Rohit, Iyer Fifties Help India Post 264/9 Against Australia in Adelaide ODI

Adelaide, Oct 2025 : Skipper Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer struck gritty half-centuries to rescue India from early trouble and guide the visitors to a competitive 264/9 in 50 overs in the second ODI against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

Despite losing two early wickets inside seven overs, India recovered through a crucial 118-run partnership between Rohit and Iyer. Valuable lower-order contributions from Axar Patel (44) and a 37-run stand between Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh added stability and momentum to the innings, ensuring India had a fighting total on the board.

Winning the toss, Australia opted to bowl first on a grassy pitch offering early movement. India’s start was disastrous as Xavier Bartlett dismissed both Shubman Gill (5) and Virat Kohli (0) in the same over, leaving the visitors reeling at 17/2 in 6.5 overs.

Rohit endured a scratchy beginning, surviving a testing seven-over spell from Josh Hazlewood, who bowled with relentless accuracy. The skipper, however, displayed remarkable patience before rediscovering his rhythm, scoring 73 off 97 balls with nine fours and two sixes.

Iyer, leading from the front in his first match as vice-captain, provided stability with an elegant 61 off 77 balls, including seven boundaries. Together, the duo soaked up the pressure, countered the disciplined Australian attack, and slowly rebuilt the innings. Rohit reached his 59th ODI fifty off 74 balls, shifting gears with a flurry of boundaries, including two sixes off Mitchell Owen in a 17-run over that helped India regain momentum.

Iyer complemented him with deft placement and timing, bringing up his 23rd half-century off 67 balls. Their calculated partnership pushed India past the 150-run mark, exploiting Australia’s fifth-bowler weakness and keeping the scoreboard ticking with controlled aggression.

Just as India appeared set for a commanding finish, Mitchell Starc struck to remove Rohit for 73, with a sharp bouncer that the Indian skipper pulled straight to Hazlewood at fine leg. Soon after, Adam Zampa got into the act, ending Iyer’s resistance on 61 as he dragged a wide delivery onto his stumps.

Zampa then ran through the middle order with precision. He bowled KL Rahul (11) with a quicker one that skidded through and later dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy (8) via a smart stumping. The leg-spinner capped off his spell by removing Axar Patel (44), who looked in fine touch before falling six short of a deserved fifty. Axar’s dismissal came via a stunning boundary catch by Starc, who leapt high at long-off, parried the ball mid-air, and recovered balance just in time to complete the take.

Earlier, Axar had played a vital role in steadying the innings, rotating strike effectively and punishing loose deliveries. His fluent drives and flicks provided India crucial runs when the middle order faltered.

Despite the late flurry of wickets, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh ensured India finished strongly. The duo added 37 runs for the ninth wicket, with Rana hitting three boundaries off Zampa’s final over and Arshdeep chipping in with confident strokes down the ground. Their partnership lifted India from 227/8 to 264/9 by the end of the innings, giving the bowlers something to defend.

For Australia, Zampa emerged as the standout performer with figures of 4/60, maintaining pressure in the middle overs and triggering India’s lower-order collapse. Bartlett continued his fine form with 3/39, while Starc picked up a crucial wicket in his second spell.

Despite going wicketless, Josh Hazlewood was exceptional upfront, conceding only 29 runs from his 10 overs, including two maidens, and constantly troubling the Indian top order.

India’s total of 264/9 may appear modest on paper, but on a surface showing variable bounce and grip for spinners, it could prove challenging, especially under lights. The visitors will look to their pace trio and Axar Patel to exploit any movement early on and defend the total to level the series.

Brief Scores: India 264/9 in 50 overs (Rohit Sharma 73, Shreyas Iyer 61, Axar Patel 44; Adam Zampa 4/60, Xavier Bartlett 3/39) vs Australia.