Steve Smith
Hosts Australia handed India a 66-run defeat on Friday to go 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series. After amassing a massive 374-run total on the scoreboard, the Aussie bowling unit, led by Adam Zampa's four-fer, restricted India to 308 runs to clinch the victory after Hardik Pandya (90) and Shikhar Dhawan (74) were unable to steer India past the finishing line.
Batting first, Australia's run-flow was bolstered by the opening duo of skipper Aaron Finch and David Warner. The Finch-Warner duo stitched 156 runs for the opening wicket to put Australia in the driving seat. While Warner scored 69 off 76, Finch went on to score 114.
Later in the innings, Steve Smith notched up a quick-fire century in the first ODI against India to put his side in a commanding position at Sydney. Smith's masterclass helped Australia to cross the 350-run mark at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). After skipper Finch's century, it was Smith who stole the show with his match-defining knock.
Smith was also adjudged Man of the Match for his batting exploits. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper, who had a topsy-turvy ride in the recently-concluded IPL 2020, admitted that he's been searching rhythm for a couple of months. He also heaped praise on Finch and Warner for their knocks at the top.
"Have been searching for something for a couple of months now. About three days ago something just clicked. My rhythm came back, everything came back. Finchy and Davey played very well early on. We could come in and be aggressive," said Smith at the post-match presentation.
He added, "Wasn't thinking too much out there, just seeing the ball and hitting it. Was seeing the ball well. It was a good surface. I took a few more risks than I would normally. I targeted some bowlers and fortunately, it came off. Nice to contribute to a good win. Need a bit of luck in this game sometimes, nice to ride it today (getting his LBW overturned)."
