Second ODI: India’s humiliating defeat, Australia beat by 10 wickets

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Visakhapatnam. Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc wreaked havoc by taking five wickets for 53 runs to bundle out India for just 117 runs in 26 overs in the second ODI on Sunday. Australia then scored 121 runs without losing a wicket in 11 overs to win the match by 10 wickets and level the three-match series at 1–1.

Chasing a modest target, the Australian openers had no trouble getting it done. Mitchell Marsh hit an unbeaten 66 off 36 balls with six fours and six sixes while Travis Head scored an unbeaten 51 off 30 balls with 10 fours.

No one thought that this match of 100 overs would end in less than T20 duration (total 37 overs). At first all the Australian fast bowlers bowled brilliantly in helpful conditions to restrict the Indian team to a very simple score, while when it came to bat, both their openers showed that they were playing on a different pitch.

The toe of Mitchell Starc saw the Indian team settle for their fourth-lowest total on their home soil. Starc first shook the Indian top order and then opened the claw with the wicket of Mohammad Siraj. Only Virat Kohli could cross the 30 mark for India. Akshar Patel scored 29 runs but did not get any support from the other end. Sean Abbott and Nathan Ellis ably supported Starc, taking three and two wickets respectively.

Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and took the right decision to bowl first. There was no looking back after Starc dismissed Shubman Gill for a duck on the third ball of the first over. Starc showed Rohit Sharma (13), Suryakumar Yadav (0) and last match hero KL Rahul (9) the way to the pavilion. Suryakumar was dismissed for zero in the second consecutive match.

Stark completed his five wickets by bowling the last batsman Mohammad Siraj. It would have been difficult for the top order to play this ball of Stark, Siraj was still a lower order batsman, Stark brought the ball inside with an angle, the ball was on the length, Siraj tried to stop it from a distance with both feet in the crease, But misses it completely and hits the stumps.

For India, Virat Kohli scored 31 runs in 35 balls with the help of four fours while Akshar Patel remained unbeaten on 29 runs. Patel hit two consecutive sixes in the 26th over of Starc’s innings but Starc bowled Siraj on the last ball to wrap up the Indian innings.
–IANS

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