India’s new ODI captain Shubman Gill endured a disappointing start to his leadership. After defeats in Perth and Adelaide against Australia, Team India lost the series with one match still to play.
The series had generated considerable excitement among cricket fans, with the ODI captaincy change, the return of Virat Kohli, and several other factors drawing attention. However, all hopes were overshadowed by India’s dismal performance on the field.
On Thursday, 23rd October, India suffered a 2-wicket defeat to Australia in the second ODI at Adelaide. Batting first, India posted a total of 264 runs. However, a responsible innings of 74 by Matthew Short helped Australia reach their target with 22 balls to spare.
With the toss lost on a damp pitch, India batted first but struggled initially against the pace of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Captain Gill was dismissed cheaply for just 9 runs. Virat Kohli, disappointingly, was out for a duck in his second consecutive match, leaving fans frustrated.
However, Rohit Sharma (73 off 97 balls) and Shreyas Iyer (61 off 77 balls) formed a crucial third-wicket partnership that rescued the team from early trouble. Coming in at number five, Axar Patel played a valuable innings of 44 runs. Towards the end, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh added 37 runs for the ninth wicket, taking India’s total to 264.
Chasing the target, Australia also suffered early setbacks with Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head dismissed within 54 runs. But Matthew Short anchored the innings with his 74-run knock, laying the foundation for Australia’s victory. Useful contributions from Matt Renshaw and Cooper Connolly ensured Australia secured a comfortable win.
With losses in both Perth and Adelaide, India have lost the series before the final match. The two teams will face off once again in Sydney on Saturday, 25th October, for the last match of the series.