Australia once again amassed a huge target against India at the SCG in order to make sure that they seal the series over the Men in Blue. Chasing a huge score of 390 runs, the Indian openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal once again gave the Men in Blue with a smashing start as they racked up 56 runs in the first 7 overs, but they both fell in quick succession in the 8th and 9th over. Virat Kohli scored his first ODI 50 in Sydney and along with Shreyas Iyer stitched a 93-run-stand for the 3rd wicket.
However, Iyer failed to convert his start into a big knock, but Virat kept on playing some phenomenal shots at all corners of the SCG. In the process, he became the 3rd Indian to rack up 22000 International runs and the quickest one to do so. However, he eventually perished nearing another hundred, as Moises Henriques pulled off a stunner at midwicket. India managed just 73 runs between 31-40 overs as KL Rahul, despite scoring a half-century, and Hardik Pandya failed to keep up with the asking rate.
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Rahul eventually fell while attempting to increase the momentum against Adam Zampa while Ravindra Jadeja- after playing a few delightful strokes- and Hardik fell in successive deliveries of Pat Cummins to make sure that the final nail in India’s coffin was hammered, the final margin being 51 runs. Earlier in the day, Australia once again showed their batting against a toothless Indian bowling attack as David Warner and Aaron Finch cashed in big time.
The duo once again stitched a 100-run partnership as they amassed 142 runs in 22.5 overs. Mohammed Shami drew the first blood for the visitors when Finch, in an attempt, to clip the ball towards the on-side lobbed it straight to mid-off. Warner has dismissed thanks to a brilliant direct hit by Iyer before Steve Smith once again took center-stage.
Whether it was pace bowling or spinners, Smith kept on toying with the bowlers all across the venues. Such was India’s plight that Kohli was forced to bring Hardik Pandya in the attack, and he proved to be the pick of the bowlers as he used the cross seam, change of pace to brilliant effect.
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Smith soon complied a 62-ball 100 before Hardik getting rid of the rampaging Australian. Pandya could have got Labuschagne too but for Ravindra Jadeja dropped a sitter at long-off. Labuschagne complied his fifty while Glenn Maxwell did an encore of what he did in the last game during his 29-ball 63* as Australia finished with their highest ODI total of 4/389 against India.
Here is how Twitter reacted to India’s loss:
Gave away far too many runs in both games to be left with a realistic chance with the bat. Much to think about after two very similiar back-to-back ODI series defeats in 2020.
— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) November 29, 2020
AUSTRALIA WIN THE SERIES
Australia round out 51-run winners in game two. #AUSvIND REPORT: https://t.co/cF1qvdQReT pic.twitter.com/0sVtoac0Gj
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) November 29, 2020
AUSTRALIA WIN THE SERIES
Australia round out 51-run winners in game two. #AUSvIND REPORT: https://t.co/cF1qvdQReT pic.twitter.com/0sVtoac0Gj
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) November 29, 2020
Quality of our Bowlers is unquestionable but consistency is. It was all about finding the right length in Australia that to quickly which hasn’t happened yet #AUSvIND
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) November 29, 2020
Poor knock from Hardik. If Jadeja can score this way, there was no way he couldn't. That over against Cummins was the reason we lost a little early.
— Udit (@udit_buch) November 29, 2020
Interesting game. King Kohli and KLass Rahul can set it up nicely with Hardik to come 🤞 #AUSvsIND
— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) November 29, 2020
Very interestingly poised, @imVkohli looking really good, 2 good partnerships and the game will go deep! #INDvAUS
— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) November 29, 2020
Was this the riskiest play of the night? 💍
She said yes – and that's got @GMaxi_32's approval! 👏 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/7vM8jyJ305
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 29, 2020
375 to win.
390 to win.
Hats off, keeping the Aussies under 400 twice in a row.#AusvInd
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) November 29, 2020
5 overs to bowl. 5 mins to the scheduled innings break. #AUSvsIND
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) November 29, 2020
https://twitter.com/adityakumar480/status/1332939285545172992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfwhttps://twitter.com/Fancricket12/status/1332943185174290433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Steve Smith’s brilliance is beginning to get boring now. #AUSvIND
— Raunak Kapoor (@RaunakRK) November 29, 2020
That familiar RCB trait of switching off when your bowlers are getting clobbered. Not once has the camera panned on Kohli in the last few overs. Putting everything on Autopilot, waiting for the misery to get over. Awful.
— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) November 29, 2020
Steve Smith whenever he sees India as the opposition pic.twitter.com/AhB3ZXV2cd
— ` (@FourOverthrows) November 29, 2020
London Underground –
MINNNNND THE GAP
Steve Smith Express –
FINNNNND THE GAP#AUSvsIND 🙌— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur) November 29, 2020
India's best plan to stop Steve Smith. #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/rG0vFlHk1w
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) November 29, 2020
David Warner – 69, 83
Aaron Finch – 114, 60
Steve Smith – 105, 59* (so far)This is the first time ever in ODI cricket, where the each of the top-3 batsmen scored above fifty in consecutive matches for a team.#AUSvIND
— Kausthub Gudipati (@kaustats) November 29, 2020
Two overs is the maxumum amount of overs the Indian team management had said Hardik Pandya is fit enough to bowl in an innings for this tour. Looks ok so far #AUSvIND @cricbuzz
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) November 29, 2020
Steve Smith is arguably the Best foreign player of spin in current world cricket, what do you guys think ? #AUSvsIND #cricitwithbadri
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) November 29, 2020
India just not getting wickets in the power play. In the last 14 games, they have only managed 5 wickets. Always uphill in that case
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 29, 2020
#AUSvsIND
Finch and Warner while facing Indian bowlers :- pic.twitter.com/ZRz0oRFJ8K— Sudhanshu Ranjan Singh (@memegineers_) November 29, 2020