Perth, Australia - The first One Day International (ODI) between Australia and India at Perth Stadium has been marred by rain interruptions after Australia won the toss and elected to field. India's innings has been shaky, with the team struggling at 37/3 in 11.5 overs before the second rain stoppage. The match has been reduced to 49 overs per side.
Australia handed ODI debuts to Matt Renshaw and Mitchell Owen. India also gave a debut to Nitish Kumar Reddy.
The Indian innings began cautiously, with openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill facing a fiery spell from Mitchell Starc. Starc was accurate from the start but couldn't find an early breakthrough. Gill and Sharma aimed for a solid opening partnership, but Australia's pace attack had other plans.
Rohit Sharma, playing his 500th international match, fell for 8 runs, edging a ball from Josh Hazlewood to Matt Renshaw at second slip. Virat Kohli, returning to the ODI side after a seven-month absence, had a short stay at the crease, dismissed for a duck. Kohli chased a wider delivery and only managed to find an edge to the keeper. This marks Kohli's first ODI duck in Australia.
Shubman Gill, captaining the side, managed 10 runs before being caught by Josh Philippe off Nathan Ellis. Ellis struck immediately after being introduced into the attack. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel were then tasked with rebuilding the innings, but play was halted due to rain.
Earlier, Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to field, optimistic about the Perth pitch. Marsh noted the pitch looked good and hoped his team could exploit the conditions. He also mentioned the honor of leading his country. Shubman Gill admitted that India would have preferred to bowl first as well.
The match is significant as it marks the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the ODI setup. It's their first time playing for India since their Champions Trophy win. The series also serves as preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa.
This poor start is India's worst powerplay performance since 2023. At 25/3, it is the lowest score for India while losing the first three wickets in an ODI with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli in the team.
The game has been reduced to 49 overs per side.
