Team India’s batting let them down in the second ODI of the ongoing series against Australia at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, March 19.
Steve Smith won the toss and decided to bowl first on the surface. The move paid off as they were able to pick up wickets at regular intervals. The Men in Blue were ultimately bowled out for a paltry score of 117, their lowest-ever against Australia in home ODIs.
Apart from Virat Kohli (31) and Axar Patel (29*), no other batters could cross the 20-run mark and seven batters were out for single-digit scores. Many fans took to social media, expressing their displeasure over the underwhelming performance.
Here are some of the top reactions on Twitter:
The Indian batters’ woes against left-arm pacers continued as Mitchell Starc ran through the side’s top order with an inspired spell. The speedster completed a stunning five-wicket haul, his ninth in the format.
Team India’s batting wasn’t up to the mark in the ODI series opener against Australia
The Indian batters have struggled to get going so far in the ongoing three-match home ODI series against Australia. The hosts had their backs against the wall in the opening game as well.
While the Men in Blue needed to chase down a modest target of 189 in the match, Mitchell Starc made it difficult for them with a fiery spell at the start. The side were reeling at 34/4 at one stage during the run chase.
KL Rahul bailed the side out of trouble with a composed half-century. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten at 75, helping his team cross the line.
He stitched together a crucial partnership of 108* runs alongside Ravindra Jadeja as the home team secured a nervy five-wicket win to go 1-0 up in the series.
Australia have a significant chance of leveling the series by chasing down the 118-run target in the ongoing second ODI. The two sides will next square off in the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, March 22.
Edited by
Sudeshna Banerjee