ODI World Cup 2023: India fightback as Kohli and Rahul shine after early woes against Australia

India faced an early batting collapse in their clash against Australia but made a strong recovery thanks to a partnership between Virat Kohli and KL Rahul.

India faced early setbacks in their pursuit of a 200-run target, losing three wickets within just 12 balls. However, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul joined forces to steady the Indian innings. Despite a challenging start at 2/3, the hosts managed to reach 80/3 by the 20-over mark. Australia's batting innings featured a noteworthy 69-run partnership between David Warner and Steve Smith. Nevertheless, India seized control of the match with the assistance of their spin bowlers, who collectively claimed six wickets. Ravindra Jadeja shone as India's top bowler, securing figures of 3/28, while Kuldeep Yadav contributed with 2/42, Ravichandran Ashwin with 1/34, and pacer Jasprit Bumrah with 2/35.

India's innings began on a disastrous note, losing three batsmen for a duck with the score at 2. Ishan Kishan (0) chased a delivery outside his off-stump against Mitchell Starc, resulting in a slip-catch opportunity. In the very next over, Josh Hazlewood dismissed Rohit Sharma lbw for a duck. The final delivery of the second over added another wicket when Shreyas Iyer was caught attempting an off-drive.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul then united to stabilize the innings. They initially took their time to settle in and later accelerated the scoring rate after the initial Powerplay. Kohli had a close call in the eighth over when he was dropped by Mitchell Marsh off Hazlewood's bowling. The pair achieved a 50-run partnership in the 16th over, and KL Rahul's three consecutive boundaries in the 18th over bolstered India's scoring rate.