Starc, openers lead Australia's dominant show to level series

A dominant bowling performance from Mitchell Starc and blistering half-centuries from Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head powered Australia to a series-levelling 10-wicket win against India in Vizag on Sunday (March 19). Starc bagged his ninth five-wicket haul to help Australia skittle the hosts out for just 117. Sean Abbott and Nathan Ellis picked up the other five wickets between them as India were bowled out for their third lowest total against Australia in ODIs. Marsh struck six fours and as many sixes in his 36-ball knock while Head hit 10 fours in his 30-ball stay as Australia raced to the target with 39 overs to spare.

Australia were off the blocks quickly in the chase as Travis Head started with two fours off Mohammed Siraj in the second over while Mitchell Marsh got going with two boundaries in a Mohammed Shami over. Both batters struck a four apiece off Siraj in his second over before Marsh hit the first six of the innings clearing the deep midwicket fence off Shami. He followed it up with a classy punch past point for a four before dismissing a short ball from his presence for his second six. Not to be left behind, Head struck four boundaries in an over off Siraj as Australia crossed 60 by the time the sixth over was completed.

Change of bowling didn't matter as Marsh powered a drive through cover for a boundary off Axar Patel before welcoming Hardik Pandya into the attack with a straight six, followed by another maximum over deep midwicket. The third six in the over - a pull over long-on - helped Marsh bring up a 28-ball fifty. Head got to a 29-ball fifty before Marsh finished it off in style, carving a boundary past point off Axar as Australia completed their commanding show.

Earlier, after Steve Smith opted to bowl, Starc dismissed Shubman Gill for a duck in the opening over, having him caught at point. But India batted positively in the first few overs as the Australian pacers were slightly full, allowing Virat Kohli to play a couple of attractive drives through the off side while Rohit Sharma clipped away three fours through the leg side. Starc had struggled for rhythm initially but the wicket of Rohit, who edged to slip going for an expansive drive, pumped the left-handed pacer as he trapped Suryakumar Yadav in front with an inswinger, dismissing him for a golden duck for the second successive time.

KL Rahul and Kohli tried to steady the ship but the former became Starc's fourth victim, again falling across to an incoming delivery to be trapped leg-before, and he also cost India a review. With a superb one-handed catch diving to his right, Smith assisted Abbott in the dismissal of Pandya to leave India five down before the 10th over was completed. A 22-run partnership between Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja came to an end in the 16th over when the No.3 batter tried to play across but was out lbw for 31, leaving India reeling at 71/6.

Jadeja and Axar steadied India for a while but the former, in his attempt to run an Ellis delivery down to third man, ended up edging to the 'keeper as Australia continued to make inroads. Abbott, brought back into the attack, picked up the wickets of Kuldeep Yadav and Shami off consecutive deliveries. Axar struck a couple of sixes off Starc but he was left stranded on 29 when Siraj was bowled as India's innings came to an end in only 26 overs.

Brief scores: India 117 in 26 overs (Virat Kohli 31, Axar Patel 29*; Mitchell Starc 5-53, Sean Abbott 3-23) lost to Australia 121 for no loss in 11 overs (Mitchell Marsh 66*, Travis Head 51*) by 10 wickets.