India defeated Australia by 6 wickets in the opening match of the Cricket World Cup 2023 on October 8th at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. Australia were bowled out for 199 runs in 49.3 overs. Steven Smith (46 runs) and David Warner (41 runs) were the top scorers for Australia. Ravindra Jadeja (3 wickets for 38 runs) and Kuldeep Yadav (2 wickets for 42 runs) were the pick of the bowlers for India.
India chased down the target in 41.2 overs, losing 4 wickets along the way. KL Rahul (97 runs not out) and Virat Kohli (85 runs) were the architects of the Indian run-chase. They stitched a partnership of 165 runs for the second wicket.
Rahul was adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliant innings.
Key takeaways from the match:
1
India's bowling was excellent. They kept Australia's scoring rate in check and took regular wickets.
2
Rahul and Kohli batted magnificently. They put on a huge partnership and helped India chase down the target with ease.
3
Australia's batting was disappointing. They lost wickets at regular intervals and failed to put on a big total.