Statistics
Best performances - Batsmen
- Productive Shot
- off side drive on front foot
- 65 runs
- 12x4 - 1x6
Scorer: Binoy George | Commentator: Devashish Fuloria
What a day for the batsmen it has been? The series is now 1-1 and it moves to Mohali for the third match. We will be back with our match coverage then. In the meantime, Abhishek Purohit is getting his match report together and will be available on the site soon. Thanks for all your comments and feedback. It's Devashish Fuloria and Alagappan Muthu signing off. Ciao ciao.
Presentation
Rohit Sharma is the Man of the Match: "It was very important for me to play the big innings. It took a long time coming, but I would like to say that the hardwork never stopped. I wanted to bat throughout the innings, I agree that I have played some stupid shots to get out, but this was much needed. Both Shikhar and I understood the pitch and managed the chase, and Virat came and played a strong innings and his innings needs a mention as much as any."
MS Dhoni: "I think this is one of the best you can see, irrespective of the field restrictions and the pitch, it was still a tall chase. I told them not to look at the target and just go and play. Shikhar batted very well, Kohli was amazing, Rohit got a big knock. It was an ideal pitch, fast outfield, but you need to keep the shape as a batsman, that's what they did well. Our batting is looking good, but it's unfair to assume the batsmen are going to chase a 300+ target everytime. Most of our guys have played international cricket, but most of them don't have the experience of a Yuvraj Singh who has played over 250 matches, what you have to do is to be aggressive, but what is important is that you don't have to slog, you have to maintain good shape. Bowling, we need to improve. The reason is that if you attempt a yorker and it becomes a low full toss, it's fine, but if it becomes a waist-high full toss, then the margin is too much. It's one area we are looking to improve."
George Bailey: "I don't know, I am not sure what to feel at the moment. Obviously, it was some awesome batting. They did it pretty comfortably in the end. Everything we tried the ball seemed to go further and harder. You think the pitch is a beauty? [chuckles]. There are always things you can do differently, but there are no second chances."
sandyk: "SO the prophecy is true. Home team never loses in Jaipur!!!. After first innings i was wondering its the home team of Watson"
Shikhar Dhawan: "We started off very well and once we got the momentum, we just carried on. Both (Rohit and Dhawan) are doing a good job for the country. We didn't want to play rash shots early, we opened up only later. I am happy for Rohit that he got the century today, because he was playing well in the last few months."
Leon Soares: "The score summary for India will read as Dhawan with the lowest score in the team sheet today! How about scoring 95 and ending up there!"
Virat Kohli: "I kept telling Rohit that it was his day today, but i kept hitting the ball very well. I didn't bat in the nets yesterday, just had a few throw downs. I wasn't worried about the short-pitched stuff, i pulled a few of them early and then they started bowling half-volleys. Rohit is the best of the young lot that we have and he is the most dangerous T20 player, so it was a privilege to watch him from the other end."
keshav: "Virat Kohli is an untamed beast! Has he ever heard of something called the 'bad patch' or 'out of form'! Definitely in the line of classy players like Ponting and Sachin to whom form doesn't matter as they are perennially in it."
This has been some hitting festival! This is so wrong, India winning this match by nine wickets (nine wickets!!), with six and a half overs to spare, who would have thought that at the mid-innings break? Shikhar Dhawan started it, Rohit Sharma held it together and Virat Kohli just ran away with it. India have squared up the seven match series with one of the most unbelievable chases in ODIs. Bailey has the same expression as mine.. He is at loss of words. Let's not take away anything from Australia who put that strong total up in the first place - their top five all scoring effortless half-centuries, but this was one of those days when you get a high, then get hurt later with a bigger blow. The pitch played out very true and it was a nightmare for the bowlers overall. But the Kohli century, it was exquisite, and made the chase completely one-sided in the end. It was very similar to how he handled another 300+ chase against Sri Lanka in Feb 2012, in Australia.
Suresh Saka: "This opening pair of Shikar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma is here to stay. Similarities there between Sehwag and Gambhir, but here lefty Shikar is the aggressor and righty Rohit the anchorman."
Jagger: "One can only wonder what match-winning deeds Harris, Pattinson, Bird, Siddle, Cummins, McDermott, Starc et al would have produced on this wicket. I thought something fishy was going on when Bailey and Hughes looked like world-beaters."
Prathab Kumar: "Did someone notice that out top 6 successful chases, Australia were at the receiving end in 5 matches...!!!???? (That must really be a record)"
Chandra: "Can we swap this result to the 2003 WC final as Australia's scores are same?"
paul mac: "A bowling machine would have taken more wickets today."
Chirag Mehta: "Someone said "One thing is for sure, Australia's bowlers are not likely to serve as many hit-me deliveries as the Indians", hope he's not hiding somewhere now :)" ---- Good memory Chirag, I am going to disappear very soon
He is now on the door of his century
Two innings in which we saw the best of Virat Kohli's chasing prowess
The fastest ODI hundred by an India batter is up against Kohli's longest ODI innings
A late-acceleration against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, or an all-out assault against Australia?
The India-Australia ODI series was a relentless run-fest, but the overall run rates haven't changed much since the new rules came along
The Confectionery Stall's advanced-level cricket examination goes boldly where no cricket quiz has done