The television coverage seems to be over, so I can’t tell you who the player of the match is, or either of the captains’ thoughts. Ninety-nine runs a big fat win there for India – despite the fun of the Australian tail making hay. Room for improvement in the field though, and in some of the bowling when the pressure just started to blow up. Ashwin will have poked a few buttons in selectorial minds too.
For Australia, no end to the losing streak. Their fifth defeat in a row – anything but ideal with the World Cup less than two weeks away. They do though still have players to come back in – and who would bet against them in a big tournament?
A funny innings from stance-hopping David Warner, who got in the groove, then got an edge on an lbw but didn’t review. That switch stance is, as Andy FLintoff (not that one) writes, not completely new.
“This switch stance from DW is not unprecedented - there was a bit of a fuss at the start of his international career about him potentially using a bat that was flat on both sides to allow him to switch his stance and hit anywhere. I’m personally a bit surprised that a few prolific switch hitters (KP for one) didn’t do similar in the past.”
Who knows what we’ll see during the World Cup?
That’s it from us for now, good night!
Updated
WICKET! Abbott b Jadeja 54 (Australia 217 all out) India win by 99 runs (DLS)
Too good for Abbott, Jadeja finishes the match with a piece of art that spins like a top.
28th over: Australia 217-9 (Abbott 54) Josh Hazlewood smacks Shami for two successive fours, one going through the unfortunate Shardul’s fingers on the rope as he slips over in cartoon fashion. Lots of folded arms in the Indian think tank, before Shami finally gets his man
WICKET! Hazlewood b Shakur 23 (Australia 217-9)
At last Shami gets his man and a disappointed Hazlewood must go. A sensational happy-go-lucky partnership of 77 in a flash.
27th over: Australia 205-8 (Abbott 51, Hazlewood 14)Australia need 112 in 6 overs The reassuring presence of Ashwin, but even he can’t quite stem the flow. Abbott brings up 50 in 27 balls – his first in ODI cricket - with a flogged six over long on. He’s enjoying himself out here.
Updated
26th over: Australia 199-8 (Abbott 45, Hazlewood 14)Australia need 118 in 7 overs Abbott plugs the front leg, swings and dispatches Shami for six to bring up the fifty partnership. Next ball is helped through midwicket for four. Rahul slows things down and rearranges the field, and calm is restored. A very energetic crowd roar India on.
Updated
25th over: Australia 188-8 (Abbott 34, Hazlewood 14) Time for Ashwin, to take the pace off. Ashwin stretches, neck and shoulders. Totally beats Abbott third ball, but the ball spins away past the keeper and the empty slip cordon for four. Abbott then gets a gimme which he drives for four. Another fizzes back, somehow missing leg stump. Still: ten from the over. The Australia target now falls into unlikely but possible: 129 from 48.
24th over: Australia 178-8 (Abbott 26, Hazlewood 13)Entertaining clubbing here from the big fast bowlers. Abbott wellies two sixes and a four off Prasidh, not India’s finest five minutes.
23rd over: Australia 162-8 (Abbott 10, Hazlewood 13) Josh Hazlewood, who has only hit one six in his ODI career, now clubs two in three balls off Jadeja. He is then dropped on the rope at long-on by Gaikwad. Another simple catch – Gaikwad suggests the light from the floodlights was blinding him. Dravid, and his laptop, do not look impressed.
22nd over: Australia 149-8 (Abbott 9, Hazlewood 1) Hazlewood top-edges a six, but is then dropped by Thakur on the rope – in … and then suddenly out. I haven’t watched enough of India recently to know about their fielding but the commentators say that the one thing Rahul Dravid might be worried about going into the World Cup is India’s propensity to drop catches.
Updated
21st over: Australia 140-8 (Abbott 1, Hazlewood 0) A beautiful, easy, breezy four by Zampa before he was met by Jadeja’s spin master class.
WICKET! Zampa b Jadeja 5 (Australia 140-8)
India’s spinners toying with Australia, this one fizzes past Zampa’s bat and screams in to knock out middle. Welcome to India!
20th over: Australia 136-7 (Abbott 1, Zampa 1) Shardul’s full toss biffed through midwicket by Green just before he momentarily forgets one of those coaching maxims that will have been drilled into him when he was a nipper.
WICKET! Green run out (Kishan) 19 (Australia 135-7)
Cam Green’s tricky day gets no better as he is run out after making the crease but not grounding his bat. Superb direct hit from Kishan.
19th over: Australia 128-6 (Green 13, Abbott 0) Australia’s innings disintegrating fast. And Abbott then greeted by Jadeja in the grove, the ball suddenly ripping. The first passes his bat by a whisker, and the second, the third an lbw appeal. Not out. India review and it takes an age – but the verdict remains the same – not out.
WICKET! Carey b Jadeja 14 (Australia 128-6)
Inside edge onto the stumps, flashing bails a tumble. A dejected Carey walks off.
18th over: Australia 127-5 (Green 12, Carey 14) Back to pace, with Thakur. Carey watches , then strikes, flaying him over mid on for four. Beaten by a slower ball next delivery. Still a very vocal crowd in the house. And the run-rate shifts up to 12.
17th over: Australia 120-5 (Green 10, Carey 9) Ashwin reasserts some control.
16th over: Australia 116-5 (Green 8, Carey 7) These two aren’t hanging around. Carey pings Jadeja down the ground, with a bounce near the start of the over. Green goes one better to the last, striding towards Ashwin and lofting him into the crowd.
15th over: Australia 102-5 (Green 0, Carey 1) Very nicely done by Ashwin, befudding both Warner and Inglis. Shame to see the RHB/LHB Warner go just as he was getting going.
WICKET! Inglis lbw Ashwin 6 (Australia 101-5)
This time it’s Inglis, this time he can’t get bat on sweep and is given out lbw. This time, Inglis reviews, but DRS says GO. Quite the over.
WICKET! Warner lbw Ashwin 53 (Australia 100-4)
Maybe the switch from left to right and back again was confusing after all as Warner goes to reverse-sweep Ashwin, falls over in the act, and is given out lbw. He doesn’t look happy as he marches off, but also doesn’t review. The replays seem to show an inside edge. Hmmm. But he’s out, which is good news for India as he’d looked in great nick.
Fifty for Warner
14th over: Australia 100-3 (Warner 53, Inglis 6) A headbanded Jadeja comes on making it spin from both ends. Warner’s fifty comes with a single and four over throws.
13th over: Australia 90-3 (Warner 48, Inglis 1) Pat Cummins, on drinks duties, runs off the field laughing as Warner decides to bat right handed. He kneels to sweep and sends the ball scurrying for four. How is this possible?So impressive. The Indian think tank look perplexed, but Ashwin raises the mood by bowling Labuschagne with a beauty, that left Labuschagne stranded, neither back nor forward.
WICKET! Labuschagne b Ashwin 27 (Australia 89-3)
Labuschagne completely foxed, as he’s slow on a ball which fizzes past and takes down the stumps.
12th over: Australia 82-2 (Warner 42, Labuschagne 26) Warner hooks Thakur over fine leg, falling over in the process, but pocketing six. Labuschagne tries a ramp but it is an awkward manouvre, that he completely misses, like a dad at the school disco. Hits the spot next ball, a booming drive through the covers for four.
11th over: Australia 69-2 (Warner 34, Labuschagne 21) Spin straight away, as Ashwin returns. Some nifty footwork on the boundary by Shami shrinks four to two. Warner and Labuschagne squeeze him for singles but Warner is nearly beaten by a quicker one.
10th over: Australia 63-2 (Warner 31, Labuschagne 18) Australia need 11 an over, but Shardul Thakur isn’t giving anything away. Well, a wide, and then a four from the penultimate ball as Warner sends the ball flying to the long leg rope. But already the rate ticks up.
Updated
Revised target for Australia: 317 in 33 overs
We are back at Indore, the surface now cover-free. On come the India fielders, and the two Australia batters: David Wrner and Marnus Labuschagne.
Play to resume at in 7 minutes, 4.05 BST
Not yet sure of the overs/runs equation.
Updated
Just going to grab a cup of tea while we wait to read the tea leaves at Indore.
South Africa squad
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh squads yet to be announced.
New Zealand squad
New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee**, Will Young.
** Tim Southee a doubt after sustaining a thumb injury against England. Replacement tbc
India squad
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
Australia squad
Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head**, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
** Head sure to miss the first half of the tournament after fracturing his left hand, replacement tbc
Netherlands squad
Netherlands: Scott Edwards (captain), Max O’Dowd, Bas de Leede, Vikram Singh, Teja Nidamanuru, Paul van Meekeren, Colin Ackermann, Roelof van der Merwe, Logan van Beek, Aryan Dutt, Ryan Klein, Wesley Barresi, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shariz Ahmad and Sybrand Engelbrecht.
England squad
England: Jos Buttler (captain, wkt), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes.
Updated
Pakistan squad
Pakistan: Babar Azam(C), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-Ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Saul Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Usama Mir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Hasan Ali
Afghanistan squad
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Alikhil, Riaz Hassan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Rehmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Abdul Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb ur-Rahman.
While we wait for news from a wet Indore, let’s take a look at the World Cup squads to have been announced:
The rain looks a bit more than just some fine drizzle. We’re going to start losing overs here from the chase. At the moment Australia need 344 from 41 overs. Watch this space.
Rain stops play
8th over: Australia 56-2 (Warner 26, Labuschagne 17) The tall, well built, figure of R Ashwin replaces Shami. Warner drops to one knee and sweeps for four to bring up fifty. But he’s beaten by a beauty penultimate ball, which fizzes, spits and does the splits past Warner’s proffered bat.
Ah, and we have rain. On come the covers again, beautifully pulled this way and that. If any of you have read the Giant Jam Sandwich, imagine the butter and jam being spread over the giant loaf and you have the right image in your head.
Updated
8th over: Australia 48-2 (Warner 20, Labuschagne 16) Prasidh and Rahul have a long chat, Prasidh, glistening with sweat, runs in. A nice stop at Shubman Gil at backward point prevents a Labuschagne boundary, but he’s already got one for the over, a chop through backward square leg. A huge wide followed by a fizzer that beats the bat.
7th over: Australia 43-2 (Warner 19, Labuschagne 12) Talking of wickekeepers, Kishan dives behind the stumps to take what looks like an edge, but loses control of the ball – which drops to the ground. No matter, it was a leg bye. Just three from Shami’s over.
6th over: Australia 40-2 (Warner 18, Labuschagne 8)Warner is taking the attacker role, Labuschagne content to test the waters as if he was with Glamorgan at Sophia Garden. And as I tap that, Labuschagne takes two boundaries off Prasidh’s over. One for Warner too, a trademark loft.
The Indian squad for the World Cup flashes up on the screen, I hadn’t realised that Rishabh Pant was still recovering from his car accident and won’t be fit. May his recovery be as swift as possible.
5th over: Australia 26-2 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 3) Shami, fresh from five for 51 at Mohali, stutters in. One boundary from it, as Warner cuts with style.
4th over: Australia 22-2 (Warner 9, Labuschagne 3)At last, an over win for Australia. A squirt for four by Warner, then another boundary through midwicket. Prasidh wipes the sweat from his face with a flannel. Warner edges the last and nervously looks behind him to check is hasn’t gone in the air to the fielder.
3rd over: Australia 12-2 (Warner 0, Labuschagne 0) The bearded Shami fizzes in. Labuschagne takes the over but can only get two from it, with a tickle backwards of square.
2nd over: Australia 9-2 (Warner 0, Labuschagne 1 )Not the dream start for Australia, against the excellence of Prasidh. Here comes LAbuschagne, keen to ink his name into the squad. Hat-trick averted but Warner does well to survive the last two bombettes.
Updated
WICKET! Smith c Gill b Prasidh Krishna 0
Two in two! A bobbly collection head high at slip for Gill as Smith, immovable front foot, throws the bat and gets the edge. Prasidh Krishna on a hat-trick
WICKET! Short c Ashwin b Prasidh Krishna 9 (Australia 9-1)
A huge top edge flies behind into the comfortable hands of Ashwin.
Australia need 400 to win!
1st over: Australia 9-0 (Warner 0, Short 9) Touch and go for the start of the innings on this sofa, with a battle for the television with Arsenal v Spurs. Anyway, I won, and the unsuitably named Short is off the mark from the first ball of the inning, driven smartly through the covers for four. And a second, as Shami goes full and flicks the ball off his boot.
“I am running low on data,” says Paul. Your over by over summary invaluable to follow what is going on. Thank you for your work.”
That’s what we’re here for! Cheers.
“Re Matt Short, I want him to do well. As a regular at The Junction to watch the Victorians play Sheffield Shield, a couple of times there Matt’s timing and crisp driving was a pleasure to watch, he did seem a class above his teammates. I am tipping Matt to be the next Peter Toohey.”
Australia must chase 400 to win
Pretty confident I don’t need to look up any records to say that they’ve never done that. In favour: small ground, flat pitch. Against: they’ve been in the heat all day being smashed around. India should walk this, honestly.
It might seem weird to say, but in a way Australia pulled that back a bit. From 200 for 1 with 20 overs to go, it might have been even worse. The flying start was unbelievable, Gill and Shreyas batting like nothing in the world was easier. Shreyas is on the telly now saying that it wasn’t as easy as it looked.
Things slowed down as they neared their hundreds and got tired in the heat, they were both battling by the time they got out. But KL Rahul took the tiller, then SKY dropped the depth charges. Important knock for him to show himself and anyone else that he can do it in the 50-over format.
Zampa’s 10 overs, 1 for 67 looks pretty good in contest. Hazlewood 1 for 62, Abbott 1 for 91, Green 2 for 103 from those with a full complement. Spencer Johnson 8 overs, 0 for 61, and Short 2 overs, 0 for 15.
That’s it for me, the chase will be in the hands of Tanya Aldred.
50th over: India 399-5 (Suryakumar Yadav 72, Jadeja 13) The brakes stay on, for a moment. Jadeja dinks a single, a risky one but the throw misses. Suryakumar misses a slow bouncer from Abbott. Annoyed with himself again. But Abbott makes the next mistake, a high full toss on leg stump that SKY can scoop over fine leg for six in his sleep. Abbott gets back to his task, a couple of deliveries that the batters can only mistime for singles, one straight at mid off, one under edged to the keeper.
Last ball of the innings, pulled to the midwicket sweeper for one! So Australia do keep India under 400… but they’ll have to make 400 themselves.
49th over: India 389-5 (Suryakumar Yadav 64, Jadeja 11) Green is back, harsh from Smith as the captain with the poor guy having conceded 98. Spencer Johnson and Abbott are the other options, maybe should have bowled Matt Short a little more earlier on. Only bowled two overs.
Still, Green does alright. Beats the bat on a cut shot, has another belted straight at Warner at mid off. Singles and a two, Jadeja running hard, and it’s five from the first five balls. SKY wants the sixth, steps across, and misses the ramp! Throws his head back in disgust.
10 0vers, 2 for 103 for Green. Can Australia stay under 400.
48th over: India 384-5 (Suryakumar Yadav 63, Jadeja 7) Hazlewood back for his last over, five balls of which are quality, but Jadeja rifles the first behind point with a cut shot for four, and SKY rather slogs at one and gets it with some luck over midwicket for another boundary. So even the main man can’t stop the scoring.
Half century! Suryakumar Yadav 50 from 24 balls
47th over: India 372-5 (Suryakumar Yadav 58, Jadeja 1) Abbott the bowler, some width on a length outside off stump, and SKY hits it at the top of the bounce, over wide long off for six! Another stunner. Takes a single for his fifty. Australia drop long off back, bring square leg up, so next time he’s on strike he goes that way, stepping across to counter Abbott’s width, then sweeping the fast bowler with a wrist whip action to take him leg side. Unreal batting. Four. And he finishes the over with four more, again reaching for width, but this time dabbing it to the off side, splitting the keeper and short third.
WICKET! KL Rahul b Green 52, India 355-5
46th over: India 355-5 (Suryakumar Yadav 43) Green with the pressure on him as an all-rounder, he’s gone for 88 from his eight overs. This is part of his education, his bowling still isn’t the finished article. He bowls a big full toss that SKY misses outside off stump, then nearly gets a wicket with a slower bouncer that SKY top edges just over Abbott at short third. Almost gets a touch on that while running back, tough chance. Four more next ball, belted over extra cover, top shot. Pulls a single, then finally Green gets something going right, an inswinging full ball and KL Rahul misses it, hitting middle and leg stump.
2 for 98, Green. Zampa tied Mick Lewis’ record recently of 113 conceded in an ODI. If Green gets another over he might challenge it.
Half century! KL Rahul 50 from 35 balls
45th over: India 345-4 (Rahul 51, Suryakumar Yadav 34) Another fast 50 from KL Rahul, though he has been the understated partner in all of his stands today. Has kept India’s momentum going since the two century-makers got out. Gives over the strike here, and Abbott bowls a hit-me ball, low full toss outside off the SKY smacks through point for four. The bowler gets back on track, his pace changes working as he switches lengths and SKY can’t get bat on the last couple.
44th over: India 337-4 (Rahul 49, Suryakumar Yadav 29) And SKY starts exactly that process! Has Green bowling now, pace, likes that, and this ball is on his pads. Suryakumar Yadav loves to step across to off stump and lift those balls over backward square leg. Does so, for six. Next ball, same shot, six more.
That is his signature shot, the one he must have got from watching AB de Villiers. Green switches it up, bowling a slower ball outside the off stump… and SKY drives it over cover for six! What a shot there! Picks it, times it.
Fourth ball. Goes for six! On his pads again, dumped over midwicket.
Green goes back to width, and manages to stem the bleeding. Only a single, and a risky run as backward point fields well. Then a run to KL Rahul through the off side. The over costs 26. Maybe 400 is back on.
43rd over: India 311-4 (Rahul 48, Suryakumar Yadav 4) Zampa has his light-enhancing shades on now as the day gets darker. Nearly has SKY stumped! Flight from Zampa, a rarity, and it lures the batter out before turning past his edge. Carey gets the bails off quickly but SKY has the presence of mind to scoot his toe back as soon as he missed the ball. Just makes it. Only two singles from the over, as SKY struggles there. This scorecard could be a lot worse for Australia given where it was an hour ago, but India still have seven overs to make it so.
42nd over: India 309-4 (Rahul 47, Suryakumar Yadav 3) Top over from Hazlewood. Three singles. Gets the ball to cut in slightly at SKY, hitting him on the pad. Hazlewood likes it but Smith gestures that it’s too high, going over the stumps. I’m with Smith. They don’t review. Ball tracking shows it slipping past leg stump anyway.
41st over: India 306-4 (Rahul 45, Suryakumar Yadav 2) Six first ball, a wicket then four singles from the next five. Good comeback from Zampa.
WICKET! Ishan Kishan c Carey b Zampa 25, India 302-4
Finally something falls for Zampa. First ball of his over is pounded into the sightscreen, but Kishan goes across his front leg next time and gets a high top edge. Carey pulls off a 50 yard sprint and takes the catch. SKY in next.
40th over: India 296-3 (Rahul 43, Kishan 25) Hazlewood back, with three of his overs remaining. Keeps the lid on for a few balls, then Rahul backs away and flips a cut shot fine through deep third for four. Hazlewood comes back with a good ball that smashes him on the back leg, and the Australians go upstairs, but it’s missing leg stump on the angle.
39th over: India 289-3 (Rahul 38, Kishan 23) Abbott is trying his changes of pace, anything that might disrupt the ball-striking in this run fest. Looking for the slow bouncers. Doesn’t help much. Wide down leg, wide for height on a short one that he disagrees with, chatting to the umpire, then a short ball down leg that Ishan Kishan swings away for four. And again, this time pounded in front of square.
38th over: India 276-3 (Rahul 37, Kishan 13) Does well, Spencer Johnson, to concede only five, considering this innings is steaming along. Beats the bat, bowls a hard length and isn’t picked off. One ball is timed nicely but Hardie the sub fielder does well tumbling across to save a boundary.
37th over: India 271-3 (Rahul 36, Kishan 9) Another huge one from KL Rahul! This time Green is the unfortunate recipient. Timed the pants off that over deep square leg.
36th over: India 260-3 (Rahul 28, Kishan 7) Spencer Johnson strays down leg, deflecting away for four. Then an inside edge from Kishan, does it bounce in front of Carey or did that carry? Diving away to his right, with a left-hander on strike, and he gloves the ball away for a run. That gives KL the strike, and he slashes a wide ball behind point for four. Johnson finishes with a good yorker, but it’s an expensive over.
35th over: India 249-3 (Rahul 18, Kishan 6) One ball in the over, first ball of his innings, and Ishan Kishan lifts it off leg stump over fine leg for six!
WICKET! Gill c Carey b Green 104, India 243-3
Ton and done! That’s the style of the day. Gill goes across the line of a ball, looking to smash it over long on, but the length is too short for that and it goes straight up in the air. Would have hit the roof at Docklands, but here the keeper settles under it and takes the catch.
34th over: India 235-2 (Gill 103, Rahul 11) Spencer Johnson returns to bowl, the fast left armer. Five from the over. Gill has 1230 one-day runs this year, and five centuries among them.
Century! Gill 100 from 92 balls
33rd over: India 230-2 (Gill 97, Rahul 9) The singles keep ticking over for Gill… 98… 99… he tucks awkwardly across the line and can’t score from Abbott next chance he gets. Then takes a desperate run from the last ball of the over, leading edge towards Warner at mid off, but runs with the shot and dives in!
Updated
32nd over: India 225-2 (Gill 97, Rahul 7) Off the mark with a huge hit! KL Rahul gets the googly from Zampa, overpitched though, waits for it to dip, then launches it over long on. Massive hit well into the spectators.
31st over: India 216-2 (Gill 95, Rahul 0) Gill is joined by KL.
WICKET! Shreyas c Short b Abbott 105, India 216-2
That is absolute nonsense from the third umpire. Shreyas mistimes a push that skews back towards Abbott. He dives across to his right and takes an excellent one-handed catch. All of his fingers wrapped around the ball. As he lands, some sliver of the cheek of the ball perhaps taps the ground. It’s a catch all day long, but it gets given not out.
Doesn’t much matter. Shreyas, cramping, slogs one more boundary through midwicket, then hits one high in the same direction for Short to run in and catch it diving forward.
Century! Shreyas Iyer 100 from 86 balls
30th over: India 210-1 (Gill 94, Shreyas 100) More frustration for Zampa, as a flick around the corner scoots under the fielder’s dive and away to the boundary. But that soon brings delight for Shreyas, who moves to 98, then ticks over the two singles he needs for his milestone. ODI century number three for him, after missing a lot of cricket with the back problems that have kept bothering him. He’s starting to cramp here in the heat, and takes some time for treatment.
29th over: India 202-1 (Gill 92, Shreyas 94) Abbott driving the ball into the pitch, making it difficult to time as Gill charges and doesn’t get much on his pull shot. Four singles from the over.
“What’s more exiting to commentate Geoff: Gill’s cover drives or the opening stanza of the Preliminary final last night?” asks Dec Brennan.
Cricket is my game, but I have to say that last night’s footy had rather more riding on it than this centre-wicket net session. Sport can offer technical brilliance but it still needs to feel like it matters.
That’s drinks.
28th over: India 198-1 (Gill 90, Shreyas 92) Four from the Zampa over, as the lull continues. I doubt it will last long. India are on for a bumper score.
27th over: India 194-1 (Gill 88, Shreyas 90) Sean Abbott back into the fray. Hits the spot right away, holds them to working a few singles. Could the Indian players have milestones on their minds now, wanting to get there safely?
26th over: India 190-1 (Gill 86, Shreyas 88) Three from the Green over, as the batters catch their breath.
25th over: India 187-1 (Gill 85, Shreyas 86) This is ruthless from India. These two keep picking up boundaries, Hazlewood again smacked from the first ball of the over. Gill strikes him over mid off. Five decent balls to follow, but the over still costs eight.
24th over: India 179-1 (Gill 79, Shreyas 84) Green is back, that heavy-footed approach to the crease. Doesn’t give away much initially, bowls a good length that Shreyas can’t get under, but eventually he slips full and Shreyas can drop-kick it over midwicket for four.
23rd over: India 173-1 (Gill 78, Shreyas 79) Hazlewood looking for something, anything, on a batting track with tiny boundaries. Staying on that off-stump line. Almost deflects a straight drive back onto the stumps, but Gill had has bat planted.
22nd over: India 168-1 (Gill 76, Shreyas 76) Tidy over from Short, four singles from it, but Australia are in trouble here. The partnership is 152.
21st over: India 164-1 (Gill 74, Shreyas 74) Hazlewood comes back, fill-in captain Smith turning to his main quick, but the boundaries keep coming. First ball of the over, chopped with great timing by Gill through backward point.
20th over: India 158-1 (Gill 69, Shreyas 74) Matthew Short on to bowl with his lanky off-breaks. The Indians have a look for a few balls, then Shreyas hits another flat shot over deep midwicket for six. He’s surged past Gill’s score.
19th over: India 147-1 (Gill 67, Shreyas 65) That hurts Adam Zampa. Not his fault initially: bowls a good few balls, four dots to Shreyas. Then bowls a low full toss. It’s dipping and drifting, not the easiest ball to smash, and Shreyas only clips it through midwicket towards the boundary rider. But Green sliding across misfields and deflects it over the rope. Zampa yelps in frustration, Steve Smith gesticulates. Brad Haddin on commentary is so confused that he calls the fielding “un-Australian-like”. And because he has overpitched, Zampa drags the next one down and gets smacked flat into the crowd by Shreyas for six! None from four balls, ten from two balls.
18th over: India 137-1 (Gill 67, Shreyas 55) Economical shot from Gill, just waits for Johnson’s pace to arrive and opens the face to glide four runs. Johnson responds with a good bouncer, only gives away a couple more runs from the over.
17th over: India 131-1 (Gill 62, Shreyas 54) Zampa shows off some turn. Bowls a lot of straight breaks, but that one does drift and spin a long way past Gill’s edge. Only three from the over.
Half century! Shreyas Iyer 53 from 41 balls
16th over: India 128-1 (Gill 60, Shreyas 53) Ohhhh dear. It shapes to be a good over from Spencer Johnson. The left-armer comes around the wicket, cramping them for room as he angles in. Four singles, a dot ball… but then the siren goes off. He’s overstepped on that fifth ball. It’s a free hit. So Shreyas Iyer walks right at him and flat-bats six over long off. So often you see the free hit missed or cloughed as players swing too hard. That one is nailed, and it raises the batter’s fifty.
15th over: India 117-1 (Gill 58, Shreyas 45) Mistimed slog from Gill against Zampa, but he still gets four from it. Off the inside half of the bat as he gallops down, smeared through midwicket.
Half century! Shubman Gill 52 from 37 balls
14th over: India 111-1 (Gill 53, Shreyas 44) Two quiet overs, and that’s enough for Gill! Advances at Green and drives him dead straight, over the bowler, over the sight screen, into the crowd. Huge six for his half century. Takes a run to get off strike, then Shreyas Iyer hits one just as straight but all along the ground for four. Quite the effort from Gill – he was 9 from 19 balls, now he has a half century at about 1.5 runs per ball.
13th over: India 100-1 (Gill 46, Shreyas 40) Decent over from Zampa, almost beats Gill through onto the pad as the batter overbalances while striking out through midwicket. Shifts his line towards leg stump once or twice to change things up. Four singles all told. India into triple figures.
12th over: India 96-1 (Gill 44, Shreyas 38) Green to continue, looking less than overjoyed as another leg-stump line goes for a run. His next is even wider down leg, penalised. Three more singles, a rare quiet over for Australia.
11th over: India 91-1 (Gill 42, Shreyas 36) Powerplay done, fielding restrictions over, and here comes Zampa. Has taken some fearful tap in his last few matches. Two balls here that the Indian batters have a look at, fast and flat leg-breaks at the stumps that they drive for singles, but the third ball Gill steps into the stroke and launches it for six. Over long on, a long way back! Singles from every other ball.
10th over: India 80-1 (Gill 33, Shreyas 34) Cameron Green has to come back to bowl one ball and finish his over. It’s on the leg stump and the right-handed Gill stabs it away to square leg for a single.
Updated
No overs lost. India were flying before the break, so it will have given Australia a chance to regroup.
The sun is out!
Apparently we’re due for a restart in about 10 minutes.
What’s everyone doing? If your Sunday night (AEST) consists of reading the Guardian live blog of the second match of a warm-up series for a World Cup while play is suspended for rain, then you must be having a rager. Let me know, it might help pass the time. geoff.lemon@theguardian.com
Thanks Tanya. I have just had the singular pleasure of watching the unique Ravi Shastri in a documentary interview for rain fill, talking about his double hundred during Shane Warne’s debut in 1991. After accepting the player of the match award, of course, “he was passing by. I said, ‘Young man, on another day you might have had seven-for.’ Imagine the confidence that gave a young player.”
Nobody does it like Ravi.
Time for Geoff Lemon to take over, hopefully he’ll oversee the covers coming off and play restarting. Bye for now – back later!
A bit of reading while we wait for the rain to fall:
A new-look England side with four new caps beat Ireland:
And (please excuse the plug), Bas de Leede on the World Cup dark horses and “Total Cricket”:
A cast of thousands on the field, absolutely amazing to see. Every bit of grass covered by plastic sheeting.
Rain stops play
9.5 overs: India 79-1 (Shubman Gill 32, Shreyas Iyer 34) Time for Cameron Green. An ugly, but effective boundary, as Gill grill pans straight down the ground. SIX follows, hooked over his shoulder, easy as you like, and down the rain comes … the players go off as a wonderful choreography of ground sheets and ground-staff come on.
9th over: India 68-1 (Shubman Gill 22, Shreyas Iyer 33) Steve Smith has his hands on his head: its Subman time! Two frankly dismissive shots from the first three balls of Abbott’s over. A straight six and then a step and fire slam over cover to bring up the fifty partnership in just 29 balls. Magical stuff.
8th over: India 54-1 (Shubman Gill 9, Shreyas Iyer 32) Just the one boundary for Shreyas in Hazlewood’s over, as the crowd noise rises and falls and rises again in a wave. Shreyas brings up the fifty, pulling/gloving a short ball past the keeper. Australia struggling to stop the flow. And a risky single, which would have been run out if Abbott had hit, to keep things interesting.
7th over: India 47-1 (Shubman Gill 7, Shreyas Iyer 27) Sean Abbott gives Johnson a break, tall dark hair replacing tall blond hair. But he too is milked by Shreyas, ten from the over, including one joyous uppish drive for four, over the covers, bat and front foot moving in unison. Gill a spectator here.
6th over: India 37-1 (Shubman Gill 3, Shreyas Iyer 21) Dreamy by Shreyas Iyer, Hazlewood’s first ball driven through the covers for four, and again to the penultimate ball of the over. A super stop by Matthew Short, prevents a boundary from a ball that sped up over the practice pitches. And Shreyas steals the strike for the next over, eleven from this one. India up and running.
5th over: India 26-1 (Shubman Gill 3, Shreyas 10) Shreyas Iyer isn’t hanging around. Johnson’s second ball is a gift landing wide outside off stump, Iyer leans back and deposits it up and over for four. Two balls later, Johnson over-corrects, this one juicily on the pads, and another zips across the rope.
4th over: India 17-1 (Shubman Gill 3, Shreyas 1) Hazlewood on the money immediately probing away incessantly, that wicket a surprise to no one. Shreyas Iyer off the mark with a borderline insane single.
WICKET! Gaikwad c Carey b Hazlewood 8 (India 16-1)
A smashing ball, well taken by Carey as Gaikwad tries to defend but can only snick behind.
3rd over: India 14-0 (Shubman Gill 1, Ruturaj Gaikwad 8) Spencer Johnson whips in for his second over, blond hair like a squished Mr Whippy. This over is better, leaking just a single. Ali Martin reminds me that Johnson took three for one for The Oval Invincibles in the Hundred this year, where he impressed with his rapidness.
Lovely scenes of him being presented with his cap earlier today by Mitchell Starc.
2nd over: India 14-0 (Shubman Gill 1, Ruturaj Gaikwad 8) Back of a length immediately from Josh Hazlewood, sprinting in with an orange flannel hanging out of the back of his banana trousers. And on the money he remains.
Interestingly, or not, depending on the strength of your morning coffee, to add to the link with yesterday’s ODI between England and Ireland and today’s India v Australia warm-up ,Ruturaj Gaikwad has the highest List A average in the history of the sport but Sam Hain, who made 89 for England yesterday, is breathing down his neck.
Updated
1st over: India 13-0 (Shubman Gill 0, Ruturaj Gaikwad 8). Spencer Johnson’s first ball in international cricket lands invitingly near Gaikwad’s boot, who easily flicks it for four. And then another through the on side. The sixth is a wide that flies down to the boundary. George Grimshaw, whose debut for England yesterday had a nightmarish beginning, will empathise.
Ah, here we go! Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad are in the middle and Spencer Johnson has the ball.
Not getting a great deal of information on conditions from the TV coverage, but we do get a slow-mo of the coin toss and a lot of dramatic music.
The television coverage starts, and we get a birds' eye view of the perfectly circular ground in Indore. The weather looks peachy, and the boundaries short.
Australia XI
Australia: David Warner, Matt Short, Steven Smith (capt), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Spencer Johnson
India XI
India: Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (capt, wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Prasidh Kirshna
Updated
Tickle your memories from Australia’s latest wobble, India’s five-wicket thrashing at Mohali:
Australia win the toss and will bowl!
No Mitch Marsh, no Pat Cummins and a debut for 27 year old left-arm quick Spencer Johnson.
Preamble
Good morning! Welcome to the second match in this pre World Cup muscle-flexing series. Today we’re at Indore for a day-nighter, with Australia sore after losing three in a row to drop the series in South Africa and then the first match in this bout, a couple of days ago. Still time to tinker and bring players back. India look strong -with the gloves nearly off.
Updated
