Sloppy mistake haunts wasteful Aussies as India secures win in ...

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul have steered India towards a six-wicket victory over Australia in its World Cup opener, rescuing the host nation after a disastrous start to their run chase in Chennai.

Chasing a 200-run target for victory on Sunday, India lost three wickets in the opening two overs to put Australia in a commanding position at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

However, Kohli (85 off 116 balls) and player of the match Rahul (97 not out from 115 balls) combined for a 165-run partnership for the fourth wicket to propel India towards the target, while the Australians were left to rue a costly dropped catch. Mitchell Marsh put down a straightforward chance at mid-wicket in the eighth over of India’s run chase, gifting Kohli an extra life on 12.

MATCH CENTRE: India vs Australia, World Cup scorecard

Earlier, the tourists crawled towards 199 after winning the toss and electing to bat first on a scuffed wicket in humid conditions, with none of Australia’s batters reaching fifty. Australia’s susceptibility to spin was glaringly apparent, with six members of their top seven falling victim to slow bowlers during a disastrous collapse of 7-89.

“Their spinners were tough work out there,” Australian captain Pat Cummins confessed in the post-match presentation.

Marsh was the first to depart, dismissed for a sixth-ball duck after fishing at a length delivery from seamer Jasprit Bumrah and edging towards first slip, where Kohli claimed a smart catch to his left.

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Australian veterans David Warner and Steve Smith steadied the ship, combining for a 69-run partnership for the second wicket as Chennai’s humidity started to take its toll. Chairs were brought onto the field during the drinks break, with Smith’s shirt drenched in sweat after just 15 minutes on the field.

Warner (41 from 52 balls) lost his patience in the 17th over, chipping a half-volley back towards wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who held onto the return chance. The runs dried up after Warner’s dismissal, with Australia mustering just one boundary between the 16th and 32nd overs.

Australia crawled towards 2-110 before Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja turned the match on its head with a damaging spell of 3-3 from ten balls, including an unplayable delivery to remove Smith for 46 (71). Coming from around the wicket, Jadeja turned the ball past the right-hander’s outside edge and into the top of off stump.

In Jadeja’s following over, Marnus Labuschagne attempted to sweep through square leg but instead feathered a catch through to wicketkeeper KL Rahul. The Queenslander seemingly didn’t feel the edge, wasting a review before sheepishly trudging off for 27 (41).

Two balls later, Jadeja trapped wicketkeeper Alex Carey on the pads for a second-ball duck, ripping the heart out of Australia’s middle order.

“I play for Chennai Super Kings, so I know the conditions here,” Jadeja said during the innings break.

“I was just looking to bowl into the stumps, because there was turn in the wicket. You never knew which one was going straight and which one is going to spin, so I was just looking to hit the stumps.”

Australia’s hopes rested on Glenn Maxwell, but the Victorian was back in the sheds for 15 (25) after misjudging a delivery from Yadav that spun past his erroneous slog and smashed into leg stump.

All-rounder Cameron Green departed the following over after slicing a half-tracker from Ravichandran Ashwin directly towards the point fielder for 8 (20). Australia had suddenly lost 5-30, and their tail was exposed with 14 overs still to play.

Cummins cracked Australia’s first six of the tournament in the 40th over, but became Bumrah‘s second scalp after holing out to long-on for 15 (24). Jadeja should have had a fourth wicket in the 44th over, but captain Rohit Sharma spilt a rebound chance at first slip, a rare mistake from India in the field.

A late cameo from Mitchell Starc (28 from 35 balls) put the Australians within touching distance of 200, but Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Siraj cleaned up the tail with three balls to spare.

India’s run chase got off to a horror start, with the hosts losing three wickets in the opening two overs. Ishan Kishan reached for a wide delivery from Starc, but only managed a thick outside edge that flew towards Green at first slip, gone for a golden duck.

At the other end, Josh Hazlewood (3-38 from nine overs) nipped a length delivery back into Sharma’s front pad, with the Indian captain reviewing the LBW decision. However, the right-hander departed for a sixth-ball duck after three red lights appeared on Hawkeye.

Three deliveries later, Shreyas Iyer lazily chipped a cover drive with no footwork towards Warner at cover, gone for a third-ball duck.

In the blink of an eye, India was reeling at 3-2 without any runs off the bat. It was the first time in ODI history that three of India‘s top four batters had been dismissed for a duck.

“You don’t want to start your innings like that,” Sharma laughed in the post-match presentation.

The situation was ripe for a Kohli rescue mission, but the Indian superstar miscued a pull shot while facing Hazlewood in the eighth over, top-edging a chance towards Marsh at mid-wicket. However, potentially distracted by the approaching Carey, Marsh bottled the regulation chance, gifting Kohli a massive reprieve on 12, prompting sarcastic jeers from around the venue.

Rahul and Kohli set about reviving the innings, combining for a game-changing partnership as Australia started shooting itself in the foot with sloppy misfields and wayward bowling.

Meanwhile, Adam Zampa, Australia’s frontline spinner, hardly posed a threat to the Indians, finishing with 0-53 from eight overs.

Kohli brought up his half-century in 75 deliveries, and Rahul followed suit in 72 balls. It seemed as though they were going to cruise towards the target, but Hazlewood returned to dismiss Kohli 15 runs short of his century, with the right-hander pulling a short ball towards Labuschagne at mid-wicket.

Rahul and Pandya (11 not out from eight balls) quickly knocked off the remainder of the deficit, reaching the target with 50 balls to spare. The Indian gloveman was left stranded three runs short of a seventh ODI century, having mistakenly struck the final delivery of the match over the rope.

“I hit it too well,” Rahul lamented in the post-match presentation.

“I was calculating how to get to a hundred at the end. The only way I could get to a hundred was to hit a four and then a six.”

Australia will next face South Africa in Lucknow on Thursday, with the first ball scheduled for 7.30m AEDT.