<p>Virat Kohli channelised his inner champion to pull the Indian team out of choppy waters with a masterly 85, which paved the way for a six-wicket victory over Australia in their opening match of the World Cup here on Sunday.</p><p>Kohli found a trusted ally in uber-cool KL Rahul (97 not out off 115 balls) during their match-winning stand of 165 that eventually made the 200-run target seem like a cakewalk on a testing track although they took 41.2 overs to achieve it.</p><p>Their doughty alliance came after three Indian top-order batters returned to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.</p><p>But equally responsible for India getting two points are their spinners. Ravindra Jadeja (3/28 in 10 overs) along with Ravichandran Ashwin (2/34 in 10 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/42 in 10 overs) made life miserable for the Australians while bowling them out for 199 in 49.3 overs.</p><p>But Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were incisive during the first three overs as Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer were walked back for ducks and the scoreboard read a sorry 2/3.</p><p>The audacious Kohli, whom the Indian fans fall in love with again every day, showed the first glimpse of fightback and unfurled an elegant drive past pacer Hazlewood, a shot that was worth million dollars.</p>.Cricket World Cup: Serial pitch invader Jarvo enters Chepauk arena, leaves everyone embarrassed.<p>Gauging that the ball is not coming onto the bat, Kohli slightly put his front-foot across and showed full face of the bat, rather than being rooted to the crease.</p><p>India weren't out of the woods at that point but it felt as if nothing was wrong. However, it could well have been 12 for 4 in no time.</p><p>Kohli mistimed a pull shot off Hazlewood but a running-in Mitchell Marsh failed to settle in properly under the ball as it slipped through his hand.</p><p>Skipper Rohit spoke about a bit of luck which is mandatory in big events and Marsh's big time bungle was exactly the rub of the green that the hosts needed at that moment.</p><p>It was the reprieve that Kohli needed and with the target not being a big one, h e and Rahul focussed on rebuilding the innings with singles and twos.</p><p>That 61 of his runs came through singles and doubles during his 116-ball knock stood as a testimony to his fitness.</p><p>For nearly 50 deliveries, he didn't hit a boundary until Cameron Green's military medium pace was introduced -- two deliveries on the pads were clipped away with disdain.</p><p>Once he reached 50 off 75 balls, Kohli pulled a slow bouncer from Pat Cummins towards deep mid-wicket.</p><p>Starc hit him flush on the helmet with a short delivery when Kohli was batting in the 70s. A concussion test was done and two balls later, a square driven four reiterated that 'Batter Kohli' can't be unnerved that easily.</p><p>Just when it looked like Kohli was cruising to his 48th ODI hundred, his pull off Hazlewood found Marnus Labuschagne.</p>.De Kock makes a statement of intent.<p><strong>Classy Rahul has a ball</strong></p><p>No praise would be enough for Rahul, a man who often gets flak for the chances he wastes.</p><p>But on this day, Rahul showed why he is so highly rated. On a pitch where Indian spinners dictated the proceedings, Rahul literally nullified Adam Zampa with a late cut, back cut and an extra cover drive in a single over.</p><p>He matched Kohli stroke for stroke and after keeping wickets for 50 overs, Rahul batted for another 41.2 overs to show that he is ready for each and every battle.</p><p>In fact, when he realised that Kohli could reach a 48th hundred, he was content taking the singles and doubles until the senior man got out. Rahul hit eight fours and two sixes - the second of which sealed the win. Jadeja and 'CSK template'</p>.Cricket World Cup: Dutch face stern test after New Zealand's high-flying start.<p>Earlier, Jadeja became the biggest nemesis among Indian spinners on a tacky Chepauk track to set up the facile win.</p><p>Jadeja, who knows the track like the back of his hand, courtesy his decade-plus association with Chennai Super Kings, took 3 for 28 in 10 overs as the slowness of the surface and subtle variations used by the all-rounder became Australia’s undoing. "I was happy after seeing the track. I knew on this track, even I wouldn't know which delivery will turn and which delivery will go straight," he told host broadcaster Star Sports.</p><p>It was Jadeja’s show all the way as he tilted the scale in India’s favour with quick dismissals of an under-pressure Steve Smith (46 off 71 balls) and an unusually subdued Labuschagne (27 off 41 balls).</p><p>Jadeja, who has dismissed Smith 10 times across formats, hoodwinked his bunny with subtle variations.</p><p>Scared of getting trapped in front of the wicket, Smith was consistently trying to keep his pads outside the line of Jadeja’s deliveries.</p><p>Jadeja, who was bowling at a pace around 96-97 kmph and not actually turning it much, gauged his ‘bunny’s’ apprehension.</p><p>The next delivery Jadeja bowled was at least 5 kmph slower and the ball turned way more than usual. In his bid to negate the leg-before possibility, Smith didn’t cover the delivery which turned past his bat to dislodge the bails.</p><p>Australia's chances of posting a big score were over at that very moment.</p>
<p>Virat Kohli channelised his inner champion to pull the Indian team out of choppy waters with a masterly 85, which paved the way for a six-wicket victory over Australia in their opening match of the World Cup here on Sunday.</p><p>Kohli found a trusted ally in uber-cool KL Rahul (97 not out off 115 balls) during their match-winning stand of 165 that eventually made the 200-run target seem like a cakewalk on a testing track although they took 41.2 overs to achieve it.</p><p>Their doughty alliance came after three Indian top-order batters returned to the pavilion without troubling the scorers.</p><p>But equally responsible for India getting two points are their spinners. Ravindra Jadeja (3/28 in 10 overs) along with Ravichandran Ashwin (2/34 in 10 overs) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/42 in 10 overs) made life miserable for the Australians while bowling them out for 199 in 49.3 overs.</p><p>But Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were incisive during the first three overs as Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer were walked back for ducks and the scoreboard read a sorry 2/3.</p><p>The audacious Kohli, whom the Indian fans fall in love with again every day, showed the first glimpse of fightback and unfurled an elegant drive past pacer Hazlewood, a shot that was worth million dollars.</p>.Cricket World Cup: Serial pitch invader Jarvo enters Chepauk arena, leaves everyone embarrassed.<p>Gauging that the ball is not coming onto the bat, Kohli slightly put his front-foot across and showed full face of the bat, rather than being rooted to the crease.</p><p>India weren't out of the woods at that point but it felt as if nothing was wrong. However, it could well have been 12 for 4 in no time.</p><p>Kohli mistimed a pull shot off Hazlewood but a running-in Mitchell Marsh failed to settle in properly under the ball as it slipped through his hand.</p><p>Skipper Rohit spoke about a bit of luck which is mandatory in big events and Marsh's big time bungle was exactly the rub of the green that the hosts needed at that moment.</p><p>It was the reprieve that Kohli needed and with the target not being a big one, h e and Rahul focussed on rebuilding the innings with singles and twos.</p><p>That 61 of his runs came through singles and doubles during his 116-ball knock stood as a testimony to his fitness.</p><p>For nearly 50 deliveries, he didn't hit a boundary until Cameron Green's military medium pace was introduced -- two deliveries on the pads were clipped away with disdain.</p><p>Once he reached 50 off 75 balls, Kohli pulled a slow bouncer from Pat Cummins towards deep mid-wicket.</p><p>Starc hit him flush on the helmet with a short delivery when Kohli was batting in the 70s. A concussion test was done and two balls later, a square driven four reiterated that 'Batter Kohli' can't be unnerved that easily.</p><p>Just when it looked like Kohli was cruising to his 48th ODI hundred, his pull off Hazlewood found Marnus Labuschagne.</p>.De Kock makes a statement of intent.<p><strong>Classy Rahul has a ball</strong></p><p>No praise would be enough for Rahul, a man who often gets flak for the chances he wastes.</p><p>But on this day, Rahul showed why he is so highly rated. On a pitch where Indian spinners dictated the proceedings, Rahul literally nullified Adam Zampa with a late cut, back cut and an extra cover drive in a single over.</p><p>He matched Kohli stroke for stroke and after keeping wickets for 50 overs, Rahul batted for another 41.2 overs to show that he is ready for each and every battle.</p><p>In fact, when he realised that Kohli could reach a 48th hundred, he was content taking the singles and doubles until the senior man got out. Rahul hit eight fours and two sixes - the second of which sealed the win. Jadeja and 'CSK template'</p>.Cricket World Cup: Dutch face stern test after New Zealand's high-flying start.<p>Earlier, Jadeja became the biggest nemesis among Indian spinners on a tacky Chepauk track to set up the facile win.</p><p>Jadeja, who knows the track like the back of his hand, courtesy his decade-plus association with Chennai Super Kings, took 3 for 28 in 10 overs as the slowness of the surface and subtle variations used by the all-rounder became Australia’s undoing. "I was happy after seeing the track. I knew on this track, even I wouldn't know which delivery will turn and which delivery will go straight," he told host broadcaster Star Sports.</p><p>It was Jadeja’s show all the way as he tilted the scale in India’s favour with quick dismissals of an under-pressure Steve Smith (46 off 71 balls) and an unusually subdued Labuschagne (27 off 41 balls).</p><p>Jadeja, who has dismissed Smith 10 times across formats, hoodwinked his bunny with subtle variations.</p><p>Scared of getting trapped in front of the wicket, Smith was consistently trying to keep his pads outside the line of Jadeja’s deliveries.</p><p>Jadeja, who was bowling at a pace around 96-97 kmph and not actually turning it much, gauged his ‘bunny’s’ apprehension.</p><p>The next delivery Jadeja bowled was at least 5 kmph slower and the ball turned way more than usual. In his bid to negate the leg-before possibility, Smith didn’t cover the delivery which turned past his bat to dislodge the bails.</p><p>Australia's chances of posting a big score were over at that very moment.</p>