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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Adam Collins (now) and Scott Heinrich (earlier)

India beat Australia in decider to seal ODI series win – as it happened

India’s Rohit Sharma bats in Bengaluru.
India’s Rohit Sharma bats in Bengaluru. Photograph: Aijaz Rahi/AP

India win the series 2-1

That’ll do us from Bangalore. Thanks for your company throughout the series this week - a lot of fun! Be sure to join us again on the OBO tomorrow as England try and take the last few wickets down at Port Elizabeth. Goodbye for now.

Rohit wins an award. Virat wins an award. Jadeja wins an award. Everybody wins an award! Rohit is also player of the match for his 119 from 128 balls.

Aaron Finch speaks. Wicket was turning a bit when they were batting; felt they needed 300-plus. Didn’t maximise partnerships. Losing wickets at tough times. But that’s a part of learning with a relatively young batting group. A great learning curve for the team in this series. Agar bowled beautifully; big difference the line he bowled in this series - closer to the stumps. Zampa also exceptional. Bowled the part-timers to pinch some overs but it wasn’t to be.

Sorry, I’m not sure why the presentation is taking so long. But I’ll be here with you for it. We’ll hear from the captains, the players of the match/series and the other half a dozen or so awards that tend to be handed out in these ceremonies.

Ravi Shastri is on TV. Great. He immediately has a pop at the media about criticism of the strength of Australian teams they have beaten in the past. Yawn.

Meanwhile in Port Elizabeth, Joe Root is bowling out South Africa. For real. Join Tanya Aldred for the final 20 minutes of an eventful fourth afternoon there.

INDIA WIN BY SEVEN WICKETS!

47.3 overs: India 289-3 (Shreyas 44, Pandey 8) Target 287. Nice shot from Pandey, driving Hazlewood straight back past his boots for four from his second ball. Hazlewood responds with a misdirected bouncer, called a wide. Two runs to get and there it is! Pandey secures the win with an emphatic slap, straight back over the bowler’s head for four. India get the job done with 15 balls to spare. Clinical.

Updated

47th over: India 280-3 (Shreyas 44, Pandey 0) Target 287. Shreyas is determined to finish this off in style, lofting a superb square drive off Starc for four to start the new over, landing inches away from the boundary. Nine to get, will he get them with three overs to spare? Nup. Six from it, leaving seven runs left for the win.



WICKET! Kohli b Hazlewood 89 (India 274-3)

Hazlewood bowls Kohli. It was pretty clear that the captain was trying to find a route to three figures by aiming for the vacant midwicket after pinpointing it with a powerful pull earlier in the over, but this time he’s skittled. He declined the single on offer from the previous delivery, so maybe that’s a bit of cricket karma. Either way, forget about all that, another clincial and altogether matchwinning hand from the best there has ever been in the limited-overs format of the game.

46th over: India 274-3 (Shreyas 38, Pandey 0) Target 287.

Updated

45th over: India 268-2 (Kohli 84, Shreyas 37) Target 287. Shreyas clips a couple off Starc to start the new over. When Kohli gets his turn he is about to duck then elects to pull, from the duck position, upon realising it is a slower ball. Ridiculous shot. It’s only a single though, so Shreyas is back on strike and slamming Starc over midwicket for SIX! Hard and flat - bosh! And again over point to finish, inside-out for four! Whaddashot! It makes it very difficult for Kohli to get his ton but ever so likely that India will finish this in the next couple of overs. Starc: 8-0-60-0.

44th over: India 254-2 (Kohli 83, Shreyas 24) Target 287. Zampa begins his tenth over at Kohli and the Indian captain finally takes him on, leaping on a long-hop, smashing it through cover to reach the 80s. He has a ton on the shelf here, make no mistake. Cutting hard, he adds a couple more wide of the man at deep point before turning the strike back to Shreyas. I don’t expect it’ll be a good professional decision for the younger man if he takes too many runs here, which could increase the degree of difficulty on the skipper getting to 100 before this is done. Yep - that holds up: foward defence, forward defence, single to point. Clever. All told, another night where Zampa’s reputation has been enhanced, finishing with 1/44.

43rd over: India 246-2 (Kohli 76, Shreyas 23) Target 287. Hazlewood to Kohli, but what they really want is the big quick at Shreyas who doesn’t have a reputation of fancying the short stuff. Sure enough, a bumper is what comes his way when getting on strike, hacked away unconvincingly over midwicket for a couple. Another short one follows, which he misses when making room outside leg stump. Hazlewood goes for the yorker next up but the No4 is well up to this task, adjusting in the crease to hammer it from middle stump out to cover for four. He makes it two in a row from a length delivery, again after backing away to make space to swing, middled over point this time for four more. 11 from the over, leaving India 41 to collect across the final 42 balls of this match and series.

42nd over: India 235-2 (Kohli 75, Shreyas 13) Target 287. A stange one to begin, Starc appealing for caught behind down the legside but a wide called by Umpire Gough. Now, there’s clearly a sound - shown later by technology to be Kohli’s thigh pad. Finch did make the review signal but after the 15 seconds had expired. Let’s pretend he did get it upstairs before the clock ran to zero. If the spike showed a touch on the pad would Australia have lost the review but won the extra run back in their column? Shreyas keeps the board moving India’s way when his turn comes, timing a full ball out of the block hole, directed too square for Labuschagne to drag it back from the rope. Very handy shot. They’re cruising to this.

41st over: India 227-2 (Kohli 73, Shreyas 8) Target 287. Agar completes his ten with a classy and tidy over, in keeping with the theme of his night. With a bit of turn, he finds Kohli’s outside edge to start before keeping the pair pinned to the crease. The West Australian finishes with 1/38 from his ten. He’s bowled really well.

40th over: India 224-2 (Kohli 71, Shreyas 7) Target 287. Starc let’s the new man Shreyas off the hook with a short ball well wide off off-stump, slapped away with ease through cover point. He’s on the money for the rest of the set but the problem tonight with the left-armer has been that one boundary ball an over - usually early on too - which has denied him the chance to build pressure. 63 needed in 60 balls.

39th over: India 219-2 (Kohli 70, Shreyas 3) Target 287. Agar returns to the attack for his ninth over and starts it with his poorest delivery of the night, giving some help-yourself stuff to Kohli halfway down the track. He’s back on his mark after that but there are no concerns here for the boys in blue.

38th over: India 212-2 (Kohli 64, Shreyas 2) Target 287. Starc on for his third spell, which in the World Cup was usually when he was able to cause the most chaos with late swing and the like. The pace is here but not quite the movement, tending to bang it in a touch short of a length rather than attacking the woodwork. He has five overs left and will probably be needed for all of those if it goes that far.

37th over: India 207-2 (Kohli 61, Shreyas 0) Target 287. Shreyas Iyer walks out at number four, his 16th ODI. There’s still a bit of work to do too, 80 needed from 78 balls at the end of the successful Zampa over. But none of this matters if Kohli still batting in over 45 or something like that. The window is ajar but won’t be for long.

WICKET! Rohit c Starc b Zampa 119 (India 206-2)

Talk about earning a wicket. Zampa has bowled so well and now he has Rohit’s scalp, miscuing a slog sweep, the leading edge taken by Starc in from long-off. The end of another wonderful hand from the Hitman. Matchwinning, surely.

36th over: India 205-1 (Rohit 119, Kohli 59) Target 287. Here he goes! Kohli to 50 with a boundary, pulling a short ball through midwicket with complete control. Here’s a ridiculous stat: it is the 100th time he has made it to 50 in ODIs. He backs it up with the shot of the night, an on-drive to die four. Nobody is stopping that. Finch swings the changes as best he can but with 13 from the over, that’s surely game over with drinks on the field and the RCB chant going around Chinnaswamy.

35th over: India 192-1 (Rohit 118, Kohli 48) Target 287. Zampa into his eighth over - can he force a twist in this chase? He’s certainly bowling well enough, his accuracy now better than ever with a wrong’un good enough to consistently trouble Kohli, again finding his inside edge in this set. He follows it with a conventional legbreak, finding the outside edge this time. Through the stump-mic it’s clear how frustrating that is for the spinner. Kohli smiles. The required rate is 6.33.

34th over: India 188-1 (Rohit 116, Kohli 46) Target 287. It’s just not Cummins’ night, back into the attack and giving Kohli a ball to throw his hands at short and well outside the off-stump - it gets the treatment. With that in the tank, they work the singles: a pull, a flick, a steer. Harsha Bhogle hints at a very good point on the telly: why is Cummins being risked on this tour? We’re all grown-ups and we all know why this series is happening: cold, hard cash. Anyway, India need 99 to win.



33rd over: India 179-1 (Rohit 113, Kohli 40) Target 287. Zampa to Kohli. Despite the fact that India are still more than 100 runs from the finish line, this has a bit of a last-chance feel about it. So guess what? They take the foot back off, take the four singles presented to them down the ground, and leave it at that. Clinical.

32nd over: India 175-1 (Rohit 111, Kohli 38) Target 287. And now the foot goes down against Hazlewood! Rohit, clear of his century, backs himself to pick up a length delivery over long-on, going all the way for SIX. He barely swung at that - supreme timing. It’s Kohli’s turn later in the over, hooking a bouncer straight into the turf to make it a big set, 14 coming from it. In the process, the 100 partnership is raised. This is the 18th time in ODIs they’ve added three-figures together.

31st over: India 161-1 (Rohit 103, Kohli 32) Target 287. They are working this wonderfully now, picking off risk-free runs from Agar and Zampa, doing the bulk of the work when the main spinners aren’t in the attack. The required rate of 6.4 should be a doddle from here unless they lose both of these set men in a hurry.

Rohit Sharma brings up his 29th ODI ton!

30th over: India 156-1 (Rohit 101, Kohli 29) Target 287. But it nearly ends on 97! Hazlewood, so good earlier, is back into the attack and prompts a miscue from Rohit, only just clearing Finch at midwicket. Coming back for a couple, on 99, he steers the easiest of singles to third man to record three figures, there in 110 balls. It’s the eighth time he’s tallied three figures against Australia in 50-over cricket. Of course, the job is far from done here and the visitors throw themselves around accordingly, Smith making a brilliant diving stop at backward point to finish.



29th over: India 151-1 (Rohit 97, Kohli 28) Target 287. They can’t get Agar away so they don’t try to, happy playing him conservatively to the sweepers. Not a bad strategy given how strongly they have scored off Starc and Cummins.

28th over: India 147-1 (Rohit 94, Kohli 27) Target 287. Finch brings himself on! So, we’ve seen Labuschagne and now the skipper in terms of the part-time options. And just as it was with Marnus, it is Rohit who gets to tuck right in, lifting a half-tracker waaaaay back into the second deck for SIX to move into the 90s. Nine from the over all told. I can see what he’s thinking: with the frugality of the frontline spinners, it makes sense to get some overs from a third. But it hasn’t worked.

27th over: India 138-1 (Rohit 87, Kohli 25) Target 287. Starc is off and Agar is back, Finch sensing that they need to find a way through and his spinners are the best vehicle for that. Oooh, Kohli has hurt him first up when stopping a straight drive in his follow through. It was a good bit of fielding but the spinner keeps shaking his hand. He continues. Rohit moves to 87 later in the over, which Slater is very excited about on television. A little fact: in Test cricket, 87 is the number that Australian batsmen have been dismissed on least in the 80s. There’s another leg before appeal to finish, Agar thinking he might have The Hitman the same way he removed Rahul earlier tonight, but there’s no review forthcoming this time. Another excellent over from the left-arm tweaker; he has 1/19 from his six.

26th over: India 135-1 (Rohit 86, Kohli 23) Target 287. Zampa drops short for the first time in his spell and Rohit takes full advantage, launching him 30 rows back into the stand for SIX! Sure enough, he’s right back where he needs to be after that blip, giving up just one other single. The leggie has four left... bowl them straight?

“Scientific research might credit the pleasure we derive from elegance to geometry or genes,” writes Abhijato Sensarma on The Hitman, “but there is something too fundamentally emotional in nature about elegance to ever describe in numbers or confine to a definition. Rohit Sharma is my favourite cricketer, even when Kohli bats at the other end. Something about his batting, his leadership, and his aura energises me in a way nothing else ever has. When he is on song, he leaves me in awe; his translation of talent to success an inspiration; the front-foot pull from the willow he wields is the greatest shot in the history of the game. Cheers, Rohit, you are the best for me, and always will be.” Ahh, the passion! Go well, young man.

25th over: India 128-1 (Rohit 80, Kohli 22) Target 287. Starc is too full and too wide and Rohit is too good to miss out, hammering him out past point to start the over. He reverts to a shorter line at Kohli, beating his edge with one of those. The captain keeps the strike with a steer to third man. Good recovery from Starc.



24th over: India 122-1 (Rohit 75, Kohli 21) Target 287. Big shout... not out! Zampa went past Kohli’s blade when trying to work him through the legside. The right decision again from Finch not to send it through the DRS process - it was missing. Even so, it’s another little win for the spinner, his wrong’un working a treat. His five overs so far tonight have gone for just 19 runs. He and Agar hold the key.

23rd over: India 118-1 (Rohit 73, Kohli 19) Target 287. Right, so the Marnus Experiment has been brought to an end, Starc returning. Oooh, Kohli is well into that decision, launching into a magnificent cover drive on the up. Stand and deliver. With that, he moves to 5000 ODI runs as captain of India, reaching the mark in 82 innings. Of course, that’s a record - breaking Dhoni’s 127 hits.

“Hello Adam.” Hello, Krish on the tweet. “I predict (euphemism for hope for) a middle order collapse, a late rally and India falling tantalizingly close to lose both the match and the series. By the way, it is confirmed that Smith is not human.”

I just hope it’s a good contest and everyone has a nice time. How’s that sound?

22nd over: India 112-1 (Rohit 72, Kohli 14) Target 287. Zampa is doing his job, giving neither batsmen an opportunity to attack without risk, five singles taken instead.

Updated

21st over: India 107-1 (Rohit 69, Kohli 12) Target 287. Marnus? Now? When the squeeze is right on? Finch has had a great hour but this backfires, his part-time spinner given the treatment by Rohit, a long-hop launched for SIX into the crowd at midwicket. 11 off the over and the pressure lifted. Will Agar come straight back?

Updated

20th over: India 96-1 (Rohit 61, Kohli 9) Target 287. Rinse and repeat. Finch consults his bowler halfway through the over and Zampa responds with his first slower legbreak, good enough to beat the mighty Kohli outside the off-stump. This is fine bowling. But they have to turn it into a wicket or it won’t count for much.

19th over: India 92-1 (Rohit 59, Kohli 7) Target 287. If Australia do go on to win this match, the headlines will be all about Smith. Fair enough. But Agar has just pushed through his fifth over for 16, the wicket of Rahul picked up along the way. The last five overs all up have been worth 16 for the hosts as well. Hazlewood has conceded ten from his five overs and Zampa six from two. The squeeze is on.

18th over: India 90-1 (Rohit 57, Kohli 7) Target 287. Fantastic from Zampa to Kohli, pitching just short of a length with his overspinners, finishing with a leg break that the captain fails to cut from the middle of the bat, straight to a man. Judging by what he said to himself, audible through the stump mic, he’s very cross about it.

17th over: India 88-1 (Rohit 56, Kohli 6) Target 287. Agar isn’t far away with a flighted delivery that finds Rohit’s edge but the opener isn’t one for losing his head, waiting on a slightly shorter and flatter ball later in the over, cutting it behind point for four. Beautifully timed. They’re the only runs from the over as they head off for a drink. India require 199 to win at just on six an over.

16th over: India 84-1 (Rohit 52, Kohli 6) Target 287. With Kohli in, Zampa is on - the man who has dismissed him both times in this series. A probing first set, too, up for leg before against Rohit with his wrong’un. That’s turned into his stock delivery of late, keeping right-handers honest by always attacking their stumps.

Rohit to 50!

15th over: India 80-1 (Rohit 50, Kohli 4) Target 287. Rohit moves to 50 and barely acknowledges the milestone. Matt Hayden is far more excited on telly, once again describing this series as a heavyweight title fight. Earlier in the Agar over the main attraction was Warner, twice throwing himself around inside the ring to stop runs. India only need a run a ball but you can tell the Australians believe they’re close.

14th over: India 77-1 (Rohit 49, Kohli 2) Target 287. It has been a long time coming but from the final ball of Hazlewood’s fifth over, a boundary has been taken off his bowling with Rohit steering him expertly, just square of the third man sweeper. To that point, it was dots aplenty once again. It’s the bleedingly obvious point, but we’re into the most important partnership of the match right now.

13th over: India 71-1 (Rohit 45, Kohli 1) Target 287. They earned that error after such a solid period of tight bowling from bowl ends. Partnerships, and all that.
And a good point from Bharat too: credit to Carey for making the case to Finch.



WICKET! Rahul lbw b Agar 19 (India 69-1)

Magnificent review! Finch took each and every one of those 15 seconds to make the sign and it right he was, the ball pitching just in line before straightening just enough to hit middle and leg. The Australians are elated and rightly so.

HAS AGAR GOT RAHUL LBW WHEN MISSING A SWEEP? It has been turned down but Finch wants another look. To DRS we go!

12th over: India 64-0 (Rohit 43, Rahul 18) Target 287. This is brilliant from Hazlewood. His four overs have gone for 1, 1, 0 and 2. Rohit is savvy enough to know when he’s taking on a bowler going as well as this, very happy to play him with respect. The foundation has already been laid and there’s no rush here.

11th over: India 64-0 (Rohit 42, Rahul 16) Target 287. Agar is into the attack with the field back and supports Hazlewood with a frugal over of his own, three singles taken out to the legside sweepers but nothing further. We saw how effective the left-armer can be at denying boundary balls across the six T20s Australia played late last year against Sri Lanka and Paksitan. A much-improved operator.

10th over: India 61-0 (Rohit 41, Rahul 14) Target 287. Quite outstanding from Hazelwood. While bulk runs are leaking from the other end, he’s keeping a player of Rohit’s capacity - hitting them as well as he is - quiet for the entire over. Along the way, he beats him with another superb delivery, pitching middle and beating off. A maiden to finish the power play. But can they convert this into a mistake?

9th over: India 61-0 (Rohit 41, Rahul 14) Target 287. This is not something I’m conditioned to saying: Pat Cummins is copping a pasting. Of course, it’s all about Rohit who beats third man with a slash, down to the rope. A much better stroke follows, picking up the off-cutter slower ball nice and early, easing it from the crease through the gap at backward point for a second boundary. Rahul’s turn, who makes it three fours behind point for the set, off the edge this time but the result is the same. 13 from the over making 0/43 from five for Cummins.

8th over: India 48-0 (Rohit 32, Rahul 10) Target 287. Hazlewood has started beautifully, Rohit kept quiet for the first half of the over then beaten by a beauty just outside the off-stump. He gets off strike to third man, leaving Rahul one delivery to deal with, which finds his inside edge. Hazlewood 2-0-0-2. It was tough to argue against him being left out of the World Cup squad (although I’m sure that case will be made retrospectively; in fact, Michael Slater is doing it now) but he’s issuing a timely reminder here that he has plenty to offer this white-ball team.

7th over: India 47-0 (Rohit 31, Rahul 10) Target 287. Between overs, they show the highlights of Rohit hitting his first ODI double ton, which came against Australia on this famous ground during that bombastic seven-game series in 2013. He’s straight back on it here against Cummins, taking advantage of a ball on leg stump to clip four more behind square. The required rate is 5.6 - very comfortable.

Meanwhile at Port Elizabeth, they are back on the field and Mark Wood is running amok with the home side following on. Follow that too, with Tanya Aldred.


6th over: India 39-0 (Rohit 25, Rahul 8) Target 287. Hazlewood is on to replace Starc and does just what his captain asks of him after a couple of expensive overs, hitting his length form the get-go and giving up just one single to finish the set. A good result, too, that it denied Rohit the strike to start the next over. The hosts will want their champion taking as many deliveries as possible while the field is up.



5th over: India 38-0 (Rohit 25, Rahul 7) Target 287. Ooh, that stings. It’s hard to believe how, at Cummins’ pace, a genuine edge from Rohit falls well short of Carey. Salt in the wounds: after that slice of luck, he picks up the final ball of the over from middle stump, lifting it over midwicket for his second SIX! What a shot.

4th over: India 31-0 (Rohit 19, Rahul 6) Target 287. Rohit is away! Granted, he’s helped by Starc who twice gives the biffer loads of width to work with, the first of those poor balls slapped past point and the second lifted over third man for SIX! The mighty Chinnaswamy is jumping - definitely in my top few grounds in the world with those VFL Park-style lights. Starc bites back to finish with another delivery jagging back at Rohit, not to dissimilar the shout in his first over; a fraction shorter. But once again, a good decision by Umpire Gough.

3rd over: India 20-0 (Rohit 9, Rahul 5) Target 287. Cummins starts on that familiar length of his, banging away short of a length on the fourth stump line, but he falls away towards the end, spraying five wides down the legside then conceding a boundary through cover. To be fair, it’s a lovely shot on the up, stroked expertly by KL Rahul - today, of course, in his third batting position across this short series.

2nd over: India 10-0 (Rohit 9, Rahul 0) Target 287. Oooh, that’s a big shout for LBW! Starc is very keen but Carey less so when Finch consults him about a review. Michael Gough had the decision to make and went in Rohit’s favour. The replay shows that it was the correct decision - just a fraction too much swing back to the righthander. But a good early sign for the left-armer. Less so the half-volley he serves up to finish, well outside the off-stump, put away with ease past point.

1st over: India 5-0 (Rohit 5, Rahul 0) Target 287. A steady start, Cummins clipped by Rohit to begin for a couple and then a couple more. The second of those strokes moves the opener beyond 9000 ODI runs in his 217th innings - the third fastest to that mark. What a career. If you’re wondering, Kohli did it in 194 hits; ABdV 208.

The players are back on the field. But Shikhar is not there - his left arm is in a sling after that shoulder injury, the commentary confirms. Rohit to take the first ball, to be sent down by Cummins. KL Rahul is out there with the Indian superstar. PLAY!

What’s it look like where I’m doing this? Here’s my kitchen. Due to the vagaries of international media rights, the only want I can watch is via an iPad, but it’s working just fine. You’ll see the big fitness ball in the background - that’s for my partner, who is 37 weeks pregnant. If I run off suddenly at some stage during India’s chase, you’ll know why. Oh, let’s talk, by the way. It’s better that way.

Thanks, Scott. Lovely stuff. I’ve just heard that David Warner doesn’t like playing off the front foot, Steve Smith doesn’t have a “tenth” gear and Andrew Symonds’ name dropped three times in three minutes. It must be Star’s mid-innings show!

Australia 286-9

After winning the toss, Australia might feel they under performed on a pitch that is used to producing more runs. Certainly, 26 fours and two sixes for the 50 overs looks a little on the lean side. Revealingly, Australia were helped along by an at-times errant India pace attack; 27 extras were recorded and just three batsmen could better this total. One of them was Steve Smith, who continued his love affair against India in this format with a ninth ODI century and first for three years. Smith put on 127 for the third wicket with Marnus Labuschagne, the only other Australia batter to really put pressure on India. Mohammed Shami was the most damaging bowler, returning 4-63, but the pick of the attack was a man who went wicketless, Jasprit Bumrah.

Australia’s score, just shy of 300, is by no means meagre, but they will have to bowl and field extremely well to limit India’s dangerous batting line-up. Shikhar Dhawan is under a cloud after injuring his shoulder early in Australia’s innings. There’s no word yet if he’s fit to bat, but India will fancy not needing him at all as they chase a series victory.

That’s all from me. Over to Adam Collins for the remainder of this match.

Mohammed Shami removes Pat Cummins
Mohammed Shami did a great job at restricting Australia’s scoring late in the innings. Photograph: Aijaz Rahi/AP

50th over: Australia 286-9 (Agar 11, Hazlewood 1) Agar and Hazlewood do their best to swell the total but just five runs and a wicket come from the final over of the innings. Shami returns 4-63, relatively expensive but his wickets were mostly timely.

WICKET! Zampa b Shami 1 (Australia 282-9)

Shami has got it right in these concluding overs - full and straight - and if India weren’t looking good before he returned to the attack, they are now. Zampa gets himself in tangles, misses and is bowled off his pads.

49th over: Australia 281-8 (Agar 8, Zampa 1) These two batsmen can do no more than work Bumrah around the ground for singles. Just five runs come from the paceman’s last over, the penultimate of the innings, and it’s far fewer than Australia need right now. Bumrah returns 0-38 from his 10 overs. Take away those successive fours hit by Smith, and it’s 0-30 from 9.4 overs. But cricket doesn’t really work like that, right?

WICKET! Cummins b Shami 0 (Australia 276-8)

A brilliant yorker from Shami sneaks under Cummins’ bat and shatters the stumps. That ball would’ve accounted for batters far more accomplished that Cummins. Two wickets and three runs from the over. Well played, Shami.

48th over: Australia 276-8 (Agar 6, Zampa 0)

WICKET! Smith c Iyer b Shami 131 (Australia 273-7)

Smith tries again to go over mid-wicket but this time he doesn’t get his timing quite right and Iyer takes a very smart diving catch in the deep. A lovely 132-ball 131 from Smith, but Australia could’ve done with him remaining in the middle.

47th over: Australia 273-6 (Smith 131, Agar 3) Bumrah return to the attack with two overs of his allotment remaining. Shame. I could watch this bloke bowl all day. Evidently so could Smith, who waits on a shortish one and edges it through tghe vacant slip cordon for four. He follows it up with a boundary through the covers. After conceding 25 runs from his first eight overs, Bumrah has leaked eight in two balls. Looks like Australia will land somewhere near that 300 mark.

46th over: Australia 261-6 (Smith 121, Agar 3) Saini’s attempted yorker ends up being a low full-toss, inviting Smith to smack him backward of point for four. The shot of the day follows, a six that Smith picks up from outside off, flicks the wrists and sends over the deep mid-wicket fence. Incredible shot. How on earth did he do that? Well, he’s Steve Smith. Sixteen from the over. Better from Australia but might it be too little, too late?

45th over: Australia 245-6 (Smith 106, Agar 2) A good over from Shami so late in the innings, restricting Australia to ones and twos. Just seven from the over and, frankly, they need to do far better than that. Even 10 an over from here still won’t get them to 300.

See below. Turner did indeed edge it!

WICKET! Turner c Rahul b Saini 4 (Australia 238-6)

India launch a review after Turner swings and apparently misses. They’re convinced he got bat on it and send the not-out call upstairs. Turner did indeed hit the ground with his bat, but technology, blessed technology, indicates he also bottom edged the ball en route to the keeper. On your way, son.

44th over: Australia 238-6 (Smith 101)

Steve Smith century!

Smith sends a thick edge down to third-man to register his ninth ODI century and first in three long years. Coming from 117 balls, it’s been a steady knock and now Australia need him to step on the gas. More confused running between the wickets follows, with Smith setting off for a single but Turner knowing little about it. Despite both batsmen being almost at the same end at the same time, there’s enough time for survival.

43rd over: Australia 234-5 (Smith 99, Turner 2) Smith is stranded on 99 but also stranded at the non-striker’s end as Turner sees off five successive dot balls from Bumrah. A single off the last ball of the over keeps Turner on strike ... and Smith stranded on 99. And stranded at the non-striker’s end. Aaaagh. The torment! Did I mention that Bumrah is bowling rather well?

WICKET! Carey c Iyer b Kuldeep 35 (Australia 231-5)

Kuldeep returns for his final over and at gets a wicket that his toil, if not his excellence, has deserved. Carey goes for the big shot over cover but it has no hope of clearing the rope, presenting Iyer with a straightforward catch.

42nd over: Australia 233-5 (Smith 99, Turner 1)

41st over: Australia 228-4 (Smith 96, Carey 34) Carey plays all around a straightish one from Shami but the ball misses the inside edge en route to the keeper. No such issues later in the over as the left hander gives himself room and cuts backward of point for four.

40th over: Australia 223-4 (Smith 95, Carey 30) The miserly Bumrah returns in place of Kuldeep. And it’s more of the same from this man, whom India would love to clone. At least it is until his final delivery, short and wide of off-stump, which Carey edges down to third-man for four. Two runs from the first five balls, but six from the over.

39th over: Australia 217-4 (Smith 94, Carey 25) Saini strays down the leg-side, and you just don’t do that to Steve Smith. A boundary to fine-leg takes Smith past 4,000 ODI runs ... and into the 90s.

38th over: Australia 210-4 (Smith 89, Carey 24) Sharp running from Carey turns Smith’s punch through the covers into two runs, keeping Smith on strike and paving the way for him to crunch Kuldeep through point for four. Carey ends the over with a slog sweep, getting very little of it at all, and living to fight another day as the ball lands safely.

37th over: Australia 200-4 (Smith 82, Carey 21) Saini on for Bumrah. His first ball back is full, wide of off-stump and is given the required treatment by Carey, who drives through extra cover for four. A short one follows, and it really is too short, inviting Carey to help it on his way to the third-man fence. An update on Shikhar Dhawan: he’s off to the hospital for an x-ray after that mishap in the field early in the game.

36th over: Australia 190-4 (Smith 81, Carey 12) Kuldeep returns for the expired Jadeja. A wrong’un confuses Smith, underscoring how India have applied the shackles here. But Carey breaks them, or at least loosens them, with a sweep over mid-wicket for four.

35th over: Australia 183-4 (Smith 80, Carey 6) Another fine over from Bumrah, who again races through his six deliveries and again proves very hard to get away. An expert display of mixing line, length and pace and always keeping the batsman guessing. That’s six overs now from Bumrah, with an economy rate of 3.0. Nice work.

34th over: Australia 181-4 (Smith 79, Carey 5) Carey reverse sweeps for four before trying the same again, missing despite India’s suspicion that he might have edged it, and Jadeja’s breathless spell comes to an end. And 2-44 is a good return.

33rd over: Australia 176-4 (Smith 78, Carey 1) Bumrah is back. Carey gets off the mark courtesy of an another overthrow from a direct hit. Three from the over.

WICKET! Starc c sub (Chahal) b Jadeja 0 (Australia 173-4)

Just like London buses, we wait forever for a wicket and then two come at once. Starc, elevated to wield the willow, does what is asked of him but picks out a fielder in the deep. A double-wicket maiden for Jadeja. Not bad at all.

32nd over: Australia 173-4 (Smith 77)

WICKET! Labuschagne c Kohli b Jadeja 54 (Australia 173-3)

A very timely breakthrough for India as Labuschagne tries to press the matter but picks out Kohli, who takes a ripper of a catch low down at extra cover. Australia’s 127-run stand for the third wicket comes to an end.

Marnus Labuschagne half-century!

Australia continue their period of consolidation and compilation, trading in ones and twos, but Labuschagne decides to notch his maiden ODI fifty in style, working Shami through mid-wicket for four. The Australia star is going at slightly worse than a run-a-ball and looks in good nick.

31st over: Australia 173-2 (Smith 77, Labuschagne 54)

30th over: Australia 165-2 (Smith 75, Labuschagne 48) Smith works Jadeja around the ground for ones and twos, Kohli helping the cause by taking an unnecessary shy at the stumps - which finds its target - but runs away for an overthrow.

29th over: Australia 158-2 (Smith 69, Labuschagne 47) Shami back in the attack now. His opening contribution brought a wicket but was expensive also. These two batsmen, well set now, will like the ball coming onto the bat. Labuschagne goes for it, eyeing the fence over mid-wicket, but mistimes his shot and gains only a single. Three from the over. A good return from Shami.

28th over: Australia 155-2 (Smith 67, Labuschagne 46) Sorry, was getting all wistful about Kylie and Jason and pretty much missed this over. Well, Jadeja does rip through them. Even moreso when all it produces is four nurdled singles.

27th over: Australia 151-2 (Smith 65, Labuschagne 44) Ooooh, Smith is one lucky customer! Charging down the pitch to Kuldeep, his expansive swat misses by miles and India look on, aghast, as the ball deflects off his leg and just wide of off-stump. It all happened too fast for Rahul, who could get nowhere near the ball. If he gloved it, a stumping was his. Four leg-byes is the net result. Lucky, lucky, lucky, Smith should be so lucky.

26th over: Australia 144-2 (Smith 64, Labuschagne 42) Jadeja continues, much to the liking of our reader in the post below. Smith has removed the helmet and is donning a bright yellow cap. Reminds me of Sir Viv Richards, in the loosest of loose ways. Four from the over.

25th over: Australia 140-2 (Smith 62, Labuschagne 40) Labuschagne sweeps but what should have been one run becomes two thanks to a fumble in the deep. Halfway through now. Are Australia on for 300-plus? Methinks so.

Here’s Abhijato Sensarma, who has a few good words to say about Jadeja: “Jadeja is one of the best players in the world, yet till recently even his own team neglected him. He’s always been a streetsmart bowler and an epic fielder. The recent increase in productivity with the willow has re-established his worth as a premium all-rounder. This Indian ODI side always lacked quality batting in the lower order, but this changes with Jadeja’s inclusion - it gives the top three much needed breathing room to play with more freedom. He needs to be in the playing eleven for a long time, he offers too much to be left out!”

24th over: Australia 134-2 (Smith 60, Labuschagne 36) This outfield, I tells ya, is greased lightning. Smith’s deft late cut off Jadeja is delicately hit, no more, but timed so well that is careers away to the third-man fence. Tell me more, tell me more ...

Updated

Steve Smith half-century!

Smith registers his fifty with a boundary to third man. Not his most convincing shot, but a boundary nonetheless. Smith’s 25th ODI fifty consumed 63 balls. Now to capitalise and cash in, especially after his role in Finch’s run-out. Labuschagne gets involved later in the over, clipping Saini past square for four.

23rd over: Australia 126-2 (Smith 54, Labuschagne 34)

22nd over: Australia 117-2 (Smith 49, Labuschagne 30) Jadeja’s doing a nice job at limiting the run-rate. He’s straight and neither full nor short, meaning both batsmen are finding it hard to get the spinner away.

21st over: Australia 114-2 (Smith 48, Labuschagne 28) Saini returns to the attack as Kuldeep is given a breather. Tandem spin worked OK for India, but didn’t bring a breakthrough. And that is what they need now. Three runs from the over, including a hurriedly run single. These two, thankfully for Australia, are on the same page between the uprights.

20th over: Australia 111-2 (Smith 46, Labuschagne 27) Some good turn for Jadeja, who succeeds in finding Smith’s outside edge. The result, however, isn’t to India’s liking, with slip beaten and the ball rolling away for four. Another edge ends the over but Labuschagne has enough downward pressure on the shot as Rohit collects the ball on the bounce at slip.

19th over: Australia 104-2 (Smith 40, Labuschagne 26) Kuldeep again, a lot straighter this time. Smith shuffles across his crease and is lucky - or just extremely good - that he gets bat on ball. Miss that and he is plumb.

18th over: Australia 100-2 (Smith 38, Labuschagne 24) Four runs from Jadeja’s second over - a good start from him - with a single taking Australia into triple figures. Smith and his mate are starting to look rather comfortable out there.

17th over: Australia 96-2 (Smith 36, Labuschagne 22) You don’t need pace on the ball when you get a delectable half-volley, and Smith fills his boots by driving Kuldeep down the ground for four. Shreyas made good ground to get his body to the ball, but it was travelling so fast that it ricochets off his thigh and to the fence. Labuschagne then gets involved, sweeping with intent for four. That’s the fifty partnership for these two.

16th over: Australia 85-2 (Smith 31, Labuschagne 17) Possibly spin from both ends now as Jadeja replaces Bumrah. Both batsmen are watchful and can do little with the pace off the ball, adding just two runs to the total. It’s frightfully hard to say who’s on top here: another wicket and it’s India, 20 more runs for these two and it’s Australia.

15th over: Australia 83-2 (Smith 30, Labuschagne 16) Kuldeep keeps it tight, enticing an edge onto the pads of Smith before Pandey fields brilliantly at extra cover to deny Smith a boundary and cap a good over for India.

14th over: Australia 80-2 (Smith 29, Labuschagne 14) Bumrah returns to the fray and to good effect at that, keeping Australia to two singles and Labuschagne in two minds angling into the right hander off a good length. Smith looks in good touch. He’ll be set for a big one after running out Finch.

13th over: Australia 78-2 (Smith 28, Labuschagne 13) Labuschagne does little more than nudge Kuldeep through the covers, but this outfield is like ice and the shot somehow has enough on it to find the rope. A wide follows - shrouded by a laughable appeal for caught behind - and this is another good over for the tourists.

12th over: Australia 69-2 (Smith 26, Labuschagne 7) Saini continues, straying ever so slightly onto Smith’s pads and being clipped backward of square for four. The paceman’s line doesn’t improve much, ending the over with more leg-side drivel that is glanced for four more.

11th over: Australia 61-2 (Smith 18, Labuschagne 7) India go for spin. Kuldeep makes a solid start with a slip in place, restricting Australia to ones and twos.

10th over: Australia 56-2 (Smith 14, Labuschagne 6) A good over from Saini is spoiled on the last delivery by Labuschagne, who punches a half volley through the covers for four. The first power play is over. Advantage India.

Here’s that run-out. Doesn’t look good for Australia, no matter which way you look at it.

Updated

DRS Review! Saini traps Labushchagne on his crease, right in front, but the appeal falls on deaf ears. India like this one and send the decision upstairs. Yes, the ball is clipping the top of middle, but it’s the umpire’s call that matters in this instance. Not out!

WICKET! Finch run out 19 (Australia 46-2)

Oh. My. Lord. Mass confusion between the wickets - well, at first glace it looks like Smith has run out his skipper - as Smith nurdles one to backward point, Finch calls yes, Smith doesn’t want a bar of it, Finch keeps running, Smith dives back in his crease ... all of which leaves Finch to make the long, inevitably futile, rush back to the non-striker’s end. He’s out by metres. And he is not happy.

9th over: Australia 50-2 (Smith 14, Labuschagne 0)

Aaron Finch is run out
India celebrate as Aaron Finch is well out of his ground in the deciding ODI. Photograph: Aijaz Rahi/AP

Updated

8th over: Australia 41-1 (Finch 19, Smith 6) Nice fielding from Kuldeep, whose lunging left hand turns Smith’s on-drive from a certain boundary into a single. Two from the over.

Here’s that Finch six. Remarkable shot. Hand-eye coordination in living colour.

7th over: Australia 39-1 (Finch 18, Smith 5) Speaking of Shami, as we have been, he returns to the attack in place of Bumrah. Smith shuffles across his crease, as is his wont, giving himself more room for a leg glance, and is struck on the pads. A fair shout for leg before follows but is turned down. India consider reviewing it, but think better, likely thinking the ball was going over. The first six of the game follows, Finch clearing the long-off fence with what can only be described as a full-blooded whack. Good over for Australia.

6th over: Australia 28-1 (Finch 9, Smith 5) An early change with Saini on for the man with a ‘1’ in the wicket column. And he hits the spot straight away, giving Finch plenty to think about with his movement off the seam.

Speaking of Shami, here’s his removal of Warner.

5th over: Australia 27-1 (Finch 8, Smith 5) Shikhar is nursing his left shoulder after diving to save a run in the covers. And it’s bad enough for him to go off and have it looked at. Watch this space. A better over from Bumrah - and importantly no wides.

Here’s Nuggehalli Nigam: “I think Kumble had a longer run up than Bumrah. Bumrah is a freak of nature, but a damn effective one.”

He sure is. And so was Kumble. He would’ve been a nightmare to face. Basically a leg-spinning medium pacer.

4th over: Australia 26-1 (Finch 7, Smith 5) Precisely the breakthrough, and the scalp, India wanted. But enter Smith, who opens his account with a pulled boundary and enter more errant bowling, with Shami delivering another wide.

WICKET! Warner c Rahul b Shami 3 (Australia 18-1)

Yep, there’s something in the air tonight - well, movement in the air at least - and Warner is livid with himself after offering his willow to Shami and edging behind. In truth, it was a great delivery and Warner’s shot was tepid, unsure and his footwork non-existent.

3rd over: Australia 18-0 (Warner 3, Finch 6) OK, did I miss the memo about starting overs with leg-side wides? Bumrah does precisely that, again, meaning each over has commenced this way. That triviality aside, Bumrah is having a torrid time controlling his line this over: that initial wide was followed immediately by another down the off-side and then another, back down leg, two balls later that raced all the way to the fence.

Updated

2nd over: Australia 10-0 (Warner 2, Finch 6) Not to be outdone, Shami also begins his spell with a leg-side wide. Next ball he overpitches to Finch and pays the price, the right hander driving exquisitely past mid-on for four. Singles follow, underlining how good these two are at rotating the strike. And ones and ones means fewer dot balls. Heard a lot about dot balls in the build-up to this game.

1st over: Australia 3-0 (Warner 1, Finch 1) Bumrah, off that wonderfully short run-up, starts with a leg-side wide. But thereafter there is no shortage of movement in the air and both batsmen struggle to find the middle, or indeed adapt to the pace of the pitch in the early stages. The pick of the over is a jaffer that beats the outside edge of Finch’s bat. Good start from the India quick.

Not long now...

India will be brimming with confidence after their triumph is the second ODI, but Australia will not be wanting for self-belief. They have won nine of their past 10 ODIs in Asia and hold a slender edge against India in India in this format. And that is not to be sneezed at. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Finch and Warner will be looking for a big opening stand. And, yes, the sky is blue.

The pitch, as predicted, does look an absolute belter.

And here are the teams in full.

Updated

Australia win the toss and will bat first

“It looks like a bloody good wicket. We feel like we can put a good total on the board. We feel it will play well for 100 overs,” said Australia captain Aaron Finch.

Another lost toss for Virat Kohli! Whatever happened to the law of averages?

Kohli doesn’t sound fussed, however, and is predicting dew to be a factor later on. In fact, he sounds almost happy to be batting second.

Team news: For Australia Josh Hazlewood comes in for Kane Richardson, who according to Finch is a bit sore. India are unchanged.

Preamble

Hello and welcome to the third, final and deciding ODI between India and Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This brief series has produced a plethora of quality cricket, most notably with the bat, and on a pitch that traditionally favours those who hold the willow, we should expect lots of runs today. It’s expected that Australia will field an unchanged XI but there are injury concerns for India with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan under a cloud. Teams and toss will be soon. Looking forward to this one. Please get in touch by Email or by tweeting @scott_heinrich.

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