Australia defeats India by two wickets at Adelaide Oval to seal ODI series

Australia secured the One Day International series against India after Cooper Connolly led a successful chase in the second match at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

The innings was set up by Matt Short’s (74 off 78 balls) first half-century on Australian shores.

But it was the promising yet inexperienced Connolly who ensured an Australian victory.

Connolly, in his seventh ODI, walked to the crease at 4-132 after the wicket of Alex Carey.

There was half of Australia’s total to get when Connolly, with averages of 4, 7 and 6.5 in the three international formats, played an innings beyond his years.

Australia got to eight wickets down with five runs needed but Connolly calmly picked the gaps and finished unbeaten on 61 from 53 balls.

“I was quite nervous walking out to bat but I just took it all in and enjoyed it as much as I could,” Connolly told Fox Cricket.

Connolly was well supported at the end by power hitter Mitch Owen, who clobbered 36 off 23 balls in just his second ODI.

India set the Aussies 9-264 after being in dire trouble at 2-29 after 10 overs.

Rohit Sharma (73) and Shreyas Iyer (61) steadied the innings before bowlers Harshit Rana (24no) and Arshdeep Singh (13) applied the finishing touches with a 37-run partnership.

Xavier Bartlett (3-39 off 10 overs) captured important wickets early and returned to help Adam Zampa (4-60) sweep through the middle order.

IMMORTAL NO MORE

Indian champion Virat Kohli is trapped in a nightmare farewell tour of Australia.

Kohli, arguably the greatest ODI cricketer of all time, failed to trouble the scorers in Perth and survived just four balls at Adelaide Oval.

It is just the first time Kohli has scored back-to-back ducks in 303 50-over matches.

The fashion of his departure in Perth, edging a slashing drive outside off, has been a mode of Kohli’s dismissals for some time.

But missing a delivery he would have once clipped with precision through the leg side is a fresh concern.

Rohit Sharma, who lifted India from early trouble, had to talk Kohli out of reviewing the stone-cold LBW off the bowling of Bartlett.

HALTING HOFF

It should have sent a shiver down the spine of England’s top order ahead of the Ashes.

Josh Hazelwood’s mesmerising spell did not contain a wicket but it sunk India into an early hole.

Hazlewood did not concede a run until his 13th delivery and made Indian opener Rohit Sharma look like a grade cricketer who turned into the wrong ground.

The first 42 deliveries out of Hazelwood’s hand went for just 22 runs and accounted for 30 dot balls.

Hazelwood finished the innings with 0-29 off 10 with 43 dots but should have finished with another memorable haul.

“On another day (Hazlewood) will bowl half as good as this and probably pick up three or four wickets,” Aussie great Mike Hussey told Fox Cricket.

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