In an exciting first One Day International (ODI) of a three-match series, India clinched a thrilling five-wicket victory over Australia in Mohali. The match was marked by impressive batting performances, especially from Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad, as India successfully chased down a target of 277 with eight balls to spare.

India’s pursuit of 277 began with a solid opening partnership between Shubman Gill, who played a blistering innings of 74 runs off 63 balls, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who contributed 71 runs off 77 deliveries. Their partnership laid a strong foundation for the Indian team.

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Skipper KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav also played crucial roles in the chase, both scoring fifties. Rahul remained unbeaten at 58 runs, providing stability to the innings, while Suryakumar Yadav added 50 valuable runs.

Earlier in the match, Australia had been sent in to bat and managed to post a total of 276 runs for the loss of all their wickets in their allotted 50 overs. David Warner led the Australian batting with a solid knock of 52 runs, while Steve Smith contributed 41 runs. Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis also chipped in with 45 runs.

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The standout performance with the ball came from Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who returned impressive figures of 5/51, helping to restrict the Australian innings.

In the end, India’s well-executed run chase, supported by standout performances from their batsmen and bowlers, secured them a five-wicket victory in the thrilling encounter.

The win marked a positive start to the three-match ODI series, setting the stage for more exciting cricketing action between these two cricketing giants.