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India 281 for 7 (Pandya 83, Dhoni 79, Coulter-Nile 3-44) beat Australia (target 164 in 21 overs) 137 for 9 (Maxwell 39, Chahal 3-30, Pandya 2-28) by 26 runs (DLS method)
Chennai: MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya's all-round display scripts 26-run win for India against Australia in 1st ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Sunday.
Australia have been given a revised target of 164 in 21 overs after rain delayed.
Jasprit Bumrah had taken a brilliant catch running forward to send captain Steven Smith packing. He added a mere run extra than Kohli's nothing.
The newcomer Hilton Cartwright had succumbed to pressure, opening his defence so Bumrah's length ball can rattle the stumps. Hardik Pandya had knuckled down Travis Head, making the Australian his second victim. Amidst the dreadful cascading, Maxwell joined Warner, but MS Dhoni casted his magic on the Australian vice-captain and cut short his stay.
Dhoni purposely replaced Yuzvendra Chahal with Pandya. He had envisaged that Maxwell would execute his reverse-strokeplay, and so happened. Dhoni then pushed a fielder at deep cover-point. However, Maxwell swept, fooling the Indians. He then swept and hoiked more, collecting a four and three sixes off Kuldeep Yadav's over.
In the next over, Chahal did exceptionally well to produce three consecutive dot balls against Maxwell, but the angry Australian avenged the loss with a six off the next ball.
Maxwell would have taken a single and retained strike, something the best finishers do. But Maxwell does not have a reputation for that. He went for another six, only to find Manish Pandey at long-on.
The last half of the tale folded how it had unfolded. Australia struggled, falling short by 26 runs.
Pandya was adjudged Man of the Match.
Earlier, electing to bat first, the hosts posted 281-7 in the first of the five ODIs before drizzle forced a two-hour delay.
Fighting half-centuries by Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped India recover from a top-order slump and post 281/7
The hosts lost five early wickets before Pandya, who hit 83, and Dhoni, who scored 79, shared a 118-run stand to put up a challenging total.
Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile rattled the Indian batting with three quick strikes including the prized scalp of skipper Virat Kohli for nought.
Kohli tried to slice a widish delivery on the off side by Coulter-Nile but was superbly caught by Glenn Maxwell, who timed his jump to perfection, at backward point.
Coulter-Nile, who returned after a string of injuries that kept him out since June 2016, also got opener Ajinkya Rahane, for 5, and Manish Pandey, for 0, to reduce India to 11-3.
Rohit Sharma, who made 28, and Kedar Jadhav, who scored 40, tried to rebuild with their 53-run partnership before Marcus Stoinis sent the two batsmen back in the pavilion.
The duo thwarted the Australian bowling with some stubborn batting before Pandya let loose to take the attack to the opposition.
Pandya took a special liking to Adam Zampa's leg-spin as he smashed the bowler for a four and three successive sixes in an over to bring up his third ODI fifty.
Zampa though did get Pandya out for his only wicket in the innings but the bowlers' 10 overs cost 66 runs for his side.
Dhoni soon took over to get some vital runs in the last five overs as he put on 72 runs with number-eight Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who remained unbeaten on 32.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who hit 4 fours and 2 sixes, in his 88-ball stay lost his wicket to James Faulkner in the final over.
