Australia dominated the second one-day international against India, thanks to a superb all-round performance from their side. Pacer Mitchell Starc bowled exceptionally well as he picked up his ninth five-wicket haul in ODIs, helping to skittle out India for a paltry 117 in just 26 overs. In reply, openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head hit some quick runs and secured a 10-wicket win for their team in just 11 overs.
India, on the other hand, were on the wrong side of history as they not only lost the match but also broke several unwanted records. It was a forgettable day for them, as they slumped to their third lowest total against Australia in ODIs. Their lowest scores, prior to this game, were 63 in 1981 and 100 in 2000, both in Sydney.
Additionally, this match marked their fourth lowest ODI score at home after 78 against Sri Lanka in 1986, 100 against West Indies in 1993, and 112 against Sri Lanka in 2017. To add to their woes, the defeat was also their worst ever in ODI history, in terms of the number of balls remaining, as Australia reached the target with 234 balls to spare.
Meanwhile, Starc’s impressive bowling performance saw him rocket up to the third spot on the list of most five-wicket hauls in ODIs, with his ninth in the format. He is now only behind Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (10) and Pakistan’s Waqar Younis (13).
To top it all off, Australia’s run chase was the third fastest (in terms of overs) to complete an ODI chase in their team’s history. With 121/0 on the board in just 11 overs, it was an exemplary display of attacking cricket by the openers. The other two occasions where they completed a run chase faster than this were when they scored 66/1 in just 7.5 overs against the USA in 2004 and 71/1 in 9.2 overs against West Indies in 2013.
Overall, it was a comprehensive victory for Australia, and it’s clear that India have some work to do in order to bounce back in the series.
