Australia made light work of a revised 131-run target to secure a comfortable seven-wicket win over India in the first ODI at the Optus Stadium, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
India’s new ODI captain Shubman Gill had a forgettable start to his tenure, as his side faltered with both bat and ball in a rain-curtailed match.
India’s Batting Crumbles Under Pressure
Persistent rain reduced the contest to 26 overs a side. India, after electing to bat, struggled for rhythm and collapsed to 136 for 9, with KL Rahul (38) and Axar Patel (31) offering the only real resistance.
Veterans Rohit Sharma (8) and Virat Kohli (0) failed to make an impact, while Gill managed just 10 off 18 balls.
Despite a spirited cameo from Nitish Kumar Reddy in the final over, India’s innings never gained traction as the Australian bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood (2-20) and Matthew Kuhnemann (2-26), kept the visitors on a tight leash.
Marsh Anchors Chase After Early Jitters
Australia’s chase began shakily when Travis Head and Matthew Short fell early, courtesy of Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel. But Mitchell Marsh and Josh Philippe steadied the ship with a fluent partnership.
Philippe looked in fine touch, striking 37 off 29 balls with two sixes and three fours, while Marsh remained unbeaten on 46, guiding Australia to victory in 21.1 overs.
Even though India briefly threatened with Washington Sundar’s breakthrough, the hosts’ composure ensured a smooth finish.
Marsh: “Proud of the Way Our Young Guys Came Out”
Player of the match Marsh lauded his younger teammates for their poise in testing conditions.
The weather played its part today. Big thanks to the crowd that stuck around. It’s always nice to win at home. I love playing for Australia. It was swinging around a little bit. We knew it was going to be the case for both teams... proud of the way our young guys came out, took the game on, and got us over.
He reserved special praise for Josh Philippe, whose fluent knock set the tone for the chase: “He came out and made it look very easy, didn’t he? You just want the young guys to have fun and enjoy it.”
All Eyes on Adelaide
With a 1-0 advantage, Australia will look to seal the series in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (October 23). India, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly to avoid a series defeat and give their young skipper Shubman Gill his first win as captain.
Brief Scores: India 136/9 in 26 overs (KL Rahul 38, Axar Patel 31; Hazlewood 2-20, Kuhnemann 2-26) Australia 131/3 in 21.1 overs (Marsh 46*, Philippe 37; Arshdeep 1-31, Axar 1-19). Australia won by 7 wickets (DLS method).
