IND vs AUS: Rohit, Kohli flop on return as pacers fashion Australia win in 1st ODI

New Delhi: Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to score runs on their international return as Australia defeated India by 7 wickets in the rain-interrupted 1st ODI at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19. The DLS target was lowered to 131 in 26 overs, and the Aussies were pretty clinical in their run chase.

Chasing the target, the hosts got off to a poor start as Arshdeep Singh dismissed Travis Head for 8 runs. Matthew Short and captain Marsh steadied the innings and stitched a 34-run partnership for the second wicket.

Also Read

In Jasprit Bumrah"s absence, Indian bowlers step up to prove mettle ahead of T20 World Cup

Chinappa, Abhay and Anahat help India beat Hong Kong to clinch historic maiden Squash World Cup title

Bowlers, Abhishek Sharma star as dominant India crush South Africa in 3rd T20I to go 2-1 up in series

Axar Patel removed Short for 8 runs, but Marsh and Philippe forged a 55-run partnership for the third wicket. Washington Sundar dismissed Philippe for 37 runs, but the Aussie skipper played a good knock, carrying his form in white-ball cricket.

Renshaw looked a bit nervous, but he smashed a couple of boundaries and Marsh remained unbeaten on 46 as the hosts chased down the target with 29 balls to spare. 

Star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli flopped in a comeback match to international cricket as India only managed to score just 136 runs in 26 overs. Rohit amassed just 8 runs and looked a bit rusty against the Australian pacers, while Mitchell Starc removed Kohli for an eight-ball duck.

Captain Shubman Gill was caught down the leg side for 10 runs off Nathan Ellis, and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer also failed, scoring just 11 runs. At one point, India were struggling at 52/4 in 16.4 overs when rain stopped the match for the third time in the day.

But Axar Patel and KL Rahul gave momentum to India's innings after resumption to help the visitors post a decent total on the board. Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy also played a very useful cameo towards the end, scoring an unbeaten 19 runs in just 11 runs. Hazlewood, Kuhnemann, and Owen picked up two wickets each, while Ellis and Starc took one wicket each.

But the Aussies chased down the target comfortably and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. It was India’s first loss in ODIs in 2025, and their run of eight successive victories ended in Perth. The second ODI will be played at the Adelaide Oval on October 12.