Australia drew first blood early in the 1st ODI against India at the Optus Stadium in Perth, as Josh Hazlewood dismissed Rohit Sharma for 8 (14). The Indian skipper fell to a classic Hazlewood delivery that combined bounce and movement — a perfect example of the bowler’s control on Australian pitches.
Bowling at 137.6 kmph, Hazlewood hit a length just short of good, extracting extra bounce and a hint of seam away. Rohit, caught in two minds, went for a tentative poke outside off stump, only to edge it straight to Matt Renshaw at second slip, who took a sharp reverse-cup catch low to his right.
At the fall of the wicket, India were 13/1 in 3.4 overs, with Shubman Gill (5 off 8) and Virat Kohli (0 off 1) at the crease.
Match update:
Australia opted to bowl first after winning the toss — India’s 16th consecutive toss loss in ODIs. As expected, Hazlewood and Starc opened the attack under overcast skies, testing India’s experienced batting lineup with early swing and bounce.
All eyes now turn to Kohli and Gill, as the duo look to stabilize the innings and guide India’s start on a challenging Perth surface.
