High Zampa For Aussies

Visiting spinners take full advantage to bowl Australia to win, help them claim series 2-1

- Ashok Venugopal

AUSTRALIA spinners Adam Zampa (4-45) and Ashton Agar (2-41) picked up six wickets to beat India by 21 runs in the final ODI at the MA Chidambaram stadium here on Wednesday. India were all out for 248 in 49.1 overs, chasing Australia’s 269 on a pitch offering turn.

Steve Smith’s captaincy needs a special mention for he never gave up the game at any moment and fought till the very end to guide the visitors a well-deserved 2-1 win in the series.

This ODI series is an eye-opener for India for things to come, as they are the hosts of the upcoming World Cup to be played from October.

Smith is a captain who knows how to exploit an opportunity when he senses it. When Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav (a third one-baller of the series) were removed off successive deliveries, Smith believed that Australia stood a chance to win. This self-belief and tidy bowling by the Australian bowlers in the last ten overs enabled the visitors to taste victory.

Attack is the best form of defence goes a famous adage. India used this ploy to counter the in-form Mitchell Starc and reaped rich dividends.