This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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India claimed an impressive 36-run win over Australia at The Oval in the first big clash of the World Cup.
Shikhar Dhawan's fine 117, coupled with 82 from captain Virat Kohli and an entertaining 48 by Hardik Pandya, helped India post 352-5 in front of a boisterous crowd.
Australia, facing what would be a World Cup record chase, struggled to accelerate despite Steve Smith's 69 as David Warner spent 84 balls making 56.
With wickets falling and the run-rate rising, Alex Carey hit a 25-ball half-century but it was not enough to stop Australia sliding to their first defeat of the tournament.
The end result might look like a tight scoreline but for almost the entire run chase Australia never looked as though they would come close to their target.
It was only in the late stages that they began to give India and their fans any mild concern, that courtesy of late cameos from Glenn Maxwell and Carey.
Australia face Pakistan at Taunton on Wednesday, while India, who have won their first two games, play top of the table New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
From the moment the teams came out for the national anthems, to KL Rahul hitting the final ball of the innings for four, India's players were cheered by a sell-out, vociferous crowd.
The drums beat as Pat Cummins ran in to bowl the first ball of the day. There was a huge roar as Rohit Sharma worked the first runs of India's innings through point. Even a Dhawan defensive shot was cheered in the opening stages.
The openers played carefully against the pace of Cummins and Mitchell Starc but after Rohit was given a life on two – dropped at square leg by a leaping Nathan Coulter-Nile – they cut free.
Dhawan went after Coulter-Nile, taking three fours from his first over, and when Zampa's leg-spin was introduced, Rohit thrashed his first ball for four.
They both reached 50, sharing a 127-run stand, before Rohit was caught behind trying to guide Coulter-Nile over the keeper.
Captain Kohli, who had spent the opening stages of the match standing in the dressing room, glued to the TV coverage, was cheered loudly to the crease.
The Australians were booed when they appealed against him, but Kohli struggled at first, settling for manipulating the field after a handful of wild drives against the seamers.
India 352-5 (50 overs): Dhawan 117, Kohli 82, Rohit 57
Australia 316 (50 overs): Smith 69, Warner 56, Carey 55*, Kumar 3-50; Bumrah 3-61
India won by 36 runs
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