CHENNAI: India's first ODI against Australia was played yesterday. In a rain-affected match, the Aussies scored the required 131 runs for the loss of just three wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis method. India fielded a team consisting of three all-rounders to strengthen the batting line-up yesterday. Still, India could only score 136 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 26 overs.
The team management's decision to reduce the bowlers was widely criticised. Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana were the only bowlers in the team. Apart from them, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, who were all-rounders, were also in the bowling line-up, but they did not give enough results to the Indian bowling. Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has strongly criticised the team man