Australia lifted themselves off the deck after a disappointing Test series loss to take the first ODI at Sydney over India by 34 runs despite a brave run chase from Rohit Sharma.
Sharma’s 22nd ODI ton was a masterful inning but wasn’t enough to lift his side past Australia’s impressive total of 288. Sharma and the recalled MS Dhoni added 137 for the fourth wicket, but Dhoni’s uncharacteristically slow 51 off 96 balls might well have been the difference between India reaching their target or not.
Jhye Richardson plowed his way through the Indian middle order, taking 4-26 to reduce India to 4-3 after ODI debutant Jason Behrendorff had trapped Shikhar Dhawan leg before for a golden duck off the last ball of his first over. Richardson finished with figures of 2-39, with Sharma ending on 133 off 129 balls (10×4, 6×6).
Earlier, Australia’s 288-5 had been built on the back of Peter Handscomb’s 73 off 61 balls, along with half-centuries from Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh.
Australia 288-5 (PSP Handscomb 73, UT Khawaja 59, S Marsh 54)
India 254-9 (Rohit 133, Dhoni 51; Richardson 4-26)
Australia won by 34 runs
BIG BASH WOMEN’S LEAGUE
Sydney Thunder 171-7 (RL Haynes 57, RH Priest 21, AJ Blackwell 28, SR Taylor 43; SJ Johnson 2-37, DM Kimmince 2-23, GM Harris 2-25)
Brisbane Heat 172-7 (BL Mooney 102; H Kaur 2-23)
Heat won by 3 wickets with 3 balls remaining
Enjoy the best shots from Beth Mooney's match-winning @WBBL century in Cairns tonight! #WBBL04 | @CommBank pic.twitter.com/H9L5PwR01H
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 12, 2019
Adelaide Strikers 138-7 (SFM Devine 59, BE Patterson 32, SW Bates 22; H Graham 2-25)
Perth Scorchers 108 (LK Ebsary 38; M Schutt 2-21, SJ Coyte 3-20, D Hazell 3-20)
Strikers won by 30 runs
Melbourne Renegades 146-6 (AE Satterthwaite 66, JE Cameron 30; A Hartley 3-21)
Hobart Hurricanes 143-6 (EG Fazackerley 52, HC Knight 28, S Mandhana 26; LMM Tahuhu 1-18, G Wareham 1-23)
Renegades won by 3 runs
Safe to say it is ALL happening out there!@ImHarmanpreet brilliance in the field! #WBBL04 pic.twitter.com/nvCYrPtU2i
— Rebel Women's Big Bash League (@WBBL) January 12, 2019
BANGLADESH PREMIER LEAGUE
Khulna Titans 151-6 (Junaid Siddique 20, DJ Malan 45, Mahmudullah 33; R Frylinck 1-32, Sunzamul Islam 2-37)
Chittagong Vikings 151-8 (Yasir Ali 41, Mushfiqur Rahim 34, R Frylinck 23; CR Brathwaite 2-30, Shoriful Islam 2-31)
Match tied – Chittagong Vikings won the one-over eliminator
Dhaka Dynamites 173-7 (SP Narine 25, Rony Talukdar 58, Shakib Al Hasan 23; Taskin Ahmed 3-38)
Sylhet Sixers 141-9 (N Pooran 72; Shakib Al Hasan 2-34, Shuvagata Hom 2-28, Rubel Hossain 3-22)
Dynamites won by 32 runs
Photo: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images
