Perth, Oct 19 — In a rain‑trimmed one‑day international at Optus Stadium, India was reduced to 26 overs and finished on 136/9. With the DLS method applied, Australia need 131 runs to win in the final 26 overs.
The match started brightly for the hosts. After winning the toss, Australia used the advantage of the first ball to nick Rohit Sharma early, and then Josh Hazlewood pulled off two wickets, first tackling Sharma’s 14‑ball tiny eight and then snaring Shreyas Iyer as he rose to the challenge. Hazlewood’s dismissal of Iyer was the seventh time in 13 innings.
Australia’s bowlers kept the pressure tight. Mitchell Starc dismissed Virat Kohli, and Nathan Ellis took the wicket of skipper Shubman Gill, leaving India without any of their key openers to show the fielding side.
India struggled to find a rhythm after the top order fell apart. Multiple rain delays made the pitch tricky and the run rate sluggish. It was only when KL Rahul came to the crease that the score started to climb. The 38 from 31 balls gave India a glimmer of hope.
Rahul powered two sixes in the 21st over, including a hit against Matthew Short, and the run tally slipped past the 100‑run line. Washington Sundar added some support in the middle overs, but a Matthew Kuhnemann strike in the 24th over sent the young Indian back to the stands.
In the final spell, debutant Nitish Reddy partnered Rahul to keep the innings stable, but the partnership was broken when Mitch Owen claimed Rahul’s wicket. Harshit Rana was dismissed on his second delivery by the Australian debutant, adding to the losses.
Arshdeep Singh was run‑out in the last over, but Reddy smashed two sixes to finish off the innings at 136/9. Australia now face a tough chase, with 131 runs required to win in a final 26 overs.
Key moments:
• India 136/9 in 26 overs (DLS)
• KL Rahul 38, Axar Patel 31
• Hazlewood 2‑20, Kuhnemann 2‑26
The rain‑truncated match leaves Australia with a tight but doable target.
Source: ianslive
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
