Adelaide, Oct 23 (IANS) Thanks to fifties from Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, India recovered from early setbacks to post 264/9 in their 50 overs in the second ODI against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. Apart from the duo, Axar Patel’s 44 and a late 37-run stand between Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh ensured India had a competitive total on board.

Asked to bat first, India struggled in the powerplay as Xavier Bartlett struck twice in one over, dismissing Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli to leave the visitors reeling at 17/2 in 6.5 overs. Rohit had a scratchy start, including surviving a relentless seven-over spell from Josh Hazlewood. However, he found his rhythm to anchor the innings with 73 off 97 balls – laced with nine fours and two sixes.

Iyer complemented him well with a steady 61 off 77 balls, including seven boundaries, as the pair shared a 118-run partnership to stabilise the innings. Although Adam Zampa threatened to trigger another mini-collapse, crucial runs from Axar, Rana, and Arshdeep ensured India finished with a competitive total.

Hazlewood was relentless with his line and length, bowling two maidens upfront and applying consistent pressure throughout, though he finished wicketless while conceding 29 runs in ten overs. Zampa ended with figures of 4/60, and Bartlett had 3/39, as Australia now needs 265 to win the series.

India were 17/2 at the end of the seventh over before Rohit and Iyer rescued them. But the partnership of Shreyas Iyer and Rohit Sharma has helped steady the innings. After scoring 30 runs off just over 60 balls, including seeing out a seven-over scorching opening spell from Josh Hazlewood, Rohit found his rhythm. Iyer led India’s fightback with elegant shots and a floppy hat.

Rohit and Iyer absorbed the pressure and gradually rebuilt, with Rohit shifting gears after the initial lull. He brought up a hard-earned 59th half-century in the format off 74 balls by mixing caution with aggression, including smacking two sixes off Mitchell Owen in a 17-run over that injected momentum.

Iyer, playing his first ODI as vice-captain, paced his innings intelligently and reached his 23rd ODI fifty off 67 balls with composure. Together, they guided India past the 150-mark, taking advantage of Australia’s weak fifth-bowler options and lacklustre spin attack.

Just as India appeared poised for a strong finish, Starc returned to break the 118-run stand by dismissing Rohit for 73 with a well-directed short ball, which the batter looked to pull but couldn’t keep down, and was caught by Hazlewood at fine leg.

Despite Rohit’s fall, Shreyas continued to muscle boundaries at will, even as Axar hit two cracking fours off Starc. But Zampa struck again for Australia by shortening his length and forcing Iyer to drag a wide ball onto his stumps, falling for 61. It is also the fourth time Zampa has dismissed Iyer in ODIs.

The leg-spinner struck again in the 37th over when his slider went past KL Rahul’s attempted pull and crashed into the off-stump, dismissing him for 11. Axar continued to find his timing with drives and flicks against Starc for boundaries, even as Bartlett forced Washington Sundar to flick straight to deep mid-wicket for 12.

But Axar fell six runs short of his fifty when he mistimed a lofted drive, and Starc, stationed at long-off, timed his leap perfectly to toss the ball up mid-air before stepping back in to complete a stunning boundary catch, giving Zampa his third wicket.

Four balls later, Zampa struck again when he had Nitish Kumar Reddy stumped for eight. But a flurry of late boundaries from Rana, including three coming off Zampa’s final over, and Arshdeep chipping in with a few fours ensured India crossed the 260-mark and put Australia into a competitive chase.

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

–IANS

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