Rain and ruthlessness: Australia dominate India in Perth opener

The much‑anticipated first ODI between Australia and India at Perth Stadium turned into a damp squib as rain shortened the game to 26 overs a side. Yet the truncated match produced enough drama. Australian captain Mitchell Marsh gulped down a cup of pickle juice for cramps and later joked about its bitterness – an anecdote that summed up the mood of an opening game built up to be a sugar hit but that ultimately left fans underwhelmed. Under grey skies, Australia’s seamers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc devastated India’s top order, removing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in quick succession. Kohli’s dismissal, slicing a drive to backward point, was his first ODI duck in Australia. India’s innings stuttered to 136 for 9 in 26 overs, with KL Rahul’s 38 providing the only resistance.

The article described how rain interventions created a stop–start contest. Each break reduced overs, from an initial 49 to 35 and finally to 26. Australia’s bowlers, particularly debutant Nathan Ellis and left‑arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, exploited the conditions with back‑of‑a‑length bowling. Hazlewood and Starc combined for figures of 4 for 45. India’s promotion of Axar Patel to disrupt the line of right‑handers briefly worked, but persistent drizzle continued to interrupt momentum. India scored 84 runs in the final 9.2 overs, thanks to Rahul and debutant Nitish Reddy’s late hitting, but the total never seemed enough.

Australia’s chase was straightforward despite an early scare when Arshdeep Singh removed Travis Head. Marsh (46*) and Josh Philippe (37) ensured the target of 131 under the DLS method was overhauled with five wickets to spare. The match lacked the expected fireworks of an India–Australia showdown but provided glimpses of Australia’s depth. Marsh’s calm leadership and bowlers’ precision signalled that India would need to improve drastically in the second ODI. For fans, the abiding memory may be Marsh’s disbelief at the taste of pickle juice, a metaphor for a contest that promised sweetness but delivered something altogether more bitter.