Openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head turned up at a commanding 121* as Australia hammered India for ten wickets in the second ODI at Visakhapatnam on Sunday (March 19). With the landslide victory, the visitors squared the three-game series 1-1.
Bowling first after winning the toss, Australia bowled out India for a paltry 117 in 26 overs as Mitchell Starc claimed 5-53 in eight overs. Marsh (66* for 36) and Head (51* for 30) then went on a rampage as Australia bowled over the target in just 11 overs. Thus, a game that was supposed to be 50 overs a side ended in just 37 overs as India suffered their biggest defeat in terms of balls left.
chasing 118, Head he flayed Mohammed Siraj for four straight in the second over. Marsh then hit Mohammed Shami for successive limits as AustraliaThe batters warmed up for the round. Marsh again faced Shami in his next over, which was for 16. The batsman started the over with a long pass from six to wide and followed up with a four point cover. Another high followed when a short ball went over the ropes.
Head joined in on the banging fun siraj for four straight fours in the next over as Australia ran to 66-0 in six overs. Rohit Sharma introduced Hardik Pandya in the eighth over only for Marsh to hit him with three sixes: the long-hit top third saw the Aussie opener reach his fifty in 28 balls.
India could have dismissed Head in 46 as he overcame a slow sweep Axar Patel. However, Shami dropped the catch, running for a long time. The farewell more or less signified the kind of day it was for India.
Head reached 29 balls from a half-century lead on the next delivery, battering Axar for a par. The winning runs came from Marsh, who cut a delivery short behind the point for four.
Starc claims five as Australia eliminate India for 117
Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc claimed 5-53 as India were bowled out for 117 in 26 overs. Sean Abbott (3-23) and Nathan Ellis (2-13) also contributed as the Aussies never allowed the Indian batsmen to settle.
Things started on a disappointing note for India as Shubman Gill (0) hit Starc for target. Rohit (13) was caught by the same pitcher, attempting an expansive shot, while Suryakumar Yadav recorded his second consecutive golden duck. Starc caught him earlier in what was a near carbon copy of the dismissal of him in the first ODI.
KL Rahul was next to go, pinned lbw by Starc for 9 as he missed his move. A one-handed blinder from Steve Smith on the slip sent Pandya (1) back, who flirted on a good-length delivery off Abbott.
Virat Kohli made a patient 31 before he too fell lbw to Ellis. Ravindra Jadeja (16) was caught from behind trying to execute an Ellis pass that bounced too far to third man safety.
After two more wickets fell cheap, Axar (29*) gave India some cheer, beating Starc for six in a row. However, the Indian innings doubled at the same time the left-arm closer cleaned Siraj (0) with a beauty to record his ninth five-wicket haul in ODIs.
