ICC Champions Trophy: Mohammed Shami clinched three dismissals while Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakaravarthy bagged two scalps each to bowl out Australia for 264 in 49.3 overs in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-final clash at Dubai International Stadium here on Tuesday.Despite half-centuries from captain Steve Smith and Alex Carey, disciplined bowling from India restricted the ODI world champions from reaching the 300-run mark.
The first powerplay saw movement from both Indian pacers Shami and Hardik Pandya as India got an early chance to celebrate in the match but Shami dropped Travis Head on duck on the second ball of the innings.
Shami, in his second over, bagged Cooper Connolly on a nine-ball duck to draw first blood. A thin outside edge off Connolly’s bat was caught by KL Rahul behind the stumps.
In the next over, Head struck Pandya for four and a six to stamp his presence in the middle. After clearing mid-off for a boundary, Head bettered it with a powerful flick over deep square leg for a maximum.
Head continued his attack against Shami and hammered him for a hat-trick of boundaries to accumulate 14 from the over.
With pacers leaking runs, Rohit Sharma brought Kuldeep Yadav into the attack and he kept it tight against Head and Steve Smith.
In search of a wicket, Rohit introduced Varun Chakaravarthy in the ninth over. The right-arm leg break did exactly what was expected from him – dismissing Head for 39, who struck five fours and two sixes. Vice captain Shubman Gill took a brilliant catch at long-off to hand India their second wicket of the match.
Marnus Labuschagne joined Smith in the middle and the duo tackled the Indian spinners well and kept the scoreboard ticking at a decent pace. In the 14th over, Smith survived after Axar’s ball hit the stumps but the bail didn’t dislodge.
Smith and Labuschagne stitched a 56-run stand to take the total to the three-figure mark. Jadeja broke the partnership with the dismissal of Labuschagne (29), who was trapped in front of the wickets for lbw in the 23rd over.
Meanwhile, Smith completed his half-century off 68 balls, his 35th in the ODIs. Just after scoring fifty, Smith charged Jadeja over long-off to smash the first six of his innings. In the same over, Jadeja picked up Josh Inglis (11) to break the partnership and leave Australia at 144/4 after 27 overs.
Shami’s return to attack gave India the moment to celebrate as the veteran pacer dismissed Smith for 73. Australia skipper was involved in three 50-partnerships with Head, Labuschagne and Alex Carey.
However, Glenn Maxwell failed to live up to the billing and was bowled out by Axar for 7 in the 38th over.
Carey played a steady knock in the end and completed his half-century off 48 balls and built a 34-run partnership with Ben Dwarshuis for the seventh wicket before Chakaravarthy sent the latter back to the pavilion in the 46th over. Chakaravarthy ended his 10 overs with the figures of 2-49, including the crucial scalp of Head.
Shreyas Iyer’s razor-sharp direct hit from the outfield ended Carey’s stay in the middle after scoring 61 including eight fours and a six.
Shami got hold of Nathan Ellis (10) in the penultimate over before Pandya got his first scalp of the match with the dismissal of Adam Zampa (7) to bowl out Australia for 264 with three balls to spare in the innings.
Shreyas Iyer’s razor-sharp direct hit from the outfield ended Carey’s stay in the middle after scoring 61 including eight fours and a six.
Article Source: IANS
