Australia vs India 2018/19: Against Experienced Batters Like MS Dhoni, It’s Always Tough: Aaron Finch

Jan 15, 2019 at 5:34 PM

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Australia vs India 2018/19: Against Experienced Batters Like MS Dhoni, It’s Always Tough: Aaron Finch

Australia skipper Aaron Finch lauded Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni after the India stars starred in their team’s series-levelling win in the second ODI on Tuesday.

India skipper Virat Kohli scored a sizzling ton while MS Dhoni went on to hit an unbeaten fifty to help India beat Australia by six wickets in the second ODI and level the series.  Batting first, Australia scored a challenging 298 for 9 in the allotted 50 overs. Shaun Marsh starred with the bat, scoring 131 to help Australia recover from a poor start and post the big total. Deciding to bat first, Australia lost both their openers – Aaron Finch and Alex Carey – for just 26 runs on the board.

Shaun Marsh (Credits: Getty)

However, Marsh shared fifty plus stands with Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell to ensure Australia finish with a good total.

But Marsh’s ton went in vain courtesy two stunning knocks – a century from Kohli and a fifty from Dhoni.  India were off to a good start with Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma adding 47 runs before the former departed. Rohit and Kohli then shared 54-runs for the second wicket. Marcus Stoinis broke the stand when he accounted for Rohit. However, Australia could not make more inroads in the game as two fifty-plus stands, first between Kohli and Ambati Rayudu and the second between the skipper and MS Dhoni – all but sealed the game in India’s favour.

Virat Kohli (Credits: Getty)

Australia slim hopes revived when Kohli departed after scoring 112. However, Dhoni held firm from one end and took the team home along with Dinesh Karthik. India needed seven off the last over and Dhoni rolled back the clocks. He hit the first ball for a six to complete his fifty before scoring the match-winning single on the following delivery.

Speaking after the game, skipper Aaron Finch praised India before expressing his disappointment over his own form.

“I thought we hung in there really well. They batted really well and you have to keep taking wickets and at the end it was always tough. When Dhoni is there we knew we had to get both of them out (Kohli and Dhoni). Credit to India, they played well. We played very well as well. Overall, it’s a good game of cricket. Opening the batting and not getting enough runs, its one of those things I reckon. Always tough when you are not getting runs personally. Obviously bit easy when you are scoring runs and leading by example. Gotta be consistent with your game,” said Finch.

MS Dhoni (Credits: BCCI)

“He (Shaun Marsh) hung in there and then all clicked and to get that score in gruelling conditions and the heat was really pleasing. I think it would have been nice for Jhye (Richardson) to bowl right at the end. At the end in ODI cricket if you’d got in-batters and especially against experienced batters like MS, it’s always tough. Always great playing cricket at the Home of cricket (MCG). It’s going to be great series as if it isn’t already and hoping to make it 2-1 at the MCG,” he added.

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