India has avoided suffering its first whitewash against Australia in a bilateral men’s ODI series courtesy of superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who steered the tourists towards a thumping nine-wicket victory during Saturday’s dead rubber in Sydney.
Amid lingering conjecture about their future in the national 50-over side, Sharma and Kohli combined for a mammoth 168-run partnership to help India reel in the modest 237-run target with 69 balls to spare in front of a sellout crowd at the SCG.
Sharma clobbered an unbeaten 121 from 125 deliveries, his 33rd century in ODIs, while Kohli struck a 74 from 81 balls not out, with a passionate sea of blue cheering him on. The experienced duo, aged 38 and 36 respectively, have silenced any lingering doubters as they push towards the 2027 World Cup campaign in South Africa.
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Earlier, Australia was bowled out for 236 in 46.4 overs after a disappointing batting effort, where every member of the top order made a start before throwing their wicket away. The hosts were at one stage cruising at 3-183 in the 34th over before a dreadful collapse of 7-53.
Seamer Harshit Rana was the pick of the Indian bowlers with career-best figures of 4-39, while spinners Axar Patel and Washington Sundar proved difficult to tame during the middle overs.
Elsewhere, star bowler Josh Hazlewood ran off the field during the run chase after damaging his hand while attempting a catch, sending a scare through the Australian camp ahead of the Ashes.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs India third ODI live scorecard
India pass up HUGE run out chance! | 00:48
Australian captain Mitchell Marsh and opening partner Travis Head got the Australians off to a flying start after winning the toss and chose to bowl first, forming a rapid 61-run stand despite early signs of variable bounce.
Paceman Mohammed Siraj unearthed the first breakthrough when Head steered a short delivery towards gully before Patel deceived Marsh with an arm ball, bowled for 41.
Indian skipper Shubman Gill was left kicking himself after missing a regulation run-out chance at the non-striker’s end, handing Matthew Short an early reprieve on 0, but the Victorian fell shortly after courtesy of a sharp catch by Kohli.
Kohli takes sharp grab in farewell match | 00:43
The Australians stomped on the brakes after Short’s departure, at one stage going 49 deliveries without a boundary, with Alex Carey and Matthew Renshaw adding 59 for the fourth wicket. Prasidh Krishna dropped a low outfield catch to gift wicketkeeper Carey an extra life on 8, but the missed chance didn’t prove too costly, with Shreyas Iyer taking an excellent lunging grab over his shoulder. The Indian vice-captain hurt himself in the process, leaving the field alongside a team medic and later taken to hospital.
Carey’s dismissal sparked a frantic collapse of 4-18 from 31 balls. Moments after bringing up his maiden ODI fifty, reaching the milestone in 48 deliveries, Renshaw became Sundar’s second victim of the afternoon, trapped on the pads from around the wicket for a team-high 56.
All-rounder Mitchell Owen edged towards first slip to expose Australia’s tail in the 38th over, before recalled spinner Kuldeep Yadav bowled Mitchell Starc through the gate with a perfectly executed googly. Young gun Cooper Connolly was forced to farm the strike while batting with the tail during his sluggish 23, providing some valuable runs before Rana cleaned up the tail.
Indian openers Sharma and Gill took advantage of some wayward bowling from Australia’s quicks during the Powerplay, combining for a 69-run stand before the metronomic Hazlewood unearthed the first breakthrough, with the Indian skipper feathering behind for 24.
The Bharat Army erupted when Kohli got off the mark with a quick single – having avoided a three-peat of ducks in the series, the former Indian captain punched the air in celebration with a sly grin.
Kohli was fortunate to survive an LBW shout against seamer Nathan Ellis, saved by an umpire’s Call verdict on ball-tracking technology following a review – but otherwise it was a chanceless knock from the Indian icon, with every run prompting raucous cheers.
Sharma, who cleared the boundary rope on three occasions, reached triple figures in 105 deliveries, saluting the adoring crowd of 40,580 with a subdued celebration. It was his ninth ODI hundred against Australia, equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s record.
The target was within reach when Sharma top-edged a pull shot against Ellis, with the ball narrowly avoiding a diving Hazlewood at mid-off. The Bendemeer Bullet immediately ran off the field seeking medical help.
Attention turns swiftly towards the five-match T20 series between the two nations, which gets underway at Canberra’s Manuka Oval on Wednesday.
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