HYDERABAD: Kedar Jadhav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit gritty half-centuries to anchor India's chase and beat Australia by six wickets in the first one-day international on Saturday.
Jadhav, top-scoring with 81, and Dhoni, batting on 59, put on an unbeaten 141-run stand as the hosts achieved their target of 237 in Hyderabad to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The batting duo got together when India were in trouble at 99 for four with paceman Nathan Coulter Nile and leg-spinner Adam Zampa taking two wickets each.
India's pace spearhead Mohammed Shami also made it count with figures of 2-44 to restrict Australia to 236 for seven after they elected to bat first.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav and paceman Jasprit Bumrah also took two wickets each.
Rohit Sharma, who made 37, and Kohli set up the chase during their partnership of 76 after India lost Shikhar Dhawan for nought.
Coulter-Nile and Zampa then combined to dent the opposition chase with three strikes in the space of eight overs.
But Dhoni and Jadhav, who hit 9 fours and 1 six in 87 balls, mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to thwart the Aussie bowling on what seemed like a sluggish pitch.
Jadhav completed his fifty in 67 deliveries but it was Dhoni's 71st ODI half-century that brought the packed house on its feet to applaud another match-winning knock from the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman.
Earlier Australia suffered an early blow when skipper Aaron Finch was dismissed for nought in his 100th ODI. He was caught behind off Bumrah in the second over.
Usman Khawaja top-scored with 50 while the in-form Glenn Maxwell made 40 off 51 deliveries in an otherwise ordinary show by the Australian batting.
Maxwell threatened to disrupt the hosts' plans but skipper Virat Kohli's move to bring back pace spearhead Shami in the 36th over paid off.
Shami bowled debutant Ashton Turner and Maxwell -- who had hit an unbeaten 113 to seal his team's 2-0 Twenty20 series sweep over India Wednesday -- in quick succession to dent Australia's chances of putting up a big total.
The second ODI is scheduled for Nagpur on Tuesday.
India beat Australia by six wickets in 1st ODI in Hyderabad
India beat Australia by six wickets in 1st ODI in Hyderabad
Saudi Pro League warns Al-Nassr’s Ronaldo no player is bigger than club
- Ronaldo did not take part in the club’s SPL win at Al-Riyadh on Monday and is now set to miss Friday night’s clash against Al-Ittihad
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League has warned Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo that “no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club” amid doubts over his future at Al–Nassr.
Ronaldo, reportedly unhappy at the club’s lack of transfer activity, did not take part in the club’s Saud Pro League win at Al-Riyadh on Monday and is now set to miss Friday night’s clash against Al-Ittihad.
In a statement issued to BBC Sport, a Saudi Pro League spokesperson said: “The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.
“Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.”
The 40-year Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday amid reports he is on strike over the club’s lack of transfer activity.
Portuguese media outlet A Bola reported that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was unhappy that Al-Nassr, which is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has not strengthened its squad as it challenges for the league title.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al–Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition,” the Saudi Pro League spokesperson said.
“Like any elite competitor, he wants to win.
“But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.
“Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.”
The Saudi Pro League spokesperson added: “The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
“The focus remains on football – on the pitch, where it belongs – and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans.”
