Cricadium rewinds the last Australian ODI series played in India

September 15, 2017

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Every time India and Australia go head to head, regardless of the format, the excitement level is unmatched. There aren’t many other rivalries in the game of cricket that come close to the intensity that these 2 teams produce. Both teams are known for their aggressive brand of cricket and explosions are bound to happen on the cricket field.

The Australian side is all set to participate in the ODI overs series starting this Sunday. The last time they toured the country in the year 2013, it was a sheer run-feast. Heaps of runs were scored and plenty of records were broken. The batsmen enjoyed every bit of it and the bowlers suffered a nightmare. More than 300 runs were scored in almost all of the innings.

It was a 7-ODIs series which the home side won by a margin of 3-2 and the 2 matches were washed out. The momentum throughout the series kept fluctuating. It was tied at 2-2 and India won the last match to clinch the series. Let’s relive some of the iconic moments from one of the best bilateral ODI series of all time.

#1 MS Dhoni’s superlative show in Mohali

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Every time India and Australia go head to head, regardless of the format, the excitement level is unmatched. There aren't many other rivalries in the game of cricket that come close to the intensity that these 2 teams produce. Both teams are known for their aggressive brand of cricket and explosions are bound to happen on the cricket field. The Australian side is all set to participate in the ODI overs series starting this Sunday. The last time they toured the country in the year 2013, it was a sheer run-feast. Heaps of runs were scored and plenty of records were broken. The batsmen enjoyed every bit of it and the bowlers suffered a nightmare. More than 300 runs were scored in almost all of the innings. It was a 7-ODIs series which the home side won by a margin of 3-2 and the 2 matches were washed out. The momentum throughout the series kept fluctuating. It was tied at 2-2 and India won the last match to clinch the series. Let's relive some of the iconic moments from one of the best bilateral ODI series of all time.

#1 MS Dhoni's superlative show in Mohali

The 3rd ODI of the series was played at the PCA Stadium in Mohali with the series leveled at one apiece. India batted first and had a poor start as they were down to 76/4 in the 13th over. In walked the then captain MS Dhoni, the crisis man for the team. He shared a stand of 72 runs with Virat Kohli and steadied the ship. But once Kohli departed, the home side suffered a collapse and was reduced to 230/7 in the 43rd over. That was the time when Dhoni came into his own and produced one of the finest innings of all time. He batted beautifully with the tail and bailed the side out of trouble to take them to 303/9 at the end. He stayed unbeaten at 139 off 121 balls that included 12 fours and 5 sixes. But his century went in vain as Australia clinched the game in a thrilling finish.

#2 George Bailey's majestic run

Australia's batting was all about one person throughout the series. The then skipper of the side George Bailey made a mockery of the Indian bowlers and hardly ever failed. He tormented the opposition and single-handedly kept his side in the series. The right-hander accounted for a total of 478 runs in 6 innings at an average of 95.6 and a strike rate of 116.02. His scores in the series read 85, 92*, 43, 98, 156 and 4. He ended up being the second highest run-getter in the series and the top run-scorer for Australia. Very easily, he could have had 3 centuries to his credit but he ended up with just one. That series was perhaps the highest point of Bailey's career so far.

#3 India chased down scores of 350+ twice

Virat Kohli and Rohit SharmaVirat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

Chasing 300 was becoming increasingly common those days but to chase down scores in excess of 350 twice in the same series was an incredible effort. The first incident occurred in the 2nd ODI at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur where India chased down 359 in just 43.3 overs and that too, with 9 wickets in hand. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored centuries whereas Shikhar Dhawan made 95. The next one happened in the 6th ODI at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Australia scored 350 batting first which India nailed down with 6 wickets in hand. This time, it was Dhawan who scored a hundred and Kohli once again notched up a ton in a successful chase as the hosts won with 3 balls to spare.

#4 Virat Kohli's fastest 100 by an Indian

It was the second ODI in Jaipur where Australia powered their way to 359. In reply, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma added 176 runs for the 1st wicket off 157 balls. The No.3 batsman Virat Kohli walked in to bat, a batsman who was ferociously climbing the ladder of success. The right-hander put up a show of hostility. He was aggressive from the outset and sent the Australian bowlers out of the park at regular intervals. He scored 100 not out off just 52 balls which became the fastest ODI century by an Indian, defeating Virender Sehwag's record of 60 balls. Due to his masterclass and Rohit's brilliant 141, India cruised to victory in just the 44th over.

#5 Rohit Sharma's belligerent 209

Out of the many records that were made in the series, one that stands apart is the inhuman effort of Rohit Sharma. It was the series finale with each team tied at 2-2. The last ODI was played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. India batted first and going by the pile of runs that the previous matches had produced, the hosts had to ensure a massive score to secure the series win. It was all about just one man - Rohit. He made 209 runs off just 158 balls and became only the 3rd player ever to score a double century in ODI cricket after Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. He struck 12 fours and 16 sixes and created a record for most number of sixes by a batsman in an innings. Due to his magnificent effort, India's score was boosted to 383/6 in 50 overs. Despite James Faulkner's fighting hundred, Australia fell short by 57 runs that handed the hosts a pleasing series win. Rohit ended up being the leading run-getter of the series with 491 runs at an average of 122.75 and a strike rate of 108.63.

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