Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma asked KL Rahul to collect the trophy after the ODI series against Australia as the wicket-keeper batter led the side in the first two games. Rohit was rested for the first two matches and he made a return for the third one in Rajkot. India went down fighting in the match on Wednesday but were able to clinch the series 2-1 thanks to wins in Mohali and Indore. It was a heartwarming gesture from Rohit and the video of the incident went viral on social media.
Australia saved their best for the last as Indian middle-order wilted under pressure exerted by part-time off-spin of Glenn Maxwell, losing the third ODI by 66 runs.
India however won the series 2-1.
Captain @ImRo45 & @klrahul collect the @IDFCFIRSTBank Trophy as #TeamIndia win the ODI series #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/k3JiTMiVGJ
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 27, 2023
"I'm pretty happy, of course, I would like to go all the way along but if I'm hitting like that I'm happy. The last 7-8 ODIs we have played really well, we have been challenged under different conditions and different teams, I thought we responded to that challenge pretty well. Unfortunately not the result we wanted today," Rohit said after the match.
India were cruising along at 171 for 2 chasing a stiff target of 353 on a placid track but the middle-order crumbled in chase with Maxwell (4/40) getting crucial breakthroughs to restrict the hosts to 286 in 49.4 overs.
Skipper Rohit Sharma (81) and Kohli struck fifties to provide the middle-order with a perfect platform in the big chase, but the rest floundered to hand Australia the advantage.
Earlier, Mitchell Marsh (96) headlined Australia's best batting show with David Warner, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne helping themselves to attacking half-centuries during a commanding performance to break a five-ODI losing streak.
The two teams will now play a couple of warm-up games before meeting again in 10 days' time for the tournament-opener in Chennai on October 8.
(With PTI inputs)
