Adelaide— Indian opener Rohit Sharma’s gritty 73 went in vain as India lost the second ODI to Australia by two wickets, conceding the three-match series 0–2 on Thursday. The narrow defeat also reignited the debate over the exclusion of spinner Kuldeep Yadav from India’s playing XI.
Rohit stood tall amid early jitters, crafting a determined 97-ball knock on a challenging surface to help India reach 264 for nine. However, the total proved about 25 runs short of a par score. Despite India’s spinners troubling the Australians, the visitors managed to scrape through, thanks to an unbeaten 61 from Cooper Connolly and a brisk 36 from Mitchell Owen.
The pair added 59 runs in just 6.3 overs, rescuing Australia from a tense situation and guiding them home in 46.2 overs. Their partnership ended Australia’s three-series losing streak in ODIs and sealed the contest ahead of the final match in Sydney on October 25.
Connolly, recalling the calm finishing style of Michael Bevan, kept finding gaps under pressure, exposing India’s overreliance on multi-skilled players at the expense of proven specialists like Kuldeep Yadav. Nitish Reddy, selected as an all-rounder, struggled with both bat and ball, scoring just eight runs and conceding 24 in three overs.
Earlier, spinners Axar Patel (1/52) and Washington Sundar (2/37) gave India hope by dismissing key batters, but Harshit Rana’s (2/59) expensive spell and a dropped catch by Axar off Matthew Short (74) turned the tide.
For India, Rohit Sharma’s innings was a masterclass in adaptability. He battled through 17 consecutive dot balls against Josh Hazlewood in the Powerplay, surviving the seam and swing before unleashing trademark strokes — including his signature pull shots off Mitchell Owen. His effort kept India competitive, but a mistimed pull off Mitchell Starc denied him a century and India a stronger total.
Virat Kohli’s struggles continued as he was dismissed for a duck for the second straight game, trapped leg-before by Xavier Bartlett. The veteran acknowledged Adelaide’s crowd, perhaps for the last time, as he walked off the field.
Rohit’s innings, marked by grit and glimpses of vintage flair, was a reminder that the veteran still has fuel left ahead of the 2027 World Cup. But India’s continued experimentation with balance over proven match-winners remains a worrying sign.
