ICC World Cup 2023: India secures six-wicket victory over Australia

Chennai: In the ICC World Cup 2023's inaugural match held at Chennai's M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, India triumphed over Australia by six wickets.

The Indian batting lineup faced early challenges, losing three wickets for just two runs in the opening two overs. However, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli came to the rescue, forging a remarkable 165-run partnership that ensured India did not begin their World Cup campaign with an embarrassing loss in front of their home crowd.

Kohli contributed 85 runs to the partnership, while wicketkeeper-batsman Rahul accumulated an impressive 97 runs, ultimately leading their team to a crucial victory.

The match-winning 165-run stand between Virat Kohli and KL Rahul was India's highest-ever partnership against Australia in a #CWC23 clash ?#INDvAUS

Details ? https://t.co/Nqd1ZIATAp pic.twitter.com/hxxRQ8yyLk

— ICC (@ICC) October 8, 2023

Although Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood provided early setbacks for the hosts by removing Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer, they couldn't break the impeccable defense of the two match-winners. In the eighth over, Mitchell Marsh dropped Kohli's catch when he was on 12, giving the 34-year-old a second chance after an early scare.

In their innings, Australia managed to score 199 runs, largely thanks to a stellar bowling performance by Indian spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. These spinners combined to claim five wickets, with Jadeja taking three and Yadav two. The Indian bowling unit exhibited complete dominance, with all six bowlers contributing with at least one wicket.

Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah secured two wickets, while Mohammad Siraj, Hardik Pandya, and Ravichandran Ashwin each claimed one wicket.

Having recently triumphed in the Asia Cup 2023 and secured victory over Australia in a three-match ODI series, India continued their excellent form.

Meanwhile, Australia's challenges have been mounting, with just one win in their last six ODIs. Their lack of more than one natural spinner (Adam Zampa) could pose additional difficulties for them in the spin-friendly conditions of India.

In the upcoming matches, India will face Afghanistan on October 11 in Delhi, while Australia will take on the in-form South African side on October 12 in Lucknow.