Kuldeep hat-trick helps India conquer Australia at Eden

  New Delhi: Banking on Kuldeep Yadav’s maiden ODI hat-trick and a brilliant 92-run knock from Virat Kohli, India decimated Australia by 50 runs in the second ODI at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday. The hosts now lead 5-match series by 2-0. Chasing a challenging 252 runs, the visitors lost their opening pair quickly with swashbuckling left-arm batsman David Warner managing to add just 1 run from 9 deliveries before throwing his wicket to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and his partner Hilton Cartwright departing on the same score. Playing his 100th One-day international, Steve Smith fought hard with a fine 59-run knock but the wickets Kept tumbling on the other end and eventually he lost his wicket while trying to play a shot over the mid-wicket on Hardik Pandya’s delivery, putting Aussies on the course of another defeat. The 28-year-old completed his 18th fifty for Australia in ODI’s. All-rounder Marcus Stoinis showed some courage in the middle as he got to his first-ever ODI fifty but could not take his team home. The 28-year-old played some fine shots, scoring unbeaten 62 with 6 fours and 3 maximums. Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, claimed his first-ever ODI hat-trick and became the third Indian ever to get a hat-trick in 50-over format. Only Chetan Sharma and Kapil Dev had clinched 3 in three in the one day internationals. Earlier, After struggling with high humidity in the initial overs, the visitors had forged a brilliant fightback to restrict India to 252 all out. Having decided to bat first after winning the toss, Indian team suffered an early jolt as Rohit Sharma was packed up cheaply for mere 7 runs by Nathan Coulter-Nile but his opening partner Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Virat Kohli joined hands in the middle to stitch 102-run stand for the 3rd wicket. Kohli, who missed his century by a whisker, smashed 92 runs off 107 deliveries and his innings included 8 boundaries. The 28-year-old batsman completed his 45th ODI fifty in the process. Ajinkya Rahane, on the other hand, got to his 20th ODI fifty before running himself out on 55 .Middle-order batsman Manish Pandey joined in to replace Rahane but once again failed to make a mark Former skipper MS Dhoni could not retain his momentum and was dismissed by Kane Richardson on 5 on his 300th appearance for India in coloured clothing. While, Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar added crucial 35 runs for the 8th wicket. For Australia, Nathan Coulter-Nile returned with 3/51 in 10 overs and was most successful bowler for the Steve Smith led team. The two teams will now play the third ODI at the Holkar stadium in Indore on 24th September.