Matthew Short and Cooper Connolly shine as Australia edge India by two wickets to seal ODI series 2-0

Oct 2025 : Australia clinched a thrilling two-wicket victory over India in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. The hosts chased down India’s total of 264/9 with 22 balls to spare, riding on composed half-centuries from Matthew Short (74) and Cooper Connolly (61 not out).

India, after being put in to bat under challenging morning conditions, relied on captain Rohit Sharma’s 73, Shreyas Iyer’s 61, and a resilient lower-order effort led by Axar Patel (44) to post a competitive score. Despite flashes of brilliance, the visitors’ inability to build on partnerships and capitalize in the death overs cost them the match and the series.

India’s batting – A story of recovery and missed momentum

After winning the toss, Australia opted to bowl first, and pacer Xavier Bartlett struck early in a devastating seventh over. He dismissed Shubman Gill with a mistimed lofted shot to mid-off before trapping Virat Kohli leg-before for a four-ball duck. It was Kohli’s second successive duck in the series – the first such instance in his ODI career – leaving India reeling at 17/2 in 6.5 overs.

Rohit Sharma, however, held his nerve against a fiery opening spell from Josh Hazlewood, who bowled two maidens and maintained relentless discipline. Alongside Shreyas Iyer, Rohit gradually steadied the innings. The duo rebuilt cautiously before Rohit shifted gears, smacking two towering sixes off Mitchell Owen in a 17-run over to bring up his 59th ODI half-century off 74 balls.

Iyer, batting fluently and showing great composure, complemented his skipper with a well-constructed 61 off 77 balls, featuring seven boundaries. Their 118-run partnership for the third wicket laid the foundation for India’s recovery.

However, just as India appeared poised for a big finish, Mitchell Starc dismissed Rohit with a sharp short ball, caught by Hazlewood at fine leg for 73. Soon after, Iyer chopped a delivery from Adam Zampa onto his stumps, continuing his poor record against the leg-spinner, who has now dismissed him four times in ODIs.

Zampa then dismantled the middle order, removing KL Rahul (11) with a skidding slider and later dismissing Axar Patel (44) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (8) in quick succession. Patel, who had timed his drives beautifully, fell just short of a half-century when Starc pulled off a spectacular relay catch at long-off.

Lower-order resistance came from Harshit Rana (18) and Arshdeep Singh (15 not out), who added a brisk 37-run partnership that pushed India to 264/9. Zampa finished with 4/60, while Bartlett impressed again with 3/39. Hazlewood, though wicketless, was economical, conceding just 29 runs in his 10 overs.

Australia’s chase – Steady, composed, and nervy at the end

Chasing 265, Australia faced an early setback when Arshdeep Singh dismissed captain Mitchell Marsh for 8, drawing an edge to KL Rahul behind the stumps. With the ball swinging in the morning air, India’s pacers created consistent pressure, keeping the scoring tight.

Matthew Short, however, countered confidently. After pulling Arshdeep for a six over deep square leg, he accelerated with a mix of power and placement. Travis Head, on the other hand, perished while attempting a flick off Harshit Rana, caught by mid-on.

Short found an ally in Matt Renshaw, who struck a flurry of boundaries, including two fours and a six off Nitish Kumar Reddy. But just as their partnership began to blossom, Axar Patel produced a crucial breakthrough – enticing Renshaw down the track and beating him in flight to rattle the stumps for 30.

Short, undeterred, continued to bat fluently, driving Arshdeep through covers to bring up his third ODI fifty in just 48 balls. However, fortune favored him on two occasions – first when Axar dropped him at point on 23, and later when Mohammed Siraj spilled a sharp chance at backward point when he was on 55.

At the other end, Alex Carey was bowled by Washington Sundar for 9, leaving Australia at 130/4. Short and Cooper Connolly then rebuilt with calm assurance. Connolly played with maturity beyond his years, mixing caution and aggression, and appeared particularly comfortable against spin, hitting three crisp boundaries off Axar and Sundar.

Short’s dismissal – holing out to deep square leg off Rana for a well-made 74 – briefly opened the door for India. But Connolly, joined by Mitchell Owen, ensured Australia stayed on track. Owen attacked India’s bowlers mercilessly, hammering Rana for a four and two sixes in one over before lofting Axar for another boundary and six.

When Owen fell for 36, Bartlett and Starc couldn’t last long, as Arshdeep and Sundar struck in quick succession to reduce Australia to 245/8. With 20 runs still needed, India sensed a late twist.

However, Connolly held his nerve. Showcasing maturity and elegant stroke-play, he reached his maiden ODI fifty in 42 balls, sealing the win with a confident drive past mid-off. His unbeaten 61 off 53 balls — decorated with five fours and a six — proved the difference as Australia crossed the finish line in 46.2 overs.

Turning points and takeaways

For India, early wickets and the middle-order collapse once again exposed their fragility against disciplined spin and sharp pace. Rohit’s and Iyer’s partnership was the only major highlight, but the team failed to capitalize during the death overs, managing just 63 runs in the final ten.

Australia, on the other hand, displayed greater composure under pressure. Short’s poise at the top and Connolly’s finishing heroics exemplified their new-found depth in batting. The bowlers, especially Zampa and Bartlett, played a pivotal role in strangling India’s progress during key phases.

This victory marked Australia’s first ODI series win in a year, following three consecutive losses to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and South Africa. The result also underscored the team’s ability to adapt quickly under new skipper Mitchell Marsh.

Meanwhile, India’s struggles with middle-order stability and death-over execution remain pressing concerns ahead of the third ODI in Sydney on Saturday.

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)
Australia: 265/8 in 46.2 overs (Matthew Short 74, Cooper Connolly 61*; Washington Sundar 2/37, Arshdeep Singh 2/41)
Result: Australia won by 2 wickets, lead series 2–0

Team Maverick.