India vs Australia ODI series finally went underway today. Both teams are looking forward to gaining necessary practice ahead of the ODI World Cup to be held later this year.
India and Australia encounters are always a treat to watch. However, at the time of the toss for the first ODI, Hardik did a gesture that made the series-started even more special.
What did Hardik do?
Mastercard, the official sponsor of the ODI series, is doing a social promotional campaign wherein they are raising awareness about wildlife conservation and environmental preservation.
When the two Captains walked out for the toss, fans were astonished to see Hardik Pandya holding a plant in his hands. However, it was soon revealed by Ravi Shastri, the toss host, that it was a gift by the Indian team to the Australian team as a gesture under Mastercard’s campaign.
As Pandya handed over the plant to Smith, the Australian Captain, fans cheered from the stands and appreciated the great gesture by the Indian team. Smith happily accepted the gift and thanked the Indian Captain for the wonderful gift.
Toss Update
Once when the pleasantries were completed, Indian Captain Hardik Pandya flipped the coin. Smith called Heads, but to his bad luck, it landed Tails. Winning the toss, Pandya decided he would bowl first.
“We’ll bowl first. It is a good track and dew factor will be there. We feel we will do well in the second innings. I got some time off, breaks are like gold dust for me so it gave me a chance to rest and improve. Playing for India every game and every format is important. With this being a WC year, the ODI format is important. We’ve gone with four quicks – Shardul Thakur, Shami, myself and Siraj. Two spinners in Jadeja and Kuldeep.”, said Pandya after winning the toss.
Having lost the toss, Australian Captain Steve Smith said that he was happy he lost as he was not sure what to do on such a pitch. “Good toss to lose. Happy batting first because I didn’t know what to do. We got to try our best to adjust to these conditions, and get our combinations right with the WC in mind. I think we played well in the back end, and plenty of fresh faces to choose from.”, Smith told Shastri at the toss.
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