2023 ODI World Cup digest: Rohit Sharma ransacks Afghanistan; Australia face take a look at of credentials

The Males’s 2023 ODI World Cup is underway in India and runs from October 5 till November 19. Every morning we are going to spherical up the newest motion and information from the occasion and convey you the insights from our reporters on the bottom.

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High Story: Rohit and Bumrah headline fiery India show

India 273 for two (Sharma 131, Kohli 55*, Rashid 2-57) beat Afghanistan 272 for 8 (Shahidi 80, Omarzai 62, Bumrah 4-39) by 8 wickets

India vs Afghanistan was one of many nearer encounters of the 2019 World Cup, however a blistering hundred from Rohit Sharma ensured there can be no double jeopardy in 2023. Any jeopardy in any respect was taken out of the sport within the first ten overs or so of the chase, when Rohit, who went previous Sachin Tendulkar for many a whole bunch on the ODI World Cup, took the assault to all Afghanistan bowlers, turning a doubtlessly difficult chase of 273 right into a web run price boosting cakewalk. A half-century from Virat Kohli capped a near-perfect day for India as they eased to an eight-wicket win with 15 overs to spare, after a disciplined efficiency with the ball had restricted Afghanistan to a below-par complete regardless of half-centuries from Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai.

India’s prime order, Rohit included, had missed out badly towards Australia after the hosts fell to 2 for 3. As we speak, Rohit would guarantee there was to be no repeat of that. A sedate first couple of overs had been adopted by Rohit’s first boundary, and the floodgates opened. Fazalhaq Farooqi was belted over long-off for a six adopted up by a few fours. There was a repeat dose in his following Farooqi over, with Rohit dashing alongside to a lightning half-century, which he introduced up with a boundary, off 27 balls. One other couple of sixes and a boundary adopted, and by the top of the powerplay, India had rollicked alongside to 94, the very best of this event.

Rohit Sharma smacked a 63-ball hundred•ICC/Getty Photos

Match evaluation: Kohli’s homecoming social gathering turns into Rohit extravaganza

They got here for Virat Kohli, however they bought Rohit Sharma. This was an exhibition of white-ball batting in Delhi, as India’s captain turned a chase of 273 – which Afghanistan hoped would show awkward – right into a glorified center observe, treating their seamers with the disdain normally reserved for web bowlers.

India’s second match of this event was billed as Kohli’s homecoming, his second and last World Cup look within the metropolis he grew up in. Twelve years in the past, he made 12 off 20 balls in a low-key win over the Netherlands; now, he was the person whose title featured on each different blue jersey within the 32,000-strong crowd.

Should Watch: Dale Steyn on the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah2>

Information headlines

Match preview

Australia vs South Africa, Lucknow (2pm IST; 8.30am GMT; 7.30pm AEST)

Is there a extra storied World Cup rivalry than South Africa versus Australia? It is onerous to argue towards. In ESPNcricinfo’s prime 20 Biggest ODIs, two of the highest three matches had been performed between South Africa and Australia. Admittedly, one was not in a World Cup, however the different was the OG of World Cup ties, the 1999 Edgbaston semi-final. Even that sport had come after an exciting encounter at Headingley 4 days earlier.

Whereas the historical past has followers salivating, the 2023 groups are sick of the sight of one another. This would be the sixth ODI performed between South Africa and Australia in simply over a month, to not point out the three T20Is performed simply previous to final month’s five-match ODI sequence in South Africa. Australia didn’t present all their playing cards on that tour with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell all lacking. Regardless, it was a sequence the place South Africa discovered some irresistible type that they’ve carried to the opening sport of the World Cup, whereas Australia’s wobbles have continued since blowing a 2-0 sequence lead within the Highveld. They’ve misplaced six of their final seven ODIs together with the World Cup opener in Chennai.

Staff information

Australia (possible XI): 1 David Warner, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Marcus Stoinis/Cameron Inexperienced, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

South Africa (possible XI): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Gerald Coetzee/Tabraiz Shamsi, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Function: Befuddling, incomprehensible, alien: the final nice ODI

The second that gained England the World Cup: Martin Guptill is run out by Jos Buttler•Tom Jenkins/Getty Photos

There are numerous methods to attempt to course of the 2019 World Cup last. You’ll be able to examine it intimately in at the least two books, in addition to revisitations in memoirs by numerous individuals. You’ll be able to watch the wonderful, atmospheric documentary, The Biggest Recreation, co-written by Simon Hughes. You’ll be able to learn New Zealand’s gamers speaking about it within the Cricket Month-to-month. It is usually attainable to observe each ball of it once more on-line, or relive it by way of ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary. However regardless of how onerous you strive, understanding what came about that day will without end stay tantalisingly out of grasp, like a vivid dream, the existence of which you’re conscious of when you get up however the particulars of which soften away because the day progresses, forsaking solely the contours.

How did a sport finish the way in which that sport did, and never simply any sport however cricket’s showpiece, the World Cup last? It is no surprise that the understanding of key protagonists slouches in direction of the otherworldly. In that studying, they’re much less instigators and extra incidental particles in a much bigger swirl of forces over which they don’t have any management.