Jadhav, Dhoni pull off MCG encore as India take series lead

A clinical bowling performance backed up by unbeaten half-centuries from Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni helped India take a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against Australia. Dhoni and Jadhav joined forces in a tricky situation but were then involved in an unbroken 141-run stand for the fifth wicket to steer India to a comfortable six-wicket win in Hyderabad.

India lost Shikhar Dhawan very early in the chase when he drove Nathan Coulter-Nile loosely to Glenn Maxwell at point. But Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma steadied the ship against the moving ball. Kohli got going against Coulter-Nile when he first hit him through square leg and then followed it with a powerful pull. At the other end, Rohit punished deliveries that were bowled wide or full. Amidst those boundaries, Rohit also had a hard time against Jason Behrendorff in particular, with the left-arm seamer beating the Indian opener's outside edge on countless occasions.

The duo picked up the rate towards the end of the powerplay with Kohli also pulling Pat Cummins for the first six of the innings. While Rohit continued to be scratchy, the Indian skipper started scoring at run-a-ball and picked up Adam Zampa for a few boundaries. The legspinner had the last laugh though when a quicker googly had Kohli trapped leg-before-wicket. The umpire had initially turned the appeal down before Australia reviewed it and got the decision successfully overturned.

Australia then went through a very good period of play when they also removed Rohit and Amabati Rayudu in quick time to storm back into the contest. While Coulter-Nile bowled a cross-seamer that got Rohit's leading edge, Zampa bowled a leggie at the ideal length to kiss Rayudu's outside edge. At the halfway mark, India were delicately placed at 105 for 4, needing Dhoni and Jadhav to resurrect the chase.

The two experienced campaigners had to replicate