By the time their innings ended, India might not have been an elated side particularly, but well, at least their bowlers had something concrete to bowl. Electing to bat first after winning the toss yet again, India were rocked early when Rohit Sharma was sent back after he was caught and bowled by Nathan Coulter Nile.
The onus then was on skipper Virat Kohli and opener Ajinkya Rahane. Rahane, in particular, was under the scanner as the absence of Shikhar Dhawan means a prolonged opportunity for him to prove his mettle as the third opener of the team.
Rahane impressed mightily with the bat in the second ODI, as he gave India the early momentum with his eye-catching strokes. His timing remained crisp and sweet, as the ball often radiated from the sweet spot of his willow.
His knock of 55 from 64 deliveries was instrumental in India getting a solid base for the rest of their innings. Be it against the slow left-arm spin of Ashton Agar, or the hostile stuff from Pat Cummins, Rahane looked well set and laid down for really a big one.
However, a questionable call from Virat Kohli for the second run proved to be fatal as Rahane was short of his ground, and had to go back for 55. Post India’s innings, the half-centurion was in high spirits and admitted that the first ten overs would be crucial in determining the outcome of the game.
“We were looking to get 260, 270, but this is a decent total on this wicket,” said Rahane, about India setting Australia a target of 253. “They were bowling really well, so me and Rohit decided to take a bit of time and then play our shots. It wasn’t easy to rotate the strike as the pitch was two-paced. The first ten overs are crucial with the ball for us.”