India's Perth Struggle: How Rahul, Axar, Nitish Saved 136/9 vs Australia

While an underwhelming show by top-order, Rohit Sharma (8), Shubman Gill (10), Virat Kohli (0) and Shreyas Iyer (11) put India in trouble at 45/4, it was KL (38 in 31 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Axar's (31 in 38 balls, with three fours) 39-run stand that provided some stability. It was some late blitz from Nitish (19* in 11 balls, with two sixes) that took India past the 130-run mark.

After Australia opted to bowl first on winning the toss, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and skipper Shubman Gill were off to a slow start, despite the duo collecting four runs each against Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.

Hazlewood's relentlessness paid off as he managed to extract some extra bounce, which Rohit found hard to cope up with and poked an outside-edge to Matt Renshaw at slips. The 'Hitman' return flopped as he could just muster eight runs in 14 balls. India was 13/1 in 3.4 overs.

Virat Kohli was next up on the crease. The star batter played out a maiden against Starc, and tight fields left him wanting a single really badly. Virat hit a lavish drive, but was caught by Cooper Connolly with a fine dive to his left at backward point. Virat fell for an eight-ball duck. India was 21/2 in 6.1 overs. This was Virat's first duck in ODIs in Australia in 30 innings.

Skipper Gill, who was looking really good, was caught by wicketkeeper Josh Phillippe as he was stranded down leg side, and a thin edge landed into the keeper's hands for 10. India was 25/3 in 8.1 overs. At the end of the over, the first of many rain breaks came.

Eighteen runs by India's top three was their lowest aggregate in an ODI since the 2019 CWC semifinal against NZ in Manchester, where they made three runs.

Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel tried building a partnership, but struggled with Hazlewood and Starc's pace and bounce, with frequent rain breaks adding to frustration. Iyer was stranded down the leg, and once again, it was Hazlewood who trapped him for the third time in ODIs. Iyer was gone for just 11 runs in 24 balls, India was 45/4 in 13.2 overs.

India reached the 50-run mark in 15.4 overs. However, frequent rain interruptions reduced the match to a 26-over-per-side affair.

In the 18th over, Axar relieved some pressure with two fours against Mitchell Owen, with one being a gentle lift over mid-on.

India upped the attack in the 19th over against Ellis, with Axar's swiwel pull travelling to wide mid-on and KL ending the over with two successive fours, one beating the fielder at mid-off and one being a elegant pull over mid-wicket. The over went for 15 runs.

Spinner Matthew Kuhnemann ended the budding 39-run stand, as Axar got no elevation on his lofted drive and Renshaw took a fine catch at long-on. He was out for 31 in 38 balls, with three fours. India was five wickets down for 84 in 20 overs.

KL looked in fluent touch, smashing Matt Short's off-spin for two successive sixes, both going over the bowler's heads. With a double, India crossed the 100-run mark in 22 overs, with the over going for 17 runs.

Kuhnemann and Ellis were doing a fine job keeping Washington silent on the other end though. While the left-hander's pre-empted pull went over the keeper's head for four, Kuhnemann cleaned him up for 10 runs in 10. India was 115/6 in 23.3 overs.

Debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy was next up. Owen put an end to KL's solid innings, as he was caught by Renshaw at long-on as he picked his third catch. KL was gone for 38 in 32 balls, with two fours and two sixes. India was 121/7 in 24.3 overs. Owen got Harshit in the same over for just one. India was 123/8 in 25 overs.

In the final over, Arshdeep Singh was run out for a platinum duck. India was 124/9 in 25.2 overs. However, Nitish managed to finish off the innings with two sixes in the final over, helping India reach 136/9 in 26 overs. Nitish was unbeaten at 19* in 11 balls, with two sixes, with Mohammed Siraj unbeaten at other end.

Josh Hazlewood (2/20) in seven overs was the pick of the bowlers, while Kuhnemann and Owen also got two wickets. Starc and Ellis picked up a wicket each.

India: 136/9 in 26 overs (KL Rahul 38, Axar Patel 31, Josh Hazlewood 2/20) against Australia.

- ANI