India vs Australia: “This could set the tone for the entire tour” – Zaheer Khan talks about ‘important’ win in 3rd ODI


India vs Australia: “This could set the tone for the entire tour” – Zaheer Khan talks about ‘important’ win in 3rd ODI

India secured a consolation victory in the 3rd and final ODI against Australia at the Manuka Oval in Canberra today. After having lost the first two ODIs in the series and last 5 ODIs overall, the pressure was on India to bounce back with a win. That was exactly what they did in a match that swung like a pendulum.

ADVERTISEMENT

India were in a spot of bother in the first innings after losing their top 5 batsmen with nobody firing with the exception of skipper Virat Kohli who got a half-century. It was then a partnership between Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja that rescued the innings for India.

In the second innings, India looked favorites to win after picking up early wickets but a late flourish by Glenn Maxwell swung the game back in Australia’s favor. Jasprit Bumrah however, castled the all-rounder to ensure India won the match by a margin of 13 runs.

‘Things are falling in place’ – Zaheer Khan

Speaking to Cricbuzz about India’s victory, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan spoke about the importance of building momentum towards a new series. “We all knew the tour was going to be tough. For India to get back, they needed to fight and fight hard. That’s what they’ve realized. Even though the ODI series was done and dusted. It was important to stay in the fight and have the ‘want’ to win the game of cricket. It wasn’t easy to win this game but now things are falling in place,” he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Commenting further on how this could help India in the tour, Zaheer said, “This could set the tone for the rest of the series. They’ll now have to carry this momentum forward. When you’re 2-0 down in a series, things are never easy. This shows how hard they’ve had to work for a victory. This victory will go a long way for them in this series.”

“It’s now about carrying all the confidence to the T20Is and make sure that you sustain the momentum that you’ve built and start the T20I series with a victory. Even if it’s a new format, the whole group will be there. It will rub off and show results as the series progresses,” Zaheer signed off.

Also Read: India vs Australia: Twitter reacts as India secure a thrilling consolation win in 3rd ODI