After an exciting Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the high-octane clashes between India and Australia concluded as Australia made a strong comeback to clinch the ODI series from India on their home soil by 2-1. Australia’s victory not only ended India’s home ODI streak but also added to the significance of the win. Despite their poor performance in the previous Test series, Australia displayed their resilience and skill to defeat a formidable Indian team in an intense Ind vs Aus ODI series, showcasing their dominance in the limited-overs format.
India Start The Series With A Convincing Win
Australia Stumble To a Low Score
In the first ODI between Ind and Aus at Wankhede, India comprehensively defeated Australia by five wickets after bowling them out for a score of 188. The only shining light for Australia that day was Mitchell Marsh, who scored a brilliant 81 runs off just 65 balls. Despite the promising starts from Australian captain Steven Smith and Josh Inglis, they couldn’t stay at the crease for long, departing for 22 and 26 respectively. Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, and Travis Head failed to contribute significantly to the Australian scorecard, getting out for scores under 20.
The Australian lower-order batsmen failed, and they could only manage a score of 188 with Marsh being the only notable contributor. India’s fast bowlers, Siraj and Shami, impressed with three wickets each, while Jadeja took two, and Kuldeep and Pandya chipped in with one each. Overall, it was an exceptional performance by India’s bowlers, who restricted Australia to a low total and paved the way for a convincing victory in the match.
Rahul Shines As India Wins Comprehensively
Defending a low total, the Australian bowlers were under immense pressure but India lost the wicket of Ishan Kishan early giving them a glimmer of hope. Soon after, Virat Kohli also made his way back to the pavilion after getting LBW to Mitchell Starc. This early setback gave hope to Australia as India lost two wickets for just 16 runs. Things only got worse for India as Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a golden duck, and Shubnam Gill was also sent back after scoring 20. With India struggling at 39-4, Hardik Pandya took charge and played a crucial knock of 25 runs, including three fours and one six, to stabilize the innings. However, his dismissal brought the game back in favor of Australia.
Amidst all this, KL Rahul played magnificent innings of 75 runs, which included seven fours and a six, and anchored the innings for India. Jadeja supported him at the other end with a slow but steady inning of 45, which included five fours. Together, they guided India to a hard-fought victory in the first match of the Ind vs Aus ODI series. Their partnership proved to be the difference-maker as India overcame a shaky start to chase down the target with relative ease.
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Australia Humiliates India in their Backyard
Starc Becomes Unplayable for Indian batters
The second match of Ind vs Aus ODI series witnessed India’s home ODI streak coming to an end, as Australia won the game with ease. The hero of the match was undoubtedly Mitchell Starc, whose fire-breathing bowling proved too hot to handle for the Indian batsmen. Starc’s exceptional performance helped Australia restrict India to a meager score of 117, with every Indian batter struggling to score runs. Seven out of eleven players got out in the single digits, and four registered ducks, including Suryakumar Yadav and Shami, who got golden ducks. The only glimmer of hope for India was the former captain Virat Kohli, who remained the highest scorer of the innings with 31 off 35 balls. The Indian captain, Rohit Sharma managed to score 13 runs while Jadeja and Axar Patel contributed 16 and 29 runs respectively.
The Indian fans were disappointed by the batting effort as the whole team stumbled on to a score of 117, putting Australia in a commanding position. The Australian fast bowlers, led by Mitchell Starc, proved to be too much for the Indian batsmen as they took all 10 wickets. Starc was particularly impressive with his fiery bowling and claimed five wickets, including the crucial dismissals of three of India’s top five batters. Nathan Ellis and Sean Abbott also played their part by taking two and three wickets respectively, making it a complete bowling performance by the Australian team.
Mitchell Marsh Leads Australia To An Easy Win
Australia’s victory in the second ODI not only levelled the series but also ended India’s impressive home ODI streak. The hosts were stunned by a commanding performance from the Australian batsmen who chased down a low total of 117 without losing a wicket. Mitchell Marsh was the star of the show as he led his team to a convincing win with a blistering knock of 66 off just 26 deliveries, a staggering strike rate of 183. Travis Head provided solid support with his well-crafted fifty off 30 balls. The Indian bowlers were helpless against the relentless onslaught from the Australian batsmen, and their efforts went in vain.
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Australia Clinch A Thriller
Australia Get To a Defendable Total
In the series decider, the visitors were hoping to end India’s Home ODI streak. However, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in Chennai. They got off to a good start with Travis Head scoring a fiery 33 off just 31 balls before becoming the victim of Hardik Pandya. Mitchell Marsh also continued his good form and scored a quick 47 with a strike rate of 100. However, the Australian captain failed to score runs as he got a three-ball duck. He also became Hardik Pandya’s third victim as the Indian bowler ripped through the Australian top order.
The Indian bowlers kept chipping away at the Australian middle order. Marnus Labushange looked good but he soon went for 28. Alex Carey tried to handle the situation but not for long as he too made his way back to the pavilion for 38. Marcus Stoinis too couldn’t do much damage as he went after a quick 25. Sean Abbott contributed with 26 off 23 before getting bowled by Axar Patel. Ashton Agar also scored 17 while Starc and Zampa scored 10 runs each to get their team to a defendable total of 269. Indian bowlers bowled nicely, sticking to good lines and lengths. Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav got three wickets each while Siraj and Axar Patel contributed with two wickets each.
Australia’s hopes of winning the match and ending India’s home ODI streak were high.
Zampa’s Spin Troubles India as Australia Seals Series Win
Australia came into the field with a series decider on their hands, hoping to end India’s impressive home ODI streak. They put up a challenging total of 269 runs, which India failed to chase down despite a promising start. Rohit Sharma played a fiery knock of 30 off just 17 balls, followed by a well-made 37 from Shubnam Gill. The team was in a good position at 3-146, with KL Rahul and Virat Kohli contributing 32 and 54 runs, respectively. However, India started crumbling after Kohli’s wicket, and even a quick 40 from Hardik Pandya couldn’t save the day.
India’s middle-order batsmen, Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, failed to contribute much, and the lower order couldn’t provide the team with enough runs to chase the total. In the end, India fell short by 21 runs, getting all out in the last over at 248 runs. Adam Zampa bowled beautifully, dismissing the dangerous batters including the likes of Shubnam Gill, KL Rahul, and Hardik Pandya. He finished with four wickets to his name, while his spin bowling partner Ashton Agar got two scalps. Surprisingly, the fire-breathing pacer Mitchell Starc went wicket-less, but Stoinis and Abbott chipped in with 1,1 wicket, respectively.
India’s home ODI streak was broken, which had been a significant source of pride for the team. The loss would have been a hard pill to swallow for India, especially as they had been dominant in their previous ODI series at home. However, Australia played an excellent all-round game and deserved their victory. The series showcased some outstanding performances, and fans of both teams enjoyed the back-and-forth battle. India will be looking to bounce back in their next ODI series, while Australia will hope to carry this momentum forward.
What Went Wrong For India?
India’s Home ODI streak coming to an end was nothing less than a shock for the Indian fans as they faced an ODI series lost after 15 series. Indian bowlers were brilliant and did not allow the Australian batters to bat freely but their batting disappointed greatly. Rohit Sharma, Shubnam Gill, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul all got great starts but failed to turn them into big innings which cost team India the series. The number one T20I batter failed to get going in the ODI format as he registered a golden duck in each match of the series. They would need to regroup and work on their batting skills and would need to make some tough decisions if they want to find their best form and team combination before the ODI World Cup later this year.
