India spinner Varun Chakaravarthy took just one ball to do what hasn't been done ever against Travis Head in ODIs - a spinner getting him out in the first 10 overs in an ODI. Bowling his first and innings' ninth over, Varun bowled a slightly fuller ball which Head decided to pound down the ground. The ball, however, travelled only till long-on where Shubman Gill completed a brilliant running catch.

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Before that, Head had never been dismissed to a spinner in the first 10 overs of an ODI and had scored 135 runs off 115 balls. Head's dismissal came as a huge respite for India which had been burned multiple times by Head's pyrotechnics, especially in WTC Final 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023 Final.

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Head's dismissal on 39 off 33 balls put a break on Australia's free scoring as Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne had to do the rebuild.

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Before the match, former India spinner Ravi Ashwin advised the same to skipper Rohit Sharma - give new ball to Varun.

“New ball and give it to Varun and ask him to bowl over the stumps to Travis Head,” Ashwin had said on his YouTube channel.

“Travis Head shows all his three stumps and then clears his leg and hit it over the field. Varun Chakravarthy with new ball might give India an edge. It will be a mouth watering contest,” he had added.

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The spinner has been a late inclusion in the India squad after his sensational performance in T20Is against England prior to the tournament.

Varun made his ODI debut against England, which followed the T20Is, before being included in the Champions Trophy squad. The mystery spinner sat out the first two games but was given a chance against New Zealand and proved his worth.

Varun picked up 2/49 in the semi-final as India won the match by four wickets and marched to their third consecutive ICC event final.