AUS vs SA: Crazy Stats Show October 8 As A Nightmare For Australia After Loss To India

Australia began their campaign in the 2023 ODI World Cup with a six-wicket defeat against Team India on Sunday (October 8) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. In a game where fortunes swung from one side to another, India eventually prevailed.

Batting first, Australia were all out for 199 on a spinning track. The team from Down Under was well placed at 110 for 2 at one stage and was looking to post a competitive total. However, Ravindra Jadeja changed the course of the game by taking three wickets in a quick time. He dismissed a well-set Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Alex Carey in no time to leave Australia reeling at 119 for 5 from 110 for 2.

Australia eventually huffed and puffed their way to 199 runs. The Pat Cummins-led side began well with the ball. Mitchell Starc sent back Ishan Kishan for a duck in the very first over. In the second over, Josh Hazlewood dismissed captain Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer for a duck to leave India reeling at 2 for 3. But from thereon, it was a one-way traffic.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul steadied the ship and bailed India out of trouble with a decisive 165-run stand. Hazlewood broke the stand by dismissing Kohli for 85 before Rahul and Hardik Pandya shared an unbeaten 34-run stand to take India home. Rahul remained unbeaten on 97 and was adjudged the Player of the Match.

Unlucky date for Australia:

It looks like October 8 is not a very lucky date for Australia and the defeat against India will only enhance that belief. Australia have now played four ODIs on October 8 and has lost all of them. They first played an ODI on this date in 1982 and suffered a 28-run defeat against Pakistan.

For the next 25 years, they did not play a single ODI on this date. They eventually played their second ODI on October 8 2007 and lost the game by 8 runs against India. Nine years later, Australia faced South Africa on October 8, 2016, and lost the clash by 6 wickets.