Australia beat India by two wickets in the second ODI of the three-match series being played between the two teams at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23. The home team were not expected to get the better of their opponents on such subcontinental-like conditions, but they hung on till the end and wrapped the series up with a 2-0 lead. India batted first in this encounter and were greatly helped by a swashbuckling knock from their former captain Rohit Sharma.
The opener struck a 97-ball 73 and tore into the Australian bowlers whenever they pitched it short. He strung together a fine partnership with fellow Mumbaikar Shreyas Iyer, who scored 63. Unfortunately, captain Shubman Gill got out for 9 and stalwart Virat Kohli, another former India captain, for 0. India were helped by Axar Patel’s 44 to put up a respectable 264-9 on the board in their quota of 50 overs. Adam Zampa was the most successful Australian bowler with figures of 4-60, followed closely by Xavier Bartlett’s 3-39.
In response, the Aussies could only string together a 30-run opening partnership before captain Mitchell Marsh (11) walked back to the pavilion. Travis Head (28) did not last much longer, but Matthew Short took up the mantle and scored a breezy 74 off just 78 deliveries. Matt Renshaw (30) and Mitchell Owen (36) also chipped in with decent scores, but it was Cooper Connolly who led the run chase with an unbeaten 61 off 53 deliveries. He remained not out till the end, alongside leg-spinner Zampa, to take his team home with two wickets in hand. Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Washington Sundar picked up two wickets apiece for India.
3rd ODI Overview – Australia vs India (25.10.2025)
India came back in stunning fashion to defeat Australia by nine wickets in the third and final ODI played between the two teams on Saturday, October 25. Hosted at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground, India chased down the target of 237 set by Australia quite comfortably inside just 39 overs. Former captains Rohit Sharma (121 not out) and Virat Kohli (74 not out) led the way for the Indians, silencing all talk of them being past their prime and not having it in them anymore to score runs at the international level.
Australia batted in this game, but were bowled out for a paltry 236, thanks largely to seamer Harshit Rana’s 4-39. He also received ample support from off-spinner Washington Sundar, who returned with 2-44. For the batting side, Matt Renshaw top-scored with a 58-ball 56, with skipper Mitchell Marsh also contributing with 41. The rest of the batters in the unit got good starts but failed to convert them into substantial scores. This hurt the cause of the home team since they were primed to put up a big total, but lost wickets at regular intervals.
In the second innings, India were able to coast to a comfortable win due to the composure shown by both Sharma and Kohli. Both these batters know these conditions well since they have played here for so many years. They made use of their experience and tore into the Aussies whenever they made a mistake. While Sharma latched onto anything short and wide, Kohli punished deliveries pitched on the stumps quite comfortably. By the end, Sharma had struck 13 boundaries and three sixes, while Kohli too lit up the show with seven boundaries of his own. India were home in 38.3 overs, and Sharma was awarded both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series.
