The Indian men’s cricket team had much to contemplate following a disappointing seven-wicket defeat to Australia in the opening ODI of the three-match series in Perth on Sunday. Despite the setback, skipper Shubman Gill maintained a composed and optimistic outlook at the post-match presentation, praising his team’s resilience after a shaky start with the bat.
The atmosphere in the Indian camp, though, conveyed a sense of urgency and introspection. Shortly after the loss, head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen having a serious discussion on the field with captain Gill, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. The animated exchange suggested that the think tank was already focused on identifying areas for improvement ahead of the second
game.
India’s early collapse and failure to build momentum under challenging conditions raised questions about both strategy and execution, issues that the team management seems keen to address promptly.
In the post-match presentation, Gill acknowledged that losing three wickets in the powerplay— Rohit Sharma (8), Virat Kohli (0), and Gill (10) — put the team on the back foot, with rain interruptions further disrupting their batting innings.
What Shubman Said After Loss?
“When you lose three wickets in the powerplay, you’re always trying to play a catch-up game. A lot of learnings for us from this game, and a lot of positives for us as well,” Gill said.
“We were defending 130 and we took the game, not till the very end, but pretty deep. We were very satisfied with that,” he added.
The revised playing conditions reduced the match to 26 overs per side, and India managed to post 136/9 in 26 overs, with KL Rahul (38) and Axar Patel (31) playing crucial innings.
Australia were set a target of 131 (DLS method) to chase in 26 overs. Captain Mitchell Marsh remained unbeaten on 46, while wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe (37) and Matthew Renshaw (21 not out) took the side to victory in 21.1 overs, with seven wickets in hand.
The second ODI of the three-match series will be played in Adelaide on October 23, where India will look to bounce back while the hosts aim to seal the series.
(With inputs from Agencies)
