Australia vs India, 1st ODI at Sydney, IND in AUS, Nov 27 2020 - Match Result

11.24 pm: Right, that brings us to the end of this first ODI. Australia have taken a 1-0 lead. Can India come back - don't forget to join us for the second ODI in two days' time.

Aaron Finch: I found it reasonably hard to get my timing in the middle overs. Took a couple of chances and luckily they came off. We've barely been together as a team, half in quarantine and half training at SCG. There was no conscious effort to say we're going to go and target X,Y,Z. As partnerships grow you work it out. Each guy has different strengths and weaknesses. Davey is moving beautifully, something he's been working on. Smudge was different class altogether. And Maxi, that rare ability he's got to almost just click his fingers and put pressure back on the opposition. Super skill, some of those reverses were extraordinary.

Virat Kohli: We got enough time to prepare, I don't think there's any excuses on the field when you don't pull up as a side. Probably the first long game we've played in a while, we've been playing T20 cricket. But having said that, we've all played a lot of ODI cricket. The body language after 25-26 overs was disappointing. A quality side will hurt you (if you have fielding lapses). We'll have to find out ways of getting a few overs from a few part-timers in the side. Unfortunately Hardik is not ready to bowl yet so we have to accept that and work around it. That is an area we have looked at, which is a very big part of any team balance. Stoinis and Glenn (Maxwell) do it for Australia. The key to keeping the batsmen in check is picking up wickets and we couldn't do that. From the batting point of view, we had a chat briefly after the game - all of us committed to playing positively and that's why you saw everyone go out there and play with intent. We just need to have a big innings from the top three, 130 or 140, which didn't happen unfortunately. Hardik's innings was an example of that (intent). At no stage did we think we might not get there. We committed to playing positive cricket and we are going to do that going forward as well. When teams put up large totals, you have to have a plan. (On him bowling a few overs) [laughs] Maybe I'll bowl a few when Finchy is batting because I know he doesn't want to get out to me.

Steven Smith is the Man of the Match: I've been searching for something for a couple of months now, unfortunately haven't been able to find it. But a couple of days ago I started to hit the ball where I wanted it, and everything came back, the rhythm came back. Finchy and Davey set an excellent platform, we could come and just take off. I wasn't thinking too much out there, just seeing the ball and hitting it. That's probably when I bat my best. I took a few more risks than I would normally, targeted some bowlers and fortunately it came off today. I thought it was a bit high (on the lbw referral) and fortunately it was. You need a bit of luck sometimes, nice to ride it today and score a few for the team.

11.12 pm: How good was Australia's batting though? Aaron Finch shrugged off periods of unfluency to raise another century. David Warner was quietly efficient, Glenn Maxwell put behind a poor IPL to unleash a typically Maxwell innings. And Steven Smith, with newly rediscovered hands, was amazing.

11.09 pm: A 66-run win for Australia, which speaks about the gulf between the sides today. Australia's batsmen, led by Steven Smith, were a cut above what India could muster. The Indians did challenge the total for parts of the innings, but the enormity of the target meant everytime a wicket fell, the pressure ratcheted up. Especially with India's long tail. Hardik Pandya played a fine hand, and Shikhar Dhawan did his bit at the top of the order too. Starc had a very rusty day but Hazlewood and Zampa ensured there would be no miracle win for India.

Adarsh: "Smith's innings today ended up being the difference between the two teams. A very obvious choice for the man of the match."

- Agreed. He'd be my Man of the Match too

Starc also trying to hurry through his over. Asked for the ball back quickly and jogged back to his mark.

Anmol: "Is Finch bowling his spinners instead of the the quickies for the over-rate?"

Indeed he is. But now Starc is back.