ICC World Cup 2023: India suffer dramatic top-order collapse, lose three wickets for two runs

India lost three wickets including skipper Rohit Sharma for a duck inside two overs as they chased a winning target of 200 to beat Australia in a key ICC World Cup 2023 clash on Sunday.

Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc struck in the first over to send back Ishan Kishan for a duck after the left-hander slashed at a delivery to get caught at slip in Chennai.

Josh Hazlewood then struck twice in one over to remove Rohit lbw on an incoming delivery and then Shreyas Iyer caught at covers also for nought to silence the home crowd of around 30,000. 

Earlier in the first inning, Ravindra Jadeja took 3 for 28 in 10 overs as the slowness of the surface and subtle variations used by the all-rounder became Australia's undoing. India, in the process, rolled over Australia for 199 in 49.3 overs. Ravichandran Ashwin (2/34 in 10 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/42 in 10 overs) also played their parts to perfection.

But it was Jadeja's show all the way as he tilted the scale in India's favour with quick dismissals of an under-pressure Steve Smith (46 off 71 balls) and an unusually subdued Marnus Labuschagne (27 off 41 balls).

The Indian spin trio collectively bowled 101 dot balls to completely choke the run-flow. In all there were nearly 29 overs worth dot balls by Indian bowlers, phenomenal by any stretch of imagination.

Also Read: ICC World Cup: Australia succumb to Ravindra Jadeja's spin choke, fold for 199

The lack of grass and dry surface underneath prompted Pat Cummins to opt for batting with an eye on the deteriorating surface towards the second half of the match.

It certainly didn't go as per plan as Bumrah (2/35 in 10 overs) bowled one full, which also held its line to square up Mitchell Marsh (0) with Virat Kohli completing a good catch at first slip.

While David Warner (41 off 52 balls) and Smith added 69 runs but it took them 14 overs to score them. They were not at all comfortable and not being very adept with sweep shot meant that one scoring option went out of the window.

(With agency inputs)

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