A Mitchell Starc masterclass and a T20-style knock from Mitchell Marsh have lifted Australia to a crushing 10-wicket ODI victory over India in a match that lasted just 37 overs.
Starc claimed 5-53 off eight overs in Sunday’s clash in Vizag to help skittle India for a paltry 117 in 26 overs.
In reply, Marsh cracked six sixes and six fours on the way to posting 66no off 36 balls, with Travis Head (51no off 30 balls) a handy ally.
Australia reached the victory target in just 11 overs.
The result levels the three-match series at 1-1 heading into Wednesday’s finale in Chennai.
Mitchell Starc of Australia celebrates the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav of India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
Marsh only opened in the first two matches due to the absence of David Warner, who missed the first match to give him more time to recover from a hairline fracture in his elbow.
Warner was due to play on Sunday, but a corked quad kept him out.
Marsh scored 81 off 65 balls in Friday’s five-wicket loss to India, and he continued to bludgeon India’s attack in game two.
His hot form as a fill-in opener has given Australia food for thought ahead of this year’s World Cup in India.
The highlight of Sunday’s match belonged to Steve Smith, who dived full length to his right at first slip to pull off a stunning one-handed catch to send Hardik Pandya packing for one.
Smith was in the air and horizontal when he took the catch, and the stand-in skipper was mobbed by his teammates in the aftermath.
Although Marsh and Head provided the fireworks with the bat, it was Starc who set up the win with a blistering display.
The left-armer started the destruction in the opening over by tempting Shubman Gill (0) into a loose shot, with Marnus Labuschagne gobbling up the catch at backward point.
Smith gave Starc his second wicket with a juggling effort at slip to dismiss Rohit Sharma for 13.
And when Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed lbw by Starc for a golden duck for the second straight match, the Australian pace ace was on a hat-trick.
KL Rahul blocked out the hat-trick ball but was trapped in front by Starc a short time later, reducing India to 4-48.
Smith’s stunner at slip – off the bowling of Sean Abbott – made it 5-49, and Nathan Ellis snared the prized scalps of Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja (16) as India crashed to 7-91 in the 20th over.
Starc was struck for consecutive sixes by Axar Patel when he returned for another spell but finished the innings by bowling Mohammed Siraj.
Only Waqar Younis (13) and Muttiah Muralitharan (10) have more five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket than Starc’s nine.
“We saw a clinic there from Mitch today, as we’ve seen before,” Abbott said of Starc’s heroics.
Abbott (3-23) and Nathan Ellis (2-13) produced handy cameos.
Virat Kohli (31) top-scored for his side, with Patel (29no) the only other batter to put up any fight.
It was India’s third-lowest ODI total against Australia, behind 63 at the SCG in 1981, and 100 also in Sydney in 2000.
It was also India’s fourth-lowest total in ODIs in India against all comers.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
No matter how kind you are, German children are always kinder
Nobody likes a smarta*s
Roar Rookie
Yeah Agar was treated poorly – he should never have been given false hope by being chosen in the test against the Saffers and then the Indian squad when his FC performances over the past few seasons did not justify it (he has averaged over 52 since 2017!). The selectors need a rocket
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
You have no credibility with me either, if Starc was Qld you’d change your tune in a heartbeat.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
It doesn’t matter, his keeping was more than good enough to justify retaining him. And to gf fair, he plays the reverse sweep first ball a lot if the time, more often than not with great success, he did in Pak & SL. He’ll learn from his error
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Jokes aside l feel what's happened to him is not right. We've had two major inquiries this past decade or so and we still have kinder in charge of show.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
I haven't. Can you imagine him trying to work out what the selectors want?
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Thank you Speverend Rooner.
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Yep, how can you take something seriously as a sport when make-up is a necessity? And 'synchronised whatever'? Pah. There's only one activity I can think of where being synchronised is important...
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
"... I read somewhere...". Sorry Brett, that's not going to cut it for me. And even if true, aggregate stats don't cut it for me either. I'll have a trawl and see if I can find your source. (And why is it 10 balls anyway? Did I miss the reintroduction of the 5 ball over?)
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Thomas Hearns was just a hitter, too. You can't give Marsh width or short balls or fractionally the wrong length. He's over his ankle surgery and it shows. Leading run-scorer by a considerable margin.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
To three or not to three is the question for me to be
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I'd forgotten about Agar.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Hey Candice you ever wanted to divorce David here’s my ############
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Flequent Fryer Points
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Too many of us did. It should be play the fittest. Not take the injured in hope. We may unearth some unexpected talent; Gött in Himmel.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
It was a hairline decision
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Not this time.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Not again :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
That's pretty good actually
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I disagree. Croweater ya know. Seriously I reckon Carey would be pretty pi$$ed with his loose intent. You'll see an improved discipline