Mitchell Starc ripped through the India batting line-up as Australia strolled to a 10-wicket victory in the second one-day international on Sunday.
The fast-bowler finished with 5-53 as India were bowled out for a paltry 117 before Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh both blasted quick-fire half-centuries as Australia secured an emphatic win.
Marsh's unbeaten 66 came off just 36 balls, and included four fours and six sixes, while Head's 51 off 30 balls contained 10 fours. Australia took just 11 overs to reach their target.
It was India’s heaviest ODI defeat in terms of balls remaining as Australia won with 39 overs (234 balls) to spare. The three-match series is now level 1-1, after India won the first ODI in Mumbai by five wickets.
“It was a quick one, 37 overs for the game, you don't see that too often,” said Australia captain Steve Smith. “I thought our bowlers were outstanding.
“Mitchell Starc in particular with that new ball swinging it back down the line and putting them under early pressure and he complemented really well with the rest of our bowling group.
“The way that Mitch and Heady went out and went after them was impressive. Putting them under pressure. When you're chasing 118 you can break the back of it really quickly.”
Put in to bat in bowling friendly conditions, India made a poor start. Shubman Gill was out caught for a duck in Starc’s first over.
Rohit Sharma (13) and Virat Kohli added 29 runs for the second wicket, the most for an Indian pair on the day before the collapse began in earnest.
Starc had Rohit caught at slip in the fifth over, and then trapped Suryakumar Yadav lbw for a golden duck.
He also trapped Lokesh Rahul for nine runs leaving India down to 48-4. In the next over, Abbott removed Hardik Pandya for one run with the score reading 49-5 in 9.2 overs.
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Australia's Mitchell Star celebrates after clean bowling India batter Mohammed Siraj. Starc finished with 5-53 as Australia won the second ODI by 10 wickets in Visakhapatnam on March 19, 2023. AFP -
Australia's Mitchell Marsh plays a shot on his way to an unbeaten 66 off 36 balls. AFP -
Australia's Travis Head finished unbeaten on 51 that came off 30 balls. AFP -
Australia openers Travis Head of Australia and Mitchell Marsh after sealing victory at Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. Getty -
Australia's Mitchell Starc is applauded off the pitch by teammates after taking five wickets. AP -
Virat Kohli top-scored for India with 31. AP -
Australia bowler Mitchell Starc celebrates after the dismissal of India captain Rohit Sharma for 13. AFP -
India's Axar Patel finished unbeaten on 29. AFP -
India's Ravindra Jadeja walks back to the pavilion after being dismissed for 16. AFP -
India's Mohammed Siraj is bowled by Mitchell Starc of Australia for a duck. Getty
Kohli top-scored for India with 31 runs off 35 balls and added 22 runs with Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 16 off 39 balls. That slowed the fall of wickets as India crossed the 50-run mark.
However, any chance of an Indian revival was negated when Ellis trapped Kohli lbw in the 16th over.
Jadeja added another 20 runs with Axar Patel to edge closer to the 100-run mark, before falling to Ellis.
Abbott helped mop up the tail, while Starc returned to complete his fiver, bowling Mohammed Siraj for a duck.
“I feel like my rhythm has been good for a few weeks now and I guess the last couple of nights I've got the ball to shape in the air and do a little bit off the wicket so it's feeling in a good place and hopefully it continues,” said player of the match Starc.
“The role I play is being slightly fuller and more attacking than the other guys which in turn can be not as economical, a bit more expensive but I think it brings in all the dismissals a bit more.”
Any hopes that India might have had about fighting back with the ball after their epic failure with the bat disappeared at the hands of a brutal opening partnership between Head and Marsh.
Their 100-run stand came off only 53 balls as the Sunday crowd was forced to endure a lopsided game ending in a dominant Australian win.
“It is disappointing. No doubt about that,” said India captain Rohit. “We didn't play to our potential. We didn't apply ourselves with the bat. We always knew that was not enough runs. It was not a 117 pitch at all.
“[Starc] is a quality bowler. He's been doing it for years for Australia with the new ball. He kept bowling to his strength and we kept falling to his strength. That's something that we need to understand and play accordingly.”
The third and deciding ODI will be played in Chennai on Wednesday after India won the opening contest in Mumbai by five wickets.
