India defeats Australia in the first ODI with a clinical five-wicket victory because to Mohammed Shami’s fifer and batsmen.

India defeated Australia by five wickets thanks to fifty-plus scores from stand-in skipper KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Suryakumar Yadav. Mohammed Shami had his best ODI performance, taking five wickets for only 51 runs. The Indian squad, which was superior to Australia in all three categories, won the first three games of the ODI series in Mohali on Friday, September 22, without the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Rahul won the toss and decided to bowl first, and India dismissed Australia for a meager 276 runs thanks to Shami’s ferocious session. India was in command of the chase after Gill and Gaikwad put up a 142-run opening stand. The Men in Blue did have a brief mini-collapse halfway through their inning, but Rahul teamed up with Surya and then Ravindra Jadeja to help his team over the finish line.

The winning runs were scored by the skipper, who then hit a boundary and a six, elevating the Indian team to the top spot in ODI cricket.

Ruturaj also fell short of his century, but the Indian openers gave India a commanding lead when they entered the game to chase 277. Gill pleased his home audience while playing in front of his family, but he was unable to achieve yet another century.

With 8 balls remaining, the Men in Blue finished the pursuit, giving them a 1-0 series advantage. With the second ODI between the two teams taking place in Indore on September 24, which turns into a do-or-die game for Australia, Rahul and Co. would want to end the series even before players like Virat and Rohit return.

David Warner took over and slammed a fifty to put Australia in the driver’s seat after Mitchell Marsh was dismissed early by Shami. As the opening was given a lifeline by Shreyas Iyer, the situation almost became fatal, but Ravindra Jadeja’s dismissal of Warner kept India in the game.

As Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green attempted to build a partnership, Shami struck once again, eliminating the former.

Green subsequently partnered up with Josh Inglis, and the two were having a great time until a mix-up caused Green to be fired. Inglis was also let go before he could finish his fifty.

After the Australian bottom order disintegrated, Shami took over as the skipper Pat Cummins unleashed a few lusty strokes. Shardul Thakur was unable to get off to a good start, but Jasprit Bumrah, Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin all contributed with one wicket apiece.

When Adam Zampa hit his plumb in front of the stumps, Ruturaj was the first man to fall. Gill and Ruturaj then came out blazing on all cylinders, smashing their respective fifty-run marks. After a mix-up between Shreyas Iyer and Gill resulted in the former’s dismissal for three, Zampa castled Gill.

Before succumbing to Cummins, Ishan Kishan scored 18 runs. Rahul and Surya then steadied the ship, allayed the concerns of a middle-order collapse, and helped the Men in Blue to the top of the ICC ODI rankings.

Only South Africa and India are rated as the top team across all forms.