Team India’s all-rounder Washington Sundar had a tough outing in the first ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19, as he managed only 10 runs off 10 balls before falling to left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann. His brief stay at the crease added to India’s early woes in what turned out to be a difficult batting day for the visitors.
After winning the toss, Australia captain Mitchell Marsh opted to bowl first under overcast skies, and his pacers immediately put India on the back foot. The returning stars — Rohit Sharma (8) and Virat Kohli (0) — were dismissed cheaply, while Shubman Gill (10) gloved one down the leg side to Nathan Ellis. By the end of the powerplay, India were in deep trouble at 44/3, and when Sundar walked in, the scoreboard read 84/5 after 20 overs.
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Sundar’s dismissal summed up India’s batting struggles. On the third ball of the 24th over, Kuhnemann bowled a slower delivery on a teasing length. The left-hander attempted a premeditated reverse sweep but completely misjudged the pace. The ball brushed his glove before deflecting onto the stumps, ending his short innings and handing Kuhnemann his second wicket of the match.
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With the top order gone, KL Rahul and Axar Patel tried to rebuild the innings. Rahul, playing sensibly, top-scored with 38 off 31 balls, while Axar contributed 31 off 38 deliveries before also falling to Kuhnemann. Nitish Kumar Reddy added late momentum with an unbeaten 19 off 11 balls, striking two sixes in the final overs.
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India eventually managed to post 136/9 in 26 overs, after rain interruptions shortened the game. The Australian bowlers dominated throughout, with Josh Hazlewood, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Mitchell Owen taking two wickets each, while Mitchell Starc and Nathan Ellis chipped in with one apiece.
Australia were later handed a DLS target of 131 runs for victory, as India’s batting collapse highlighted the challenges ahead for their relatively new-look ODI unit.
