'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The Indian cricket team defeated Australia by 50 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
Kuldeep Yadav became the third Indian bowlers and the first spinner to pick up an ODI hat-trick for the Men in Blue.
After opting to bat first, India ended up scoring 253 on a two-paced pitch. Virat Kohli led the way with his 92 run knock while Ajinkya Rahane scored a well-crafted half-century as well.
In the 2nd innings, Bhuvneshwar Kumar rocked the Australian top order with a sensational spell. However, Australia fought back with Steve Smith's half-century and Travis Head's worthy contribution,
Unfortunately, they lost their way in the middle and lost wickets at regular intervals. Marcus Stoinis gave a scare to the Indians towards the end of the match but ensured no further hiccups as India won the match in the end.
Here is how the cricketers from both the teams reacted:
Kuldeep Yadav:
Not really (could never dream it). Initially, I was struggling to bowl in a particular area. It's a game of cricket, everything happens. The last match, where I was hit for three sixes in an over, was a learning experience. Asked Mahi bhai what I should bowl, he said 'tujhe jaisa lagta hai wo daal (bowl what you want)'. This is special for me, changed the game for us. Really proud moment.
Steve Smith:
We were pretty happy with 250, thought we pulled things back pretty well. Did a really good job there. Batters though made poor decisions, and you can't do that against a quality team like India. Stoinis was good at the end there, just needed someone to bat with. One of the top four needs to go on and make a hundred, just making poor decisions under pressure. To reduce India to 250 on that was pretty good. Need to get those partnerships; if we do that then we should chase these totals down comfortably. They've got all bases covered, don't they?
Virat Kohli:
We didn't feel like we had enough on the board at the break. But we knew if we had a good start we have a good chance of defending it. We knew if we don't take wickets it would be difficult. To be honest, the wicket wasn't easy to bat on throughout the day. Bhuvi's spell became even more important because we knew the wrist-spinners would do damage in the middle. The deliveries he got the batsmen out with were unplayable. You can count on Bhuvi for getting the breakthroughs. Two young spinners bowling with a lot of heart, speaks volumes about their characters. Really augurs well for us how the team is shaping up. I always try to create that kind of motivation for myself. Sometimes things don't come off for you but I try and stay in the same zone. It wasn't easy to bat, plus the bowling attack was quality as well. Came off today, so it looked nice. Didn't come off in Chennai, so it didn't look nice.
Here is how the cricketing fraternity reacted to the victory:
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
