Slam Bang Wallop

London: If cricket matches can mean more than the result, India certainly made a statement of intent by getting the better of the defending champions Australia in a high-octane clash at the Oval Stadium here on Sunday.

In front of the overwhelmingly jam-packed stadium full of boisterous Indian supporters, India produced a clinical display to score a memorable 36-run win over Australia to register their second win in as many matches at the World Cup. This incidentally, is India’s second ever win over the five-time winners in the World Cups.

Shikhar Dhawan’s fine 117, coupled with 82 from captain Virat Kohli and an entertaining 48 by Hardik Pandya, helped India post 352-5. Australia, facing what would be a World Cup record chase, struggled to accelerate despite Steve Smith’s 69 as David Warner spent 84 balls making 56.

Shikhar Dhawan-Rohit Sharma steal the show
Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan continued his love affair with English surfaces as he overcame a jittery start to fashion an entertaining hundred – his 17th in ODIs to lay the base for India‘s mammoth score.

Aided by fifties from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and a rapid 27-ball 48 from Hardik Pandya, India made terrific use of getting to bat first on a run-filled strip to put up their fourth-best score in a World Cup match. 

As in India’s opening match against South Africa in Southampton, Dhawan was made to look very fidgety early in the match against pace.

There was nothing much in the surface, but Dhawan’s early troubles against Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins didn’t indicate that he was in line for a dominating century.

And yet, having seen out that initial testing period, he flourished and raised three figures off 95 deliveries in front of a full house at Kennington Oval, one distinctly blue in wholesome support for India.

Costly drop
Australia were left to rue wicketkeeper Alex Carey dropping Hardik Pandya off his first ball, as the allrounder delighted the overwhelmingly India-supporting crowd in smashing 48 off just 27 balls including three sixes.

The Indians played a series of breathtaking strokes in the closing overs, with a Kohli cover drive for six off Starc coming an over after Pandya’s entertaining knock was ended by Cummins when he chipped one to mid-off.

KL Rahul (11 off three) smacked a six and a four off the first and third balls he faced as India finished with the second highest score of the tournament, behind England’s 386 for 6 scored against Bangladesh.

Pandya’s promotion works wonders
Just like England did the other day, India promoted their enforcer with the bat Hardik Pandya at four with only 13 overs to go.

At 220/2, they had a chance to post a huge total on the board and Pandya performed his job to perfection.

He pummeled the likes of Cummins and Zampa picking around 15-16 runs in the over. He raced to 48 runs off just 27 balls before getting out in the 46th over.

It might look like a tight scoreline but Australia, for long periods of the game, never looked as though they would come close to their target.

It was only in the late stages that they began to give India and their fans concern, courtesy of Glenn Maxwell and Carey. 

But, the match was over as a contest in the 40th over, when Bhuvneshwar Kumar trapped Steve Smith and Marcus Stoinis in the same over to turn the screws on Australia.

With the win, India, now on four points-travel to Nottingham to play in-form New Zealand, while Australia face the ever-unpredictable Pakistan.