Marsh fires Aussies in rain-reduced ODI series opener

Amid a vein of form that has put him back in the Ashes conversation, Mitch Marsh has produced another match-winning hand to lift Australia to a series opening ODI victory over top-ranked India.

After an unseasonally damp Perth afternoon forced the players from the field four times during India's innings, the Aussie skipper was flawless under lights as the hosts cantered to their target of 131 with 29 balls to spare.

Marsh took some time to find the pace of his hometown pitch but two massive bombs over cover, the first of which saw Mohammed Siraj deposited 94m into the first row, got Australia's chase off and running.

India had earlier posted 9-136 from their reduced 26 overs at Perth Stadium after being sent by Marsh, but the loss of four early wickets resulted in a six-run reduction to Australia's target.

Such is Perth's reputation as a city where it never rains in summer, Sunday's first ODI was the first time the covers had ever been used during an international match at the Burswood venue since it opened in 2018.

Josh Hazelwood struck the first blow on Sunday as he and Mitchell Starc accounted for veteran batters Rohit Sharma (8) and Virat Kohli (0) respectively in what is likely their final tour of Australia in Indian colours.

Despite the quicks ripping through the top order, the spell of the innings belonged to spinner Matthew Kuhnemann (2-26) who delivered an exceptional four overs at the death.

Marsh found support in stand-in wicketkeeper Josh Philippe (37 off 29 balls) as the pair controlled the chase with a third-wicket stand of 55 following the early losses of Travis Head (8) and Matt Short (8).

Having hit centuries in each of his most recent one-day and T20 internationals, Marsh fell just short of raising the bat again, finishing unbeaten on 46 from 52 balls with two fours and a trio of sixes.

Debutant Matthew Renshaw chipped in with 21 not out, ramping Arshdeep Singh for six, before hitting a pair of singles to deny Marsh a chance to reach his half-century.

Australia take a one-nil lead into Thursday's second match in Adelaide.

Renshaw, handed his ODI cap by Shaun Marsh almost nine years after his Test debut aged 20, was immediately into the action at second slip on Sunday morning as he comfortably snaffled Rohit when he was squared up by Hazlewood.

Kohli, returning to the scene of his last Test hundred almost a year ago, endured a frustrating eight-ball stay as he faced a maiden from Mitchell Starc before throwing his hands at a wide delivery from the left-armer to fall for a duck.

Cooper Connolly took a terrific catch diving to his left, sending a hush around the 42,423-strong, mostly Indian supporting crowd, that had flocked to see the champion batter on his farewell tour down under.

Nathan Ellis struck with his first ball of the match as he burgled India's new 50-over captain Shubman Gill (10) with Philippe – into the side as Josh Inglis recovers from a calf strain – taking the first of two excellent catches down the leg side.

Hazlewood (2-20) claimed his second in between rain breaks to have India on the ropes at 4-45 as Shreyas Iyer (11) also succumbed down the leg side.

The right-armer completed his allotted seven overs unchanged from the Justin Langer End after the second delay as the match was reduced firstly to a 49-overs per side contest, then 35, 32 and finally 26.

The early losses saw the visitors progress at a pedestrian 3.12 runs per over in their first 16.4 overs but Axar Patel (31), KL Rahul (38 off 31) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (19no off 11) added some impetus late on.

Tasked with closing out the innings after the reduction in overs meant new-ball pair Starc and Hazlewood had already bowled out, Kuhnemann didn't concede a boundary from the first 20 balls he bowled.

The left-arm spinner, playing his first match for Australia on home soil with Adam Zampa absent for family reasons, also picked up the wickets of Axar and Washington Sundar (10) to finish with 2-26.

Owen's first ODI wicket was the key breakthrough of Rahul, and it was quickly followed by his second in the same over as he provided support for Kuhnemann with 2-20 from three.

Head picked up from his century in Australia's last ODI with two fours in Siraj's first over but was an early exit alongside Matt Short (8 off 17) before Philippe and Renshaw's crucial partnerships with Marsh.

Marsh's side are set to be boosted by the returns of Zampa and wicketkeeper Alex Carey for the second ODI at Adelaide Oval, the latter missing the first ODI to play in South Australia's Sheffield Shield clash with Queensland as part of his build up to next month's Ashes.

Australia XI: Mitch Marsh (c), Travis Head, Matt Short, Josh Philippe (wk), Matthew Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood

 

India XI: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

Australia v India ODIs 2025

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc. Game two onwards: Adam Zampa, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis

India squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal

October 19: Australia won by seven wickets (DLS method)

October 23: Second ODI v India, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, 2:30pm AEDT

October 25: Third ODI v India, SCG, Sydney, 2:30pm AEDT

All matches live via Kayo Sports and Foxtel