Had Australia won, they would've said two new balls was a plus point: Chahal

While Steve Smith asserted that it was never going to be easy chasing 160 with two new balls in Sunday's game in Chennai, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, said the visitors would have said two new balls was a plus-point for them had Australia won the game.

The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Method is often considered to favour the chasing team. That seemed to be the case on Sunday during the five-match series opener at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

A two-hour rain delay after India posted 281 for 7 from 50 overs saw Australia's target being revised to 164 from 21 overs. It might not have been wrong to think the equation favoured the visitor, especially in the era of T20 cricket, but Australia only managed 137 for 9.

 

The reason, according to Smith, was the crucial difference between T20s and rain-curtailed ODIs - one new ball from either end.

"It was never going to be easy chasing 160 with two new balls," Smith said at the post-match press conference.

"It was sort of a good new-ball wicket to bowl with. We could have perhaps played things a little bit differently and tried to take a little bit more time upfront. It's always hard in 20 overs to judge that. We weren't good enough tonight," he added.

Replying to this assertion from Smith, Chahal said, "The 21-over game was a plus-point for Australia because the rules were not according to T20."

"The extra fielder was always inside the circle. If they had won the game, they would have said it (two new balls) was a plus-point for them. Because in T20s, if there is a new ball from both ends, then it is good for the batsmen. There was something in the wicket, so we too had an advantage," he added.

The leg-spinner, however, said that India's minus-point was that they had to bowl ten overs with each new ball.

"So we've bowled well. Whether it is a new ball or an old ball, our bowlers bowled well. We got a good start with the way our pacers bowled. We managed to keep the pressure on them from the start and didn't give them a chance to come into the game," he said.

The 27-year-old picked up 3 for 30 from his five overs, including the crucial wicket of Glenn Maxwell and led India to a 26-run win to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

The two teams will now meet in the second ODI to be played on Thursday at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.