Partnership of a different kind

In the second ODI of the threematch series between India and Australia, the home team clinched the series 2-0 beating India by 51 runs. But even as the Indian cricket team lost the second ODI by 51 runs chasing a huge target of 390 runs against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on November 29, a partnership of a different kind came into existence off the field between a man and a woman.

A man donning the Indian team jersey went down on his knee and proposed marriage to a girl wearing a yellow-coloured t-shirt supporting the home team. Although Australia and India were fighting tooth and nail on the field, the two lovers didn’t let anything stand in the way to their union. Despite their opposing loyalties for the teams engaged in the on-field battle, the girl consented to the proposal even as the commentators and players enjoyed a light-hearted moment in the otherwise highly competitive match. The couple was also offered congratulations by Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell who applauded them from the field.

Choosing to bat first, Australia once more made the most of their decision as Steve Smith and David Warner added 104 and 83 runs respectively to Australia’s massive score of 389/4. Warner and Finch fortified a partnership of more than 100 runs for the third time in a row in ODI cricket before Mohammad Shami managed to send Finch back to the pavilion in the 23rd over after the latter had scored 60 runs. Warner (83) followed suit after a run-out in the 26th over.

However, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith stood together at the crease and ensured that no wickets were lost in quick succession. Smith hammered his second consecutive century against India in the 41st over but in the next over his stint of 104 runs was ended by Hardik Pandya, which also led to the end of the 136-run partnership between Smith and Labuschagne. Labuschagne and Maxwell contributed 93 runs in the final 8 overs before the former departed for the pavilion with a total of 70 runs.

Despite the Indian bowlers’ disappointing performance with Shami and Bumrah conceding 73 and 79 runs respectively and Ravindra Jadeja’s sloppy fielding as he dropped two catches, the Indian openers made a decent start with Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal as they came out to the crease chasing a 390-run target. However after stitching together a partnership of 58 runs, Dhawan was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood in the eighth over. In the following over, Pat Cummins sent Mayank packing after the latter scored 28 runs. A 93-run partnership between captain Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer although commendable was cut short after the latter was knocked out at 38 by Moises Henriques’ short-ball as Steve Smith caught the ball at midwicket. Kohli was the top scorer knocking a total of 89 runs off 87 deliveries while KL Rahul was the second highest scorer smashing 76 runs off 66 balls. Pat Cummins took a haul of three wickets with Hazlewood and Zampa accounting for two dismissals each.

The Indian team was curtailed to 338/9 as the home team registered the second consecutive victory thereby winning the three-match series with an unbeatable lead of 2-0.