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The ODI World Cup starts in less than a week and Australia have already started ringing ominous bells for the opposition. The team arrived in India much before than others and engaged in a three-match ODI series with the Men In Blue. After an underwhelming show in the first two ODIs, Australia produced a terrific performance in the third and final ODI in Rajkot, which was a dead rubber. The team piled a massive 352/7 in 50 overs, with their top four inflicting most of the damage. David Warner scored 56 off just 34 balls, while Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne got out in their 70s. Mitchell Marsh can call him unfortunate as he fell short by four runs from completing a well-deserved ton. In response, India could only muster 286 before losing all their wickets in 49.4 overs.
Now three days later it is their bowlers, in particular Mitchell Starc, who is dictating the show with his lethal bowling. In the warm-up tie against Netherlands in Thiruvananthapuram, the pacer rocked the Netherlands top-order and completed a hattrick.
Wasting no time, Starc got into business in the very first over of the Netherlands run-chase, packing Max ODowd and Wesley Barresi in consecutive deliveries. He got both the batters with deadly inswingers, something the batters had no response to.
ODowd was trapped LBW, while Barresi was cleaned up on a good length ball angling in after pitching outside the off-stump.
The destruction by Starc continued in his next over as he removed Bas de Leede in the first ball to complete his hattrick. Leede was outdone by an inch-perfect yorker with ball knocking the stumps.
That was not it as Sean Abbott too bowled an unplayable delivery to get rid of Sybrand Engelbrecht. Abbott too pitched it on length, beating Engelbrecht as he tried to play across the line as the ball kissed the top of off-stump on its way.
Meanwhile, the contest, which was already truncated to 23-overs a side due to rain produced no result.
Batting first Australia mustered 166/7 in 23 overs, following which rain once again interrupted the proceedings when Netherlands were batting at 84/6 in 14.2 overs forcing the match to be called off.
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