A sight that’s become all too familiar in Australian cricket reared its ugly head once again on Friday night, with a batting collapse allowing India to claim a dominant win in the first ODI.
After being sent in to bat, the Aussies got off to a strong start before losing their final five wickets for just 19 runs.
The last seven wickets fell for 59 runs as Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj ran riot in Mumbai with three wickets each.
Another one bites the dust! Green gone for 12!
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With Pat Cummins remaining at home with family after the passing of his mother Maria, Steve Smith led the side for the third straight occasion.
But he was without star opener David Warner, who hadn’t recovered from a fractured arm in time. Alex Carey was also absent with illness, leaving Josh Inglis to take the gloves.
Makeshift opener Mitchell Marsh was the only Australian to eclipse 26 runs, with the West Australian belting 81 off 65 before falling in the 20th over.
Jadeja bamboozles Marsh to get the important wicket.
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Just 16 overs later, his side was all out.
Set a near-impossible task against a flying Indian outfit, the Australian bowling outfit made a number of inroads but couldn’t defend 188.
Mitchell Starc took three wickets and Marcus Stoinis two, but India cruised to the target inside 40 overs with Lokesh Rahul (75 not out off 91 deliveries) and Ravindra Jadeja (45 not out) at the crease.
The second of three ODIs commences in Vizag on Sunday, where the Aussies will hope to be bolstered by the returns of Warner and Carey.