India vs Australia 2017, 2nd ODI: 5 reasons why the hosts won

#3. Sensational batting by Kohli and Rahane after the early dismissal of Rohit Sharma

Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane's brilliant batting took India to a challenging total

India won the toss and opted to bat first. However, they lost Rohit Sharma early for 7 and Virat Kohli came in to join Ajinkya Rahane.

Rahane produced a fine batting display and timed the deliveries beautifully, hitting one boundary after another. The Mumbai batsman completely owned the off-side today and all of his seven boundaries were hit on the off, mainly in the cover region. Jinx brought up his fifty from 62 deliveries. However, in the 24th over, Rahane was run out thanks to a combined effort by Hilton Cartwright and Matthew Wade.

Rahane was given brilliant assistance by skipper Virat Kohli who was disappointing in the previous ODI. Kohli was relatively calm today and showed tremendous composure to add 121 runs for the second wicket with Rahane. Following the latter’s dismissal, Kohli staged another decent partnership, this time with Kedar Jadhav, adding 55 for the fourth wicket.

Kohli was inching closer to his hundred before being bowled by Nathan Coulter-Nile. However, the brilliant redemption from Kohli and Rahane after disappointing at Chennai helped India reach a challenging total.