Australia completely outplayed India in a rain-marred opening ODI at Optus Stadium on Sunday, claiming a comfortable seven-wicket victory to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The match was disrupted by four separate rain interruptions, leading the match officials to reduce it to 26 overs per side. Meanwhile, India, after being put into bat, could only manage 136/9 in 20 overs. Amidst rain interruptions, a revised target due to the DLS saw Australia needing 131 for victory. Australia, on the other hand, chased the target effortlessly, reaching 131 in 21.1 overs.
India’s innings never really got going after a shaky start. The much-anticipated return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the ODI format ended in disappointment. Rohit managed just 8 before falling to Josh Hazlewood, while Kohli’s stay at the crease was brief and unproductive as he was dismissed for an eight-ball duck.
KL Rahul and Axar Patel were the only warriors in India’s innings, offering some resistance with scores of 38 and 31, respectively. Their efforts helped India post a somewhat respectable total, but the rain stoppages put India on the back foot.
In reply, Australia had a bit of a rocky start following early dismissals of Travis Head and Matt Short, both scoring eight runs each. However, skipper Mitchell Marsh took control of the chase, anchoring the innings with a confident 46 off 52 that sealed the win for the home side. Debutant Josh Philippe impressed immediately, scoring a fluent 37, helping Marsh guide Australia through a turbulent period. Another debutant, Matthew Renshaw, scored the winning runs, finishing on 21 unbeaten off 24 deliveries.