India Vs Australia: MS Dhoni's homecoming, to Hardik Pandya's blitzkrieg: Talking points from 1st ODI

India Vs Australia, 1st ODI: Dhoni's homecoming, to Pandya's blitzkrieg: Talking points — Image Courtesy: BCCI

Chennai, Sep 18: Team India began their campaign on a positive note with a convincing 26-run win in the rain-truncated opening game of the five-match ODI series against Australia at Chennai.

Returning for an ODI at MA Chidambaram Stadium after a gap of almost two years, Men In Blue didn't had the best of starts. Five of India's top batsmen were back into the pavilion under 100 and the pacers of the visiting side looked in a menacing form.

But Hardik Pandya's all-round flamboyance complemented by former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's customary calm enabled India to post a competitive 281 for seven on the board as hosts lost just two more wickets in that course.

Courtesy Pandya's blistering career-best 66-ball 83 and Dhoni's 79 off 88 balls, India returned to the dressing room with momentum in their favour at the end of the innings. Dhoni and Pandya put up a crucial 118-run stand for the sixth wicket and steered the team off the troubled water.

However, intermittent rain during the innings-break played spoilsport as Australia were set a revised target of 164 off 21 overs via Duckworth-Lewis method. Chasing the target, Australia did not have the best of starts and kept losing wickets at regular intervals with Pandya (2/28) helping himself with a couple of wickets.

Wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav shared five wickets amongst them from 9 overs and ensured the visiting team succumbs under pressure and restricted them to 137/9 in 21 overs.

Here are the key talking points of the 1st ODI:

India's top-order collapse:

Australia pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile rattled the Indian top order as he removed Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey in quick succession when the scoreboard read just 11. There was a stoic silence in the crowd when Coulter-Nile got rid of Kohli for a duck as the Indian skipper paid for playing the ball going away from him.

Manish Pandey, the new man in was dismissed a couple of balls later by the left arm seamer and the hosts looked in deep trouble. Pandey too was lured into playing an off-swinging delivery and ended up giving a simple catch to the wicketkeeper.

India once again witnessed a top-order collapse after that infamous defeat against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final in front of some quality pace bowling.

Kohli departs for a duck:

Kohli was dismissed for naught for the second time in ODIs, this year. It was his second duck as captain in ODIs -- both in 2017.

Before Chepauk, the 28-year-old was dismissed without scoring against Sri Lanka at The Oval during Champions Trophy as well.

He posted a zero during Australia in Pune Test against Australia as well, earlier this year.

Hardik Pandya show stuns Australia:

India were struggling at 87/5 when this right-handed batsman walked into the middle but the flamboyant batsman smashed his career-best 66-ball 83 and put up a hundred-plus stand with Dhoni.

With a seasoned campaigner in Dhoni present at the other end, Pandya began with caution and went on freeing his arms once he was settled. The Baroda-lad plundered three consecutive sixes off Adam Zampa - a distinction accomplished by him for the third time in ODIs and once in Tests - to shift the momentum in India's favour.

At one stage it seemed India would just manage to reach 230 or 240, but it was Pandya's exploits that ensured the hosts reach a competitive 281 at the end of the innings.

'Thala' MS Dhoni's Chennai homecoming in style:

Former India skipper MS Dhoni, who is immensely popular in Chennai, walked into the middle to a rousing reception. The 36-year-old was the captain of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and has always termed the city as his second home.

The chants of 'Dhoni-Dhoni' reverberated into the arena as the Ranchi-lad stepped into the Madras Cricket Association Stadium to bat after a gap of two years, and the former skipper didn't disappoint his fans either.

Even the BCCI uploaded a video of Dhoni walking into the middle with a caption 'King arrives in Chennai'.

Dhoni scored an 88-ball 79 and did what he's known for doing i.e. run the game as per his plan. The right-handed batsman first frustrated the Australian bowlers and fielders with his running between the wickets and gave most of the strike to aggressive Pandya at the other end.

Dhoni cut lose after Pandya's dismissal and played some exquisite shots and guided India to a total that seemed almost impossible at one stage. Without a boundary for 65 balls, he reached 40 and finished with 79 of 88.

The seasoned cricketer campaigner with his calm and composed batting and on-field strategy once again proved that he's the sharpest cricketing brains and controls the match as per his plan.

With yet another brilliant performance when the team needed him the most, Dhoni has once again silenced his critics and proved he's far from over.

Aussies trapped in writ spin web:

When Australia's run chase for 164 began, many felt that the Yellow Brigade might just manage to chase it.

But the way skipper Kohli and Dhoni operated the wrist spinners the target proved to be too much for them to handle.

Wrist spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav shared 5 wickets among themselves from nine overs they bowled and dismantled the visiting team's middle-order.