Australia beat India by 21 runs: third men's one-day international ...

That’s it from me. Pretty comfortable in the end from Australia but it was anything but during two partnerships from the Indians. The Aussies are now the top ranked ODI side in the world. Handy that there’s a 50-over World Cup on the horizon. And it’s in India, a place where they’ve just ended the host’s seven series unbeaten run stretching back to 2019. It’s all looking good for the Australians.

Thanks for sticking with me. Report from Chennai below:

Finally, it’s the skipper, Steve Smith:

It’s been an enjoyable tour. The way we fought back after the [2nd] Test match has been great.

I think it’s just about playing conditions for us. About summing up conditions and playing accordingly. I thought we left a few runs out there. But our bowlers bowled beautifully.

The turning, I’m not sure. I think it was just a big grind in the field and taking wickets throughout. The way the tail stuck around and took us to 270.

The player of the series is Mitch Marsh with 194 runs across the three games:

It’s just natural aggression when I’m batting. It’s been a lot of fun.

I’ve thoughoughly enjoyed [opening the batting]. We want to have a squad mentality [leading up to the World Cup].

I’ve just been really clear. I’m coming off an extended break. Sometimes in international cricket you don’t get that break. It’s been great and hopefully I can get up to Delhi with my boys and have fun up there.

Now the player of the match and yup, it’s Zampa:

I’ve had some success here. It’s a really tough place to come, it’s always a huge challenge. I feel like I’m under the pump throughout here.

I don’t believe that I deserve this. Kudos to the guys before me [especially Agar].

We all have a lot of trust in each other and our game plan. We knew we weren’t quite at our best after the first game.

First it’s the losing captain, Rohit Sharma:

I don’t think there were too many runs. The wicket was challenging in the second half but we didn’t bat well. Every time we had a partnership we lost a wicket.

The mode of dismissal [was disappointing]. The wicket was challenging but you’ve got to give yourself a chance. It was important for one batter to take the game deep. But having said that, these things happen. We were all trying our best but it just didn’t happen.

We can take a lot of positives. A loss like this hurts. But we can take a lot of learnings from this. You have to give credit to the Australians.

Presentations to come. Who’s your player of the match? Zampa the obvious pick.

Here’s Ashton Agar, who bowled brilliantly:

It was lovely to finish the series on a high like that. It was a really nice way to start. There was plenty in the pitch for me. I just put the ball in a good spot and the ball did the rest.

Mitch came up and said 250 would be a good score. Shubman and Rohit started well but as we saw it got harder and harder.

Always good bowling with Zamps. We’re great mates.

This ends a run of seven consecutive ODI series wins on home soil for India, stretching back to 2019. Back then it was Australia that claimed that rubber 3-2.

India all-out for 248: Kuldeep is run out on the first ball of the final over of this series. A mix-up and India’s No 10 is well short at the striker’s end. Australia take the series 2-1 thanks to stingy bowling and excellent fielding.

49th over: India 248-9 (Kuldeep 6, Siraj 3) Three from Abbott over as he closes with 1-50. He started on the expensive side but did really well in his latter spells. Solid work.

48th over: India 246-9 (Kuldeep 5, Siraj 1) That was fun. A six and a four and a wicket. Bottle that over and sell it to the unconverted.

Shami goes down fighting. The previous two balls were worth 10 after he heaved a pull over deep squaure for six and then carved a cut shot for four over the fielder at short third. But Stoinis has his man when he finds a very full length and clatters the off stump. One more to go.

47th over: India 231-8 (Kuldeep 3, Shami 3) Three runs from this Starc over. He looms desperate for a wicket but hasn’t been able to bowl that killer yorker. He does find an outside edge but it squirts down to deep third where Stoinis does well to stop it before it reaches the boundary. Starc is done. He ends wicketless for 67 runs.

46th over: India 228-8 (Kuldeep 2, Shami 1) Zampa closes his 10 overs with 4-45. That’s his beat return against India in ODIs. India’s tail need an unlikely 42 from 23.

A difficult to watch innings comes to an ugly end. It’s another wild swipe from Jadeja and he can only watch as the edge spoons to Stoinis at point to hand Zampa his fourth wicket. Australia two away from a series win.

45th over: India 225-7 (Jadeja 18, Kuldeep 1) Starc is going in for the kill, targeting the yorker in search of shattered stumps. He doesn’t find his range to Kuldeep as the full toss crashes into the pad and trickles down to deep third for a single leg-bye. Starc’s slower ball bamboozles Jadeja who’s made to look ordinary with a wild hoick. The bowler then morphs into his own worst enemy as a wide down leg is followed by another, the second worth three runs as Carey can only parry it towards fine leg. Two dots sees out an eventual over. 45 now needed from 30 balls. Australia’s to lose I reckon.

44th over: India 219-7 (Jadeja 17, Kuldeep 1) Excellent from Zampa. He’s snared big wickets at crucial times and his third is perhaps the game changer (well, one game changer in this ever changing game). Three runs from the over means India now need 51 from 36 without any of their top seven remaining.

Could be another first-baller. Kuldeep has unfurled a reverse sweep to his first ball and missed it. The Aussies review for lbw. Bat I think, yup, clearly an under edge.

Is that the game? Tossed up with a scrambled seam, Pandya was looking to heave this over midwicket. He loses his shape as his body contorts into an ugly slog. The ball catches the leading edge and it loops towards the covers where Smith catches on the run.

“Hardik did all the bowling but Pandya is doing the batting. It’s confusing me at least!”

Thanks for the message, Linda Gray, and sorry for the confusion.

That’s the risk when two different OBOers are at the wheel. For the sake of consistency I’ll stick to Pandya, but if anyone else was confused please be aware that this is Hardik Pandya.

Then again, he’s a brilliant all-rounder. Are we sure he’s not actually two different people?

43rd over: India 216-6 (Pandya 39, Jadeja 16) Sharp fielding down at deep third cuts off Jadeja’s late dab just ahead of the rope. That takes off two from the target and it’s down another one when Abbott pushes a wide down the leg side. Abbott is round the wicket looking to cramp the left hander and he’s doing just that. There are no runs to be found in a packed cover region. Jadeja charges but misses. Three of the over. Pandya needs to hog the strike for a bit as his partner is struggling. Jadeja has scored 16 from 28 balls. 54 needed off 42.

42nd over: India 212-6 (Pandya 39, Jadeja 13) This is the deep breath before the plunge. Something has to give soon. Stoinis is stciking to the plan and gives up just three runs as he’s banging it short into the pitch. Not too short, mind. Just short enough to keep the batters on the back foot and force them to wait for it as it sticks into the pitch. 57 needed from 48. When do they look to take on the bowler?

There is a break in play because of birds, big birds, kites I think, flying about, catching moths.

41st over: India 209-6 (Pandya 38, Jadeja 12) There’s a half chance at midwicket as Jadeja chips Abbott over a diving Smith. Just out of reach. The skipper does well to cut off another one that comes his way. Jadeja has to play it there as Abbott is tight into him from round the wicket. Two leg-byes and a single for Pandya is all India can muster throughout the over. Just five off it and they now need 61 from 54 balls. That’s easy pickings for modern batters but a wicket would change the complexion of this chase.

40th over: India 204-6 (Pandya 36, Jadeja 8) Stoinis is back. The plan is clear: hit the pitch hard and don’t offer width. Pandya tries to muscle a ball down the ground but it’s well fielded. He looks frustrated with himself but he’s given a freebie on the next ball with Stoinis delivering a bit if dross down the leg side. Hardik pivots and takes four to the fine leg and then a single. Jadeja, though, is feeling the pressure and takes an ugly swipe at a full ball, missing it entirely.

39th over: India 199-6 (Pandya 31, Jadeja 8) Abbott is back, hitting a hard length that’s cramping Pandya, forcing him to play straight. Four dot balls to start before he strays onto Pandya’s pads. It’s OK though, as it’s just a single down to fine leg. Jadeja can’t work a run so that’s a good set from Abbott.

38th over: India 198-6 (Pandya 30, Jadeja 8) Spin replaces spin as Adam Zampa returns. He delivers a tidy over that costs just two runs. He’s got two more overs left. Starc also has two. Stoinis and Abbott each have four in the bank.

Colum Fordham has been in touch again. Glad you’re enjoying it mate.

“Just when you thought India were cruising, they’re in the mire. It does look like they are doing their level best to ape England’s almost unsurpassed talent for sudden collapses.It has to be said that Agar is getting his just deserts after going wicketless until now. He has baffled the [Indian] batters with his turn and bounce.”

He’s been brilliant. Turn and bounce as you say, but control too. On another day he’d have left here with seven scalps.

37th over: India 196-6 (Pandya 29, Jadeja 7) With the lower order peeping over the horizon Smith throws the ball to his premier fast bowler. But Jadeja is no bunny and plays an expert late cut that sends the ball screaming to the boundary. Starc then follows that up with two wides. He’s looking for the reverse swinging yorker but can’t find his radar, shoving them both down the leg side. There’s another wide down the leg side. That’s three of them to go along with three singles and that boundary. 10 off the over.

36th over: India 186-6 (Pandya 28, Jadeja 1) In the blink of an eye Australia are in control of this series decider. And it’s that man Agar who finishes with 2-41 after 10 overs. He was superb and rightly bagged the wicket of Kohli who played a poor stroke by his standards. Surya then got bowled to leave the field with a third consecutive golden duck. I wonder if that’s a record? Anyway, just a single from that over means India now need a run a ball with six batters back in the hut.

He doesn’t get it. Jadeja is in behind it and dabs it with soft hands to the covers.