Sports Reporter
India claimed an impressive 36-run win over defending champions Australia at The Oval in the first heavyweight clash of the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Shikhar Dhawan’s fine 117, coupled with 82 from Captain Virat Kohli and an entertaining 48 by Hardik Pandya, helped India post 352 runs for five wickets.
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Australia, facing what would be a World Cup record chase, struggled to accelerate despite Steve Smith’s 69 as David Warner spent 84 balls making 56.
With wickets falling and the run-rate rising, Alex Carey hit a 25-ball half-century but it was not enough to stop Australia sliding to their first defeat of the tournament.
It might look like a tight score line but Australia, for long periods of the game, never looked as though they would come close to their target.
It was only in the late stages that they began to give India and their fans concern, courtesy of Glenn Maxwell and Carey.
