India Lose 1st ODI At Adelaide In 17 Years, Shubman Gill Becomes 6th Indian Captain To Achieve Unwanted Feat
Indian skipper Shubman Gill joined the list of five other captains who lost their first two ODIs in charge of the Men in Blue
Indian skipper Shubman Gill joined the list of five other captains who lost their first two ODIs in charge of the Men in Blue, following a two-wicket defeat to Australia in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval on Thursday. Rohit's 97-ball 73 and Shreyas Iyer's 61 off 77 balls helped India post a solid 264/9 in 50 overs, giving fans some hope after the underwhelming performances of skipper Gill (9) and Virat Kohli (0). During the run chase, Matt Short (74 off 78 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) and Cooper Connolly (61* off 53 balls, with five fours and a six) produced valuable half-centuries that kept the scoreboard ticking, while Mitchell Owen's cameo of 36 off 23 balls (with two fours and three sixes) sealed the game for Australia, who chased down the target with two wickets and 22 balls to spare.
Gill has joined KL Rahul, Mohammed Azharuddin, Kris Srikkanth, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Ajit Wadekar as the sixth Indian captain to lose his first two ODIs in charge.
This also ends India's golden run at Adelaide Oval in ODIs. It was their first defeat in six ODIs at the venue since a 50-run loss to Australia in February 2008 during the Commonwealth Bank Tri-Series featuring Sri Lanka.
Since 2016, India has played nine ODI series against Australia, winning four—including one in 2019, which was India's first-ever ODI series win in Australia—and losing five.
Coming to the match, Australia, leading 1–0, put India in to bat first. Rohit and Shubman Gill started off cautiously, but Xavier Bartlett (3/39) reduced India to 17/2 with quick wickets of Gill (9) and Kohli (0).
Rohit then stitched an innings-saving 118-run stand with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer (61 off 77 balls, with seven fours). Axar Patel also played a vital knock of 44 off 41 balls, with five fours, continuing his fine run at number five. However, Adam Zampa (4/60) triggered a collapse, reducing India to 226/8.
A final flourish from Harshit Rana (24* off 18 balls, with three fours) and Arshdeep Singh (13) added 37 runs for the ninth wicket, and India ended their innings at 264/9.
During the run chase, Australia was reduced to 54/2, but contributions from Matt Short, Cooper Connolly, and Mitchell Owen kept them in a strong position, even though Washington Sundar (2/37), Arshdeep Singh (2/41), and Harshit Rana (2/59) produced some breakthroughs.
Zampa earned the 'Player of the Match' award for his four-wicket haul. Australia now holds an unassailable 2–0 lead in the series.
India Cricket Team
Australia Cricket Team