Earlier in the day it was the unchanged hosts, leading by 1 – 0 from the first match in the series who won the toss and decided to bat on a wicket which was hard and dry, but with a touch of two pace to it. Australia, captained by Steve Smith and making his 100th ODI appearance, brought in pace bowler Kane Richardson and spinner Ashton Agar to replace Faulkner and Zampa.
The Indian innings started with good tight opening bowling by Cummins and Nile-Coulter, which was rewarded when Sharma looped a return catch to the latter for only 7. In muggy conditions, Rahane and Virat Kohli set about creating a platform for the rest of the Indian innings, and, after an initially circumspect approach, began to both play well, with Rahane, in particular, hitting some fine cover drives.
It was, therefore, somewhat unexpected when their 102 run partnership came to an end with Rahane run-out for a fine 55. Pandey only lasted a few balls before falling to Agar, but with Kohli at the crease, India looked in command. However, the returning Coulter-Nile accounted for Jadhav (24) and then claimed the prize wicket of Kohli for 92. When Dhoni fell cheaply for 5, a few overs later, India had suddenly lost their way.
With the Australia bowling with economy, in particular, Cummins, the Indian tail struggled, and although Pandya and Kumar both made 20, no batsman was really able to go after the attack. A brief delay for rain in the 48th over saw the players leave the pitch for a few minutes, but, when they did so, a late flurry of wickets, saw India all-out off the last ball of the innings for 252.
For Australia, Richardson and Coulter-Nile both took three wickets apiece, although Cummins was probably the star of the bowling attack.
The Australian reply got off to a poor start, with Kumar clean bowling Cartwright in the third over for just one, and then David Warner falling to the same bowler for an identical score shortly afterwards. Smith and Travis Head then steadied the ship, before India got a stroke of luck, Head hitting a full toss from Chalal straight to mid-wicket, when he had made 39.
Glenn Maxwell announced his arrival at the crease with two huge sixes, before he was cleverly stumped by Dhoni, and suddenly Australia were in trouble.
Smith, however, was still going well, and, with Marcus Stoinis at the other end, the visitors were still in with a chance of victory. Those hopes took a blow, when Smith mis-timed a pull shot and top-edged to mid-wicket for 59, but it was what happened next that decided the contest, with Yadav accounting for Wade, Agar and Cummins in successive balls in the 32nd over.
Stoinis continued to offer stout resistance, finishing on 62 not out, including three sixes, but he ran out of partners and Australia were all out for 202 in the 43rd over.
Virat Kohli was named man of the match, although it must have been a close run thing with Yadav, who, nevertheless, will never forget his day.
Australia, now two down in the series, will hope for better fortune in the third match due to be held in Indore on Sunday.