India’s star batter Virat Kohli started the World Cup 2023 with a gutsy fifty in the IND vs AUS World Cup match at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. Kohli took 75 balls to get to his half-century on a tricky Chennai pitch. The 34-year-old brought up his fifty in the 26th over with a couple of runs.
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The former Indian skipper came to rescue when India were reeling at 2/3 and stitched a brilliant unbeaten 100-run partnership with KL Rahul to push India out of danger. Earlier, Team India were staring down the barrel after being reduced to 2/3 in 200-run chase.
Earlier, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood struck early to dent India’s chances of chasing down 200 runs but Virat Kohli and KL Rahul brought India back in the game with their respective fifties. Earlier, combined effort from the Indian bowlers helped the side bundle out Australia for 199. Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers with 3/28, while Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah picked two each.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey(w), Cameron Green, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood