Need to put myself in challenging situations: KL Rahul after India’s Victory against Australia

After guiding India to a thrilling five-wicket victory over Australia in the first One-Day International (ODI), Indian skipper KL Rahul has shared insights into his partnership with Suryakumar Yadav and the team’s strategy in the post-match presentation.

The match, held at Mohali on Friday, witnessed standout performances from India’s batsmen and bowlers. A century partnership between openers Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad set the tone, followed by a pivotal half-century by Suryakumar Yadav and an exceptional five-wicket haul by Mohammed Shami.

KL Rahul, reflecting on the match and his partnership with Yadav, stated, “Not the first time, always happens with me. I am used to it, I love it (the captaincy). I think the intensity in the afternoon was great, after Colombo, this felt like heaven at the start, but it was really hot and humid. It gets tough and physically challenging, but we have all worked on our fitness, and that is showing on the field. We only played five bowlers, so they had to bowl 10 overs. After Shubman got out, it was a bit tricky with the set batter out. But managed to build a good partnership with Surya, need to put myself in such challenging situations.”

Regarding the partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul emphasized the importance of good shot selection and effective rotation of strike. He added, “We kept talking about hitting good cricket shots, rotating the strike, and this is something all our batters are working on. We did not want to get bogged down; we were always on par, so we wanted to take it deep.”

Turning to the match itself, India’s decision to put Australia in to bat first proved successful. Key contributions from Australian batsmen, including David Warner (52), Josh Inglis (45), Steven Smith (41), and Marnus Labuschagne (39), helped Australia reach a competitive total of 276 runs in 50 overs.

Mohammed Shami was the standout performer with the ball, claiming an impressive five-wicket haul while making a significant impact on the game. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah also made valuable contributions, each taking a wicket.

In the pursuit of a target of 277, India’s opening duo of Ruturaj Gaikwad (71) and Shubman Gill (74) played outstanding innings, effectively sealing the match’s fate. Skipper KL Rahul (58*) and Suryakumar Yadav (50) continued the momentum with their respective fifties, guiding India to a comfortable five-wicket victory with eight balls to spare.

Also See: India vs Australia (IND vs AUS) Schedule | Match Dates, Timing and Venues

Adam Zampa stood out as the most successful bowler for the Australian side, finishing with figures of 2/57.

With this victory, India takes a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, setting the stage for an exciting contest in the upcoming matches.

For his remarkable five-wicket haul, Mohammed Shami was rightfully awarded the ‘Player of the Match,’ highlighting his pivotal role in India’s triumphant start to the series.

Full Scorecard: IND vs AUS Match Score