe blow removing India captain Virat Kohli for 63. Kohli finished without An ODI hundred in a calendar year for the first time since 2008 when India got into trouble.

Not only did Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja save India, they gave them a total of 302 with a record breaking undefeated 150-run stand for the 6th wicket. While Hardik found again that he was good enough to be selected as the No. 6 batsman, Jadeja continued his good form with the bat, with a 50-ball 66 not failing. Hardik knocked selflessly when he was happy to give Jadeja the blow on death, even though he missed his first ODI hundred by only 8 runs.