LISTEN: Full script of Episode 122 where we discuss India's series-levelling win in Adelaide, Harry Kane's injury and more

Welcome to Spodcast, where we look at the big sports headlines of the day. India defeated Australia by six wickets in the second ODI in Adelaide on Tuesday, leveling the three-match series 1-1. With India requiring 299 for victory, it was a vintage MS Dhoni finish to the match. India needed 7 runs off the 50th over, and a visibly tired Dhoni, who had been on the field for almost 70 overs of the match, launched the first ball from Jason Behrendorff into the crowd beyond the long-on boundary. He took a single off the next ball to seal the win. Dhoni, who copped some criticism for his slow batting in the first ODI, played a brisker innings yesterday, scoring 55 runs off 54 balls. He was supported by Dinesh Karthik, the designated finisher in the team. Karthik’s 25 off 14 balls set up the win perfectly for India following a batting masterclass from Virat Kohli. The Indian captain made 104 from 112 balls to ensure India were always in the driving seat all through their chase. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan also made 43 and 32 respectively to give India a solid start. Kohli now has 39 centuries in ODIs, 10 behind the record of 49 centuries by Sachin Tendulkar. Earlier, a disciplined effort by opening bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami meant that Australia’s scoring was slow once again at the start. In the seventh over, Australia captain Aaron Finch was on just 6 runs when he was bowled by Kumar. Australia was soon 26/2 before Shaun Marsh and Usman Khawaja put on yet another rescue act with a 56-run partnership. Marsh also brought up his seventh ODI century, making a fantastic 131 from 123 balls and controlling the innings beautifully. The hosts made a late surge as Glenn Maxwell scored a quick fire 48 off 37 balls to get Australia to 283 in the 48th over. The Australian tail collapsed, conceding four wickets in 10 balls. However, Nathan Lyon scored 11 off the 50th over to take the score close to 300. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers, claiming four wickets. Mohammed Siraj was punished by the Australian batting. He conceded 76 runs in his 10 overs. The final ODI will be played on 18 January in Melbourne, after which India head to New Zealand. Dinesh Karthik, who played an important part in India’s series leveling win in the second ODI in Adelaide, said the Indian team management has identified the role of a finisher for him at number six. Karthik said, “…the team management has told me this is the role for me right now. And they want me to do the best I can. They are backing me completely. They have told me that this is where I’m going to bat and this is what they expect out of me and I’m trying to achieve that…I’ve practiced it, worked on it and it’s a skill I think is very important. It’s a skill where you need to have a cool head. A lot of experience helps. This is probably one of the hardest skills in the game. To finish a match and be on the winning side is something that is great to be a part of.” Karthik was all praise for former skipper MS Dhoni’s innings. He said about their match-winning partnership, “I think Dhoni’s been pretty solid this series. It was the kind of innings he’s played over and over again. So it was great to watch him bat and finish off an innings. We know he can absorb pressure and release it back to the opponents when the time is right. That has always been his strength and today you saw the perfect example of that. He knew his plans and I knew my plans and we were just complementing each other.” Karthik also praised the team’s trainer Shankar Basu for the team’s fitness. He said, “Our trainer Mr. Basu is best in the world. He knows exactly when to push and when to keep an off day. He is the best strength and conditioning trainer going around…Whoever is coming from injury, they are properly fit. We have this vest which has GPS in it and gives us data on how much we are pushing ourselves. It’s very detailed and systematic, so lot of credit to him.” A tennis update from the first Grand Slam of 2019, the Australian Open. Serena Williams looked in ominous form as she demolished Tatjana Maria 6-0, 6-2 in the first round. It was her first official match after the infamous 2018 US Open final that she lost to Naomi Osaka. Williams, who is ranked 16 in the world, had little trouble dispatching the 74th ranked Tatjana Maria in just 49 minutes. She took just 18 minutes to win the first set! After her win, she said, “I kind of like to jump in the deep end and swim and see what happens.” Last year’s infamous moment did come up in an interview, when a reporter mentioned the US Open final, to which Williams replied, “I, like, literally have no comment.” The Australian Open is a happy hunting ground for Serena - she has won the singles title seven times. In 2017, she was crowned champion while pregnant. In the men’s draw, top seed Novak Djokovic defeated Mitchell Krueger 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. EPL news now. Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech announced yesterday that he would retire at the end of the current season. 36-year-old Cech, who has four Premier League titles with Chelsea, tweeted, “This is my 20th season as a professional player and it is 20 years since I signed my first professional contract, so it feels like the right time to announce that I will retire at the end of this season.” His decision to retire may have something to do with him no longer being first choice for Arsenal. Goalie Bernd Leno has been preferred for most of the current season. The Czech player started in the Premier League with Chelsea in 2004 and moved to Arsenal in 2015. Recalling that, he said, “Having played 15 years in the Premier League and won every single trophy possible, I feel like I have achieved everything I set out to achieve. I will continue to work hard at Arsenal to hopefully win one more trophy this season, then I am looking forward to seeing what life holds for me off the pitch.” Cech won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League, the Europa League and three League Cups. His biggest challenge was a serious head injury in 2006 after a collision with Stephen Hunt. Hunt’s knee crashed into Cech’s head, leaving him with a fractured skull. However, the resilient Cech returned just four months later, wearing the now trademark protective headgear. Meanwhile, some bad news for Spurs fans. Striker Harry Kane will have to sit out until March following a damage to his left ankle ligament. He picked up the injury during Sunday’s defeat to Manchester United. Worryingly for Kane, this will be the third successive season the England captain misses games because of an ankle injury. Tottenham’s statement said, “Following preliminary assessments, we can confirm that Harry Kane has damaged ligaments in his left ankle, sustained during Sunday’s match against Manchester United. The striker will continue to be monitored by our medical staff as he commences rehabilitation and is expected to return to training in early March.” This will be a huge blow to Tottenham. Kane is the club’s top scorer this season, with 20 goals in 31 appearances in all competitions. More importantly, he scored seven times in his last seven matches to keep third-placed Tottenham’s hopes alive in the Premier League title hunt. The Spurs are nine points behind leaders Liverpool.