Powered by Matthew Short’s counterattack, Cooper Connolly’s composure and Adam Zampa’s incisive spell, Australia won a thrilling two-wicket victory against India at the Adelaide Oval to seal the ODI series. While Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer made valiant fifties, India faltered again as their bowlers couldn’t defend 264 under lights.
Batting first by order of England’s coin, India made another wobbling beginning. Shubman Gill’s torrid time as captain got extended when he was dismissed for 9, and Virat Kohli had a forgettable comeback as after getting out cheaply in the first game, he recorded his second duck on the trot – which is his first such instance in an otherwise magnificent career. Kohli was caught in front when Xavier Bartlett found some sharp inswing and it clattered into his pads as the paceman tore through India’s top order.
Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer put the house in order after the early setbacks with a fine 118-run stand for the third wicket. Rohit didn’t lure too much against Josh Hazlewood’s metronomic accuracy, but once he got his timing in with crisp drives and pulls, never looked back. His 73 from 97 balls did more than just steady India – it also took him past Sourav Ganguly into third place on India’s all-time ODI run-scorers list. Iyer’s fluent 61 provided stability before they both were dismissed by Adam Zampa, who weaved a web in the middle overs.
Axar Patel scored 98 runs for 9 balls played in the late surge, but India could only reach 264. But Australia’s bowlers – led by Zampa (4 for 60) and Bartlett (3 for 39) – prevented them from building any sustained momentum.
In response, Australia’s chase was not entirely smooth sailing. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana threatened them with early strikes, reducing them to 132 for 4. But the innings turned thanks to a gallant stand by Matthew Short and Cooper Connolly. Short, back at his Big Bash home ground, took advantage of India’s sloppy fielding to put together a career-best 74 from 78 balls.
With a maturity beyond his years, Connolly built on Short’s platform and gave them an anchor as wickets fell around him. Debutant Mitchell Owen added a quickfire 36 off 23, the youngster keeping Australia in the chase. While some late wickets added some superficial tension, Connolly’s 61 not out from 53 balls saw Australia chase it down in the 47th over as Bangladesh conceded a series with a game to play.
It was another frustrating outing for India. Rohit’s half-century provided some reassurance amid speculation about his future, while Kohli’s back-to-back ducks and Gill’s sedate leadership debut raised more questions than answers. Now with the series dead and buried, while Australia will try some new faces in Sydney, India would do well to get their act together if not anything else to restore pride
Match Summary:
- India: 264/9 (Rohit 73, Iyer 61; Zampa 4/60, Bartlett 3/39)
- Australia: 265/8 (Short 74, Connolly 61*; Arshdeep 2/41)
- Result: Australia won by 2 wickets and clinched the series 2–0
Learn More: Aus vs Ind 1st ODI Match Result