Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s return to the Indian cricket team was short-lived, lasting only 22 balls, as Australia secured a seven-wicket victory in the rain-affected first ODI on Sunday.India batted first and managed to score 136 for 9 in a match reduced to 26 overs per side due to rain interruptions. Australia was set a DLS-adjusted target of 131, which they achieved in 21.1 overs.Australia’s innings began with early setbacks as Travis Head was caught by Harshit Rana off Arshdeep Singh’s bowling at deep third man. Matthew Short also departed without making a significant impact.Local captain Mitchell Marsh remained unbeaten on 46 from 52 balls, demonstrating his power-hitting abilities. He formed a crucial 55-run partnership with Josh Philippe, who scored 37 from 29 balls.The Indian pace attack, consisting of Arshdeep, Mohammad Siraj, and Harshit Rana, struggled to maintain control. They provided the Australian batters with numerous scoring opportunities.Marsh capitalized on these opportunities, hitting sixes off all three Indian pacers. His inside-out six over covers off Siraj was particularly impressive.Philippe supported his captain well with an active innings. His dismissal proved to be a minor setback as Australia took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.India’s batting innings was disrupted by frequent weather interruptions and precise Australian bowling. KL Rahul‘s innings of 38 from 30 balls provided some resistance.The Optus Stadium pitch offered extra bounce, which the Australian bowlers utilized effectively. Rohit Sharma, playing his 500th match for India, opened the innings with captain Shubman Gill but managed only 8 runs from 14 balls.Rohit’s innings included one straight drive off Mitchell Starc before Josh Hazlewood’s bouncer led to his dismissal, caught by debutant Matthew Renshaw at second slip.Virat Kohli’s return was brief as he fell to Starc after facing just eight balls. Cooper Connolly took an excellent catch at backward point, marking Kohli’s first duck in Australia.Captain Gill showed promise but fell to Nathan Ellis, caught by wicketkeeper Philippe while attempting a flick. Shreyas Iyer met a similar fate, gliding a Hazlewood bouncer to Philippe, reducing India to 45 for four in the 14th over.India’s innings gained momentum through a 39-run partnership between Axar Patel and Rahul. Axar scored 31 before falling to spinner Matthew Kuhnemann.Rahul displayed impressive technique against the bouncing deliveries. His straight drive and pull shot off Ellis were particularly noteworthy.He accelerated against the spinners, hitting Matthew Short for consecutive sixes. Rahul and Washington Sundar put on 30 runs for the sixth wicket.The reduced overs and late wickets prevented India from achieving a competitive total in the final phase of their innings.The Australian bowlers maintained pressure throughout, utilizing the pitch conditions effectively. Their disciplined bowling performance was crucial in restricting India to a below-par total.Australia’s successful chase was built on Marsh’s steady innings and effective partnerships. The victory gives them an early advantage in the three-match series.The senior Indian players will need to perform better in the upcoming matches at Adelaide and Sydney to maintain their positions in the team.
