India were no match for Australia in the 1st ODI that was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday as they suffered a 66-run loss after being outplayed in all three departments of the game. The Men In Blue were back in action for the first time in almost nine months only to have a forgettable day on the field.
Kohli & Co. might have suffered a bitter defeat in the series-opener Down Under but they have also ended up creating an unwanted record after nearly two decades.
At the same time, this was also India’s fourth consecutive defeat in One Day Internationals since January 2016. Prior to the Sydney ODI, the Virat Kohli-led side had suffered a 3-0 whitewash in New Zealand in February. Coming back to the 2015/16 tour of Australia, Team India lost the ODI series 4-1 despite seeking a consolation win in the dead-rubber 5th ODI.
Meanwhile, the top-ranked ODI side are yet to register a win in the 50-overs format this year.
Chasing a mammoth target of 375 in order to draw first blood in the three-match ODI series, Hardik Pandya kept the visitors in the run chase when they were staring down the barrel at 101/4 in the 14th over as he added impetus to India’s middle-order along with opener Shikhar Dhawan with a 128-run stand for the fifth-wicket.
Just when it appeared that he would do the unthinkable, he lost his wicket in the 39th over while trying to match up with the steep asking rate. Hardik fell for a superb 76-ball 90 at a strike rate of 118.42 that included seven boundaries and four maximums.
