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Sports Desk/

India won easily in the first match of the ODI series. After bowling Australia out for 188 runs, Team India reached the target with 61 balls to spare.

Lokesh Rahul-Jadeja’s unbeaten 108-run stand sealed India’s victory after the top order failed in the first ODI of the series at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

After 2 wickets with the ball in hand, Ravindra Jadeja, who secured the team’s win by scoring an unbeaten 45 runs in partnership with Rahul, became the man of the match.

After losing the toss and going down to bat, Australia’s innings ended at 188 runs in just 35 overs with 4 balls. Opener Mitchell Marsh scored the maximum runs for Ajid. This all-rounder scored 81 runs off 65 balls.

Batting for a target of 189 runs, Team India fell under the bowling of Mitchell Starc and Marcus Stoinis. In the 2nd over, Ishan Kishan was trapped leg before by Stoinis. In the last two balls of the 5th over, Mitchell Starc left Virat Kohli and Suriya Kumar Yadav lbw in two consecutive balls and India lost 3 wickets for 16 runs. The hosts lost the 4th wicket for 39 runs when Shubman Gill Starc’s ball was caught by Labushan in the 11th over.

Lokesh Rahul tried to bring India back into the match by forming a partnership of 44 runs with captain Hardik Pandya in the 5th wicket partnership. But when Hardik Pandya got out for 83 runs by Stoinis, Team India fell on the edge of the pit. Then Lokesh Rahul played a match winning innings with Ravindra Jadeja. India reached the target of 189 runs in 5 balls after 39 overs as the Aussie bowlers did not get any success.

Rahul remained unbeaten on 75 runs with 7 fours and 1 six. And Ravindra Jadeja was unbeaten on 45 off 69 balls with 5 fours.