Last Updated: March 19, 2023, 4:44 PM IST
IND v AUS: Australia’s Mitchell Starc and India’s Virat Kohli (AP)
India were bowled out for 117, losing all wickets to fast bowlers, as Mitchell Starc picked up five
India were bowled out for the lowest total against Australia on home soil in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Indian batters could manage only 117 all out with the Aussies needing just 26 overs to clean up India’s batting line-up.
India vs Australia, 2nd ODI – LIVE
India’s lowest total at home remains 63 they managed in Sydney in 1981, followed by 100 at the same venue in 2000.
India’s lowest total at home is 78 against Sri Lanka in Kanpur (1986), followed by 100 against West Indies in Ahmedabad (1993) and 112 against Sri Lanka again at Dharamsala in 2017. The 117 all out against Australia on Sunday is India’s fourth-lowest total at home.
Mitchell Starc, who had picked a three-wicket haul in the first ODI in Mumbai, was the pick of the bowlers as his stunning exhibition of early swing bowling, scythed through the top order and then took out Mohammed Siraj to finish with 5/53.
It was his ninth fifer as he became level third in the all-time list for the most ODI five-wicket hauls with Australia’s Brett Lee and Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi.
Sean Abbott was excellent in his 3/23 while Nathan Ellis provided great support through 2/13.
In fact, this is the second time in ODI history that India lost all their wickets to fast bowlers.
The hosts lost four wickets in power-play for the first time since the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand with Virat Kohli and Axar Patel top-scored with 31 and 29 not out respectively.
It was a disappointing batting performance from the hosts’ where four batters fell for ducks, while the rest didn’t have any answers to tough questions posed by Starc & Co.
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The left-arm quick rattled India when he struck in the first over of the match, sending back Shubman Gill for a duck after Australia’s decided to bowl first in Visakhapatnam.
The Indian innings lasted just 26 overs after overnight rain helped the fast bowlers with swing and seam.
Two successive strikes from Starc to get returning skipper Rohit Sharma for 13 and then Suryakumar Yadav, out for a second straight first-ball duck, pushed India onto the back foot.
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KL Rahul played out the hat-trick ball but lasted for just 11 more deliveries before falling leg before wicket to Starc, who returned figures of 4-31 in his first spell of six overs.
Skipper Steve Smith took a stunning one-handed catch at first slip to dismiss Hardik Pandya for one off the bowling of Sean Abbott, who took three wickets.
Smith went full stretch to his right and was airborne when he took the catch off an edge from Pandya, setting social media abuzz with praise for his “superman” effort.
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Virat Kohli attempted to hit back for India with a score of 31 that included four boundaries before he was trapped in front by Nathan Ellis.
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Wickets kept tumbling and the departure of Ravindra Jadeja, the hero from Friday’s first match in Mumbai, for 16 off the bowling of Ellis added to India’s woes.
Starc wrapped up the innings with his ninth ODI five-wicket haul. Axar Patel, who came into the team in place of Shardul Thakur, was unbeaten on 29 after hitting two sixes.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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