2nd ODI: Short, Connolly fifties guide Australia to series-clinching win over India

Adelaide, Oct 23 Riding on fifties from Matthew Short and Cooper Connolly, Australia sealed an unassailable 2-0 series lead over India through a tense two-wicket victory in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

India had earlier posted 264/9 after being inserted to bat in testing morning conditions, with Rohit Sharma making 73, Shreyas Iyer hitting 61 and Axar Patel chipping in with 44. Though India lost momentum in the middle overs, a late 37-run stand between Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh pushed them past 260.

In the chase, Short was at his composed best to make 74 off 78 balls, laced with four boundaries and two sixes, to make his career-best score in ODIs. All-rounder Connolly, batting with maturity beyond his years, brought up his maiden ODI fifty and held firm to hit an unbeaten 61 off 53 balls, laced with five fours and a six.

Despite wickets tumbling at the other end, Connolly kept his composure to guide Australia home and secure the series win with 22 balls remaining. It's Australia's first ODI series win since last year after losing three series in a row to Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

With a hint of swing on offer, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj began with discipline and found just enough movement to keep Australian openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head quiet. The pressure eventually paid off as Arshdeep invited Marsh into a drive, only for him to edge it behind to KL Rahul.

Short walked in and immediately countered with intent, pulling Arshdeep for a six over deep square leg to close the powerplay at 42/1. After that, India struck again as Head mistimed a flick off Harshit Rana and the leading edge was caught by mid-on coming in.

After surviving a run-out scare, Short had a reprieve again on 23 when Axar Patel spilled a tough catch at point off Nitish Kumar Reddy’s bowling. Though Nitish brought Rahul up to the stumps, it didn’t have much effect as Matt Renshaw crunched him for two fours and a six.

Just as the partnership threatened to take the game away, Axar delivered a timely breakthrough by luring Renshaw down the track with flight, but the ball skidded through and crashed into middle-stump, to dismiss the batter for 30.

Short, though, firmly drove Arshdeep on the rise for four, before getting his third ODI fifty in 48 balls. But India continued to chip from the other end as Washington Sundar castled Alex Carey with a quicker delivery for nine. Sundar could have got his second wicket if Short, on 55, hadn’t been dropped by Siraj at backward point.

Meanwhile, Connolly looked at ease in playing against spinners – taking three fours off Axar and Washington combined, before Short slog-swept the latter for six. The duo would take a four each off Rana, before Short holed out to deep square leg.

A window of slight opening for India was shut down by Mitchell Own feasting on Rana’s friendly balls to hit a four and two sixes, before swatting Axar for a four and six. Connolly had great timing in lofting and pulling Siraj for boundaries, before he reached his fifty in 42 balls. Though Owen, Xavier Bartlett and Mitchell Starc fell, Connolly hanged around to ensure Australia reached home and get the series win.

Previously, India struggled after being put into batting first as Bartlett removed Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in the seventh over, leaving them at 17/2 in 6.5 overs. Rohit Sharma endured a scratchy start, including surviving a relentless seven-over spell from Josh Hazlewood, before anchoring the innings with 73 off 97 balls, laced with nine fours and two sixes.

Shreyas Iyer complemented Rohit with a well-paced 61 off 77 balls, hitting seven boundaries, as the pair added 118 runs to stabilise the innings.

Though Adam Zampa took 4-60 and Bartlett ended with 3-39, even as Hazlewood conceded just 29 runs in ten overs, Axar, Rana and Arshdeep added valuable runs to push India to a competitive total.

Bartlett’s double strike in the seventh over - Gill caught at mid-off, before trapping Kohli lbw for a duck – the first instance of him bagging consecutive ODI ducks, meant India were in trouble early on.

Rohit made 30 off just over 60 balls, surviving Hazlewood’s scorching spell, before finding rhythm.

Rohit later survived a run-out scare and gradually regained rhythm, while Iyer got going with a boundary through point. Rohit brought up his 59th ODI fifty off 74 balls, mixing caution with aggression, including two sixes off Mitchell Owen in a 17-run over.

Iyer also led the fightback with elegant strokes and his signature floppy hat to reach his 23rd fifty off 67 balls – also his first half-century as a vice-captain. Together, they steered India past 150, capitalising on Australia’s fifth-bowler and spin options.

Just as India looked set for a strong finish, Starc dismissed Rohit for 73 with a short ball pulled straight to Hazlewood at fine leg. Iyer and Axar continued to find boundaries, before Zampa shortened his length and forced Iyer to drag a wide ball onto his stumps for 61 - his fourth time of dismissing the batter in ODIs.

Zampa struck again in the 37th over by castling KL Rahul for 11 with a slider. Axar timed his strokes well against Starc, while Bartlett had Sundar flicking to deep mid-wicket for 12. Axar fell six short of his fifty when he mistimed a lofted drive and Starc completed a stunning relay catch at long-off, giving Zampa his third wicket.

Four balls later, Zampa had Nitish Kumar Reddy stumped for eight, as India’s finishing flourish looked in tatters. But late boundaries from Rana, including three off Zampa’s final over, and Arshdeep’s lofty hitting helped India cross the 260-mark, which wasn’t adequate to avoid a series loss.

Brief Scores: India 264/9 in 50 overs (Rohit Sharma 73, Shreyas Iyer 61; Adam Zampa 4-60, Xavier Bartlett 3-39) lost to Australia 265/8 in 46.2 overs (Matthew Short 74, Cooper Connolly 61 not out; Washington Sundar 2-37, Arshdeep Singh 2-41) by two wickets

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