Mitchell Marsh’s blistering white-ball form has continued, leading the undermanned Australians towards a comfortable seven-wicket victory over India in the rain-affected first ODI at Perth Stadium.
Chasing a modest 131-run target (via DLS Method) in a shortened contest, the hosts got the job done with 29 balls remaining courtesy of Marsh’s unbeaten 46 from 52 balls, which featured three mighty sixes. While battling cramps, the Australian captain combined with stand-in wicketkeeper Josh Philippe for a 55-run partnership for the third wicket to ensure the reigning world champions took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Across his last ten matches in canary yellow, the West Australian has averaged 76.85 with an eye-watering strike rate of 122.55, prompting speculation of an Ashes call-up.
“He’s in some serious form at the moment,” Philippe told Fox Cricket after the match.
“He looks like he’s hitting the ball beautifully.”
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Meanwhile, it was Australia’s first ODI victory at Perth Stadium, also ending an eight-match winning streak for India.
“I think we were 0-3 here, we’re away,” Marsh, named player of the match, laughed during the post-game presentation.
“It’s nice for us as a team to get that hoodoo off our back.”
Sporadic showers interrupted Sunday’s series opener on four occasions, with the blockbuster contest reduced to a 26-over affair due to the frustrating weather. Between the rain delays, India crumbled to 4-45 in a wobbly top-order collapse after Marsh won the toss and chose to bowl first, with Australia’s seamers wreaking havoc on the bouncy deck.
Josh Hazlewood, who finished with superb figures of 2-20 from seven overs, found the shoulder of Rohit Sharma’s bat after getting a delivery to burst off a good length, with debutant Matthew Renshaw swallowing a simple catch in the slips cordon. Soon after, superstar Virat Kohli chipped a wide delivery from Mitchell Starc towards backward point, where young all-rounder Cooper Connolly held onto a diving catch.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs India first ODI live scorecard
Hazlewood strikes first! Dismisses Rohit | 00:32
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer both gloved wayward deliveries down the leg side, dismissed by Nathan Ellis and Hazlewood respectively, with Philippe taking a pair of smart catches to his left.
“It’s never easy when you lose three wickets in the Powerplay,” captain Gill confessed during the post-match presentation.
Spinner Matt Kuhnemann (2-26 from four overs) snared his first ODI wicket in more than three years when Axar Patel picked out long-on before fellow all-rounder Washington Sundar miscued an ill-judged reverse sweep, bowled around his legs.
However, KL Rahul went on a rampage during the death overs to give India’s bowlers something respectable to defend, hitting a 31-ball 38 that featured consecutive sixes against part-timer Matt Short. He was dismissed in the penultimate over by Australian debutant Mitchell Owen, holing out to long-on, before Renshaw grassed a regulation chance in the outfield to gift Nitish Kumar Reddy an extra life.
The Indian debutant rubbed salt into the wound by clearing the boundary rope twice during the final over, with the tourists posting 9-136.
Opener Travis Head fell early in the run chase, picking out deep point after flashing at an outswinger from Indian seamer Arshdeep Singh, before the recalled Matt Short top-edged an ugly swat towards short third man, falling victim to spinner Patel.
Despite the early stumble, Marsh and Philippe (37 off 29 balls) anchored the innings before Renshaw (21 not out) helped his skipper knock off the remainder of the deficit. Rahul put down a tough catch with the gloves in the 20th over, but the missed chance wouldn’t have made a difference.
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Philippe, playing his first ODI in more than four years, later confessed he was “a little” worried he may never get the opportunity to represent his country again.
“It’s always the dream to play for Australia,” Philippe added.
“It’s been a long wait, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get another opportunity.
“I feel like I’m hitting the ball really nicely at the moment.”
Earlier on Sunday, Renshaw and Owen were presented with their maiden caps, becoming Australia’s 250th and 251st men’s ODI cricketers respectively.
The hosts were missing several first-choice players for the series opener, including Test captain Pat Cummins (back injury), spinner Adam Zampa (paternity leave), wicketkeeper Josh Inglis (calf strain), all-rounder Cameron Green (side soreness), gloveman Alex Carey (Sheffield Shield commitments), Steve Smith (retirement), Glenn Maxwell (retirement) and Marcus Stoinis (retirement).
The second ODI between Australia and India gets underway at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, with the first ball scheduled for 2.30pm AEDT.