India ended their first innings at 264/9, a total that looks competitive on paper but came after a challenging start. After being sent in to bat, the Indian top order struggled against Australia’s disciplined pace attack, echoing the difficulties seen in the first ODI. Xavier Bartlett provided early breakthroughs, removing both Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in the same over. Josh Hazlewood bowled with great control but was unlucky to remain wicketless.
India steadied the innings through a crucial partnership between Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, who stitched together a 100-run stand to ease the pressure as spin began to play a role. Rohit reached his 59th ODI fifty in a gritty knock, while Iyer impressed with his timing and footwork against Adam Zampa. However, momentum shifted as Mitchell Starc dismissed Rohit and Zampa struck soon after, claiming four wickets, including Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy in the same over.
The lower order, led by Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, added vital runs in the final overs. Rana attacked Zampa to score 16 runs in a single over, while Singh struck two classy boundaries, helping India move past 250. Singh fell on the second-last ball of the innings to Starc, finishing India’s innings at 264/9, with Rana unbeaten on 24 off 18.
Key performances:
- Rohit Sharma – 59
- Shreyas Iyer – 61
- Axar Patel – 44
- Harshit Rana – 24*
Australia’s bowling was led by Xavier Bartlett, who bowled a probing spell with precise yorkers, and Mitchell Starc, who finished with crucial wickets to keep India in check.
The Indian side will have a fighting chance provided the bowling attack gets an early breakthrough. On the other hand, the Australian batting side, with the likes of Travis Head and Mitchel Marsh, will try to dominate the bowlers early on and score crucial runs in the first 10 overs before spinners come into play.
