Adelaide, Oct 23 (NationPress) With impressive fifties from Matthew Short and Cooper Connolly, Australia clinched a decisive 2-0 series lead against India with a thrilling two-wicket triumph in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

India had set a target of 264/9 after being put to bat in challenging morning conditions. Rohit Sharma scored 73, Shreyas Iyer contributed 61, and Axar Patel added a valuable 44. Although India lost steam during the middle overs, a late 37-run partnership between Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh allowed them to surpass the 260-run mark.

In response, Short showcased his calm demeanor, scoring 74 off 78 deliveries, with four boundaries and two sixes, marking his personal best in ODIs. Connolly, displaying maturity beyond his years, reached his first ODI fifty, remaining unbeaten on 61 off 53 balls with five fours and a six.

Despite losing wickets at the other end, Connolly maintained his composure, steering Australia to victory with 22 balls to spare. This marks Australia's first ODI series win in over a year after facing defeats in three consecutive series against Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.

With some swing in the air, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj started strong, managing to keep Australian openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head at bay. The pressure led to Marsh edging a delivery to KL Rahul.

Short entered and immediately countered, hitting Arshdeep for a six over deep square leg, helping Australia finish the powerplay at 42/1. India struck again shortly after as Head misplayed a flick off Harshit Rana.

Short survived a run-out scare and was dropped at 23 by Axar Patel, who missed a tough catch. Even though Nitish Kumar Reddy kept the pressure, Matt Renshaw struck two fours and a six off him.

As the partnership threatened to dominate, Axar provided a crucial breakthrough, drawing Renshaw out of his crease and bowling him out for 30.

Short then executed a solid drive off Arshdeep for four, reaching his third ODI fifty off 48 balls. India continued to fight back as Washington Sundar bowled Alex Carey for nine. Sundar could have claimed another wicket had Siraj not dropped Short when he was on 55.

Connolly, meanwhile, appeared comfortable against spin, striking three boundaries off Axar and Washington before Short slog-swept the latter for six. The duo scored a four each off Rana before Short was dismissed at deep square leg.

Mitchell Owen capitalized on Rana's loose deliveries, hitting a four and two sixes, followed by a four and six off Axar. Connolly executed well-timed shots, lofting and pulling Siraj before reaching his fifty in 42 balls. Although Owen, Xavier Bartlett, and Mitchell Starc fell, Connolly ensured Australia crossed the finish line.

Earlier, India struggled after being put in to bat first, with Bartlett taking out Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in the seventh over, leaving them reeling at 17/2.

Rohit faced a tough start but anchored the innings with 73 off 97 balls, featuring nine fours and two sixes, after overcoming a challenging spell from Josh Hazlewood.

Shreyas Iyer supported Rohit with a well-crafted 61 off 77 balls, including seven boundaries, as they recovered to add 118 runs together.

Despite Adam Zampa's 4-60 and Bartlett's 3-39, with Hazlewood giving away just 29 runs in ten overs, contributions from Axar, Rana, and Arshdeep helped India reach a competitive total.

Bartlett's double strike in the seventh over, dismissing Gill caught at mid-off and trapping Kohli lbw for a duck, put India in early trouble.

Rohit gradually found his rhythm, bringing up his 59th ODI fifty off 74 balls, balancing caution with aggression, including two sixes off Mitchell Owen.

Iyer joined the charge with elegant strokes, reaching his 23rd fifty off 67 balls, marking his first as vice-captain. Together, they guided India past 150, exploiting Australia’s fifth-bowler and spin options.

Just when India appeared set for a strong finish, Starc dismissed Rohit for 73 with a short ball caught by Hazlewood at fine leg. Iyer and Axar kept finding boundaries, but Zampa forced Iyer to drag a wide ball onto his stumps for 61, marking his fourth dismissal of the batter in ODIs.

Zampa struck again in the 37th over, bowling KL Rahul for 11 with a slider. Axar executed well against Starc, while Bartlett dismissed Sundar for 12. Axar fell just short of a fifty after mistiming a lofted drive, leading to a stunning catch by Starc.

Four balls later, Zampa had Nitish Kumar Reddy stumped for eight, leaving India’s finishing flourish in jeopardy. However, late boundaries from Rana, including three off Zampa’s final over, and Arshdeep’s lofty hitting pushed India past 260, which ultimately was insufficient to avoid a series defeat.

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.

IANS

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