<div align="justify">Rain has delayed the start of Australia's reply after India posted a challenging 281-7 in the first one-day international in Chennai on Sunday.<br /><br />The weather forced players to stay indoors at the MA Chidambaram Stadium with the pitch area staying covered.<br /><br />Match officials will start cutting down on overs if the rain persists in the first ODI of the five-match series. <br /><br />Earlier, fighting half-centuries by Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped India recover from a top-order slump and post 281/7 in the opening one-day international against Australia in Chennai on Sunday.<br /><br />Electing to bat on a cloudy afternoon, the hosts lost five early wickets before Pandya, who hit 83, and Dhoni, who scored 79, shared a 118-run stand to put up a challenging total.<br /><br />Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile rattled the Indian batting with three quick strikes including the prized scalp of skipper Virat Kohli for nought.<br /><br />Kohli tried to slice a widish delivery on the off side by Coulter-Nile but was superbly caught by Glenn Maxwell, who timed his jump to perfection, at backward point.<br /><br />Coulter-Nile, who returned after a string of injuries that kept him out since June 2016, also got opener Ajinkya Rahane, for 5, and Manish Pandey, for 0, to reduce India to 11-3.<br /><br />Rohit Sharma, who made 28, and Kedar Jadhav, who scored 40, tried to rebuild with their 53-run partnership before Marcus Stoinis sent the two batsmen back in the pavilion.<br /><br />Dhoni, who has captained the successful Chennai franchise in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, then made it count along with Pandya for company.<br /><br />The duo thwarted the Australian bowling with some stubborn batting before Pandya let loose to take the attack to the opposition.<br /><br />Pandya took a special liking to Adam Zampa's leg-spin as he smashed the bowler for a four and three successive sixes in an over to bring up his third ODI fifty.<br /><br />Zampa though did get Pandya out for his only wicket in the innings but the bowlers' 10 overs cost 66 runs for his side.<br /><br />Dhoni soon took over to get some vital runs in the last five overs as he put on 72 runs with number-eight Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who remained unbeaten on 32.<br /><br />The wicketkeeper-batsman, who hit 4 fours and 2 sixes, in his 88-ball stay lost his wicket to James Faulkner in the final over.<br /></div>
<div align="justify">Rain has delayed the start of Australia's reply after India posted a challenging 281-7 in the first one-day international in Chennai on Sunday.<br /><br />The weather forced players to stay indoors at the MA Chidambaram Stadium with the pitch area staying covered.<br /><br />Match officials will start cutting down on overs if the rain persists in the first ODI of the five-match series. <br /><br />Earlier, fighting half-centuries by Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped India recover from a top-order slump and post 281/7 in the opening one-day international against Australia in Chennai on Sunday.<br /><br />Electing to bat on a cloudy afternoon, the hosts lost five early wickets before Pandya, who hit 83, and Dhoni, who scored 79, shared a 118-run stand to put up a challenging total.<br /><br />Fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile rattled the Indian batting with three quick strikes including the prized scalp of skipper Virat Kohli for nought.<br /><br />Kohli tried to slice a widish delivery on the off side by Coulter-Nile but was superbly caught by Glenn Maxwell, who timed his jump to perfection, at backward point.<br /><br />Coulter-Nile, who returned after a string of injuries that kept him out since June 2016, also got opener Ajinkya Rahane, for 5, and Manish Pandey, for 0, to reduce India to 11-3.<br /><br />Rohit Sharma, who made 28, and Kedar Jadhav, who scored 40, tried to rebuild with their 53-run partnership before Marcus Stoinis sent the two batsmen back in the pavilion.<br /><br />Dhoni, who has captained the successful Chennai franchise in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, then made it count along with Pandya for company.<br /><br />The duo thwarted the Australian bowling with some stubborn batting before Pandya let loose to take the attack to the opposition.<br /><br />Pandya took a special liking to Adam Zampa's leg-spin as he smashed the bowler for a four and three successive sixes in an over to bring up his third ODI fifty.<br /><br />Zampa though did get Pandya out for his only wicket in the innings but the bowlers' 10 overs cost 66 runs for his side.<br /><br />Dhoni soon took over to get some vital runs in the last five overs as he put on 72 runs with number-eight Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who remained unbeaten on 32.<br /><br />The wicketkeeper-batsman, who hit 4 fours and 2 sixes, in his 88-ball stay lost his wicket to James Faulkner in the final over.<br /></div>