The post India tour of Australia 2025, 2nd ODI: Aussies hold nerve to seal the series appeared first on SportsMint Media. On a sun-dappled evening at the Adelaide Oval, Australia once again showed why home conditions are their most reliable ally. The post India tour of Australia 2025, 2nd ODI: Aussies hold nerve to seal the series appeared first on SportsMint Media.
The post India tour of Australia 2025, 2nd ODI: Aussies hold nerve to seal the series appeared first on SportsMint Media.
On a sun-dappled evening at the Adelaide Oval, Australia once again showed why home conditions are their most reliable ally. In a contest that ebbed and flowed until the final overs, the hosts edged India by two wickets to seal the ODI series 2–0 with one match to spare.
After winning the toss, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh had little hesitation in bowling first. The decision proved inspired. The new ball gripped, seamed, and demanded respect, and young Xavier Bartlett made it sing. In a single, devastating over, he removed Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. For Kohli, it was an unwanted first: back-to-back ducks in One Day Internationals. By the end of the first ten overs, India had crawled to 29 for 2, their lowest powerplay score since 2023.
From the ruins, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer tried to build something lasting. Rohit, battling the conditions and his own patience, recorded his slowest ODI fifty in a decade, taking 74 balls to reach the mark. Iyer, equally cautious, brought up his half-century off 67 balls, his slowest outside Asia. Together, they stitched a partnership that steadied India, adding 100 runs and restoring some calm after the early storm.
Just as India seemed set to press on, the familiar figures of Mitchell Starc and Adam Zampa returned to tear that script apart. Starc ended Rohit’s resistance at 73 before Zampa spun through the middle order, prying out Iyer, Axar Patel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy in quick succession. His 4 for 60 left India teetering at 226 for 8. It was only a gritty 37-run stand between Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh for the ninth wicket that lifted India to 264 for 9, a score that felt neither safe nor easy.
The chase began with a touch of tension. The ball still jagged around under the afternoon sun, and both Travis Head and Marsh found life difficult. Rana dismissed them both, but India’s fielding betrayed their bowlers. Matt Short, twice dropped, made the visitors pay with a crisp fifty, while Matt Renshaw provided the ballast at the other end.
When Short departed, the crowd witnessed a coming-of-age performance from 22-year-old Cooper Connolly. Calm, confident, and technically assured, he guided the innings with composure that belied his years. His unbeaten 61 made him the youngest Australian since Mark Cosgrove in 2006, and the youngest at home since Ricky Ponting in 1996, to register an ODI fifty. With cameo from Mitchell Owen, Connolly carried Australia home with 22 balls to spare.
India’s bowlers kept the contest alive, but dropped catches and a lack of finishing intensity cost them dearly. It was their first ODI defeat at Adelaide in 17 years, the last coming in 2008, a statistic that underlined how thoroughly the Australians had earned their win.
For his incisive spell that broke India’s backbone, Adam Zampa was named Player of the Match. Australia’s ability to thrive even without Pat Cummins and several senior players has been the story of the series. For India, meanwhile, it was another morning lost to movement and another evening of what-ifs.
With the series already decided in Australia’s favour, the final ODI in Sydney still offers a chance for both teams to make a statement. India will aim to restore some pride and end on a high, while Australia will look to complete a clean sweep of the series.
Scorecard:
India: 264/9, Overs 50, Rohit Sharma 73, Adam Zampa 4/60
Australia: 265/8, Overs 46.2, Matthew Short 74, Washington Sundar 2/37
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