IND vs AUS 1st ODI: India's top-order frailties once again came under the spotlight as the visitors endured a familiar batting collapse in the opening ODI against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth
on Sunday.
On a pace-friendly surface offering sharp bounce and movement, Australia's fast bowlers led by Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc dismantled India's top order within the first ten overs.
After losing yet another toss - their 16th consecutive in ODIs, a world record - stand-in Australian captain Mitchell Marsh opted to bowl first under overcast conditions, and his decision proved spot on. Hazlewood removed Rohit Sharma (8) with a rising delivery that found the outside edge, safely pouched by Matt Renshaw at second slip. Starc then struck a massive blow, dismissing Virat Kohli for a duck - the first time in 30 ODI innings in Australia that the star batter has failed to score.
The misery continued when Nathan Ellis, introduced into the attack in the ninth over, dismissed Shubman Gill (10) down the leg side, with wicketkeeper Josh Philippe taking a sharp low catch. At that point, India had slumped to 25/3, with just 18 runs contributed by their top three - their lowest combined tally in an ODI since the 2019 World Cup semifinal against New Zealand.
As drizzle briefly halted play, India found themselves in deep trouble, posting 27/3 at the end of the first Powerplay, their joint-lowest Powerplay total since 2023. When play resumed after a short rain delay, Shreyas Iyer (6*) and Axar Patel (6*) attempted to steady the innings, showing resilience against Australia's probing fast-bowling trio.
Rain interrupted proceedings again around 12:40 local time, with the pitch and square covered as the drizzle intensified. Earlier, commentary from Mark Waugh and Ravi Shastri hinted at frustration over repeated stoppages: "It's getting a little heavier now," said Waugh as bigger covers were brought on.
Meanwhile, fans on X (formerly Twitter) vented their disappointment, flooding timelines with memes and sarcastic posts.
''India's top order COLLAPSE in 10 overs-Rohit 8, Kohli DUCK, Gill 10! Perth pitch eating legends alive while Aussies cackle. Gambhir's "new era" already DOA? Fire the coach NOW or this series is a joke! Who's sacking who first?'', a fan wrote.
Overcast Situation me India ki top order hamesha collapse karti hai. Nothing new tbh.
- Shrey (@Shrey__123) October 19, 2025
''Baarish to aur barbaad karega av india ke liye perth aise v hard condition h batting ke liye , Gilchrist ne bola opener ke liye nightmare h last perth me pakistan se tha wha v australia 140 pe all out ho gayi thi agar india toss jit jata to probability badh jata'', an user commented (The rain will further ruin things for India as batting in Perth is already very tough. Gilchrist said it's a nightmare for openers; in the last match in Perth against Pakistan, Australia was all out for 140. If India had won the toss, the probability of a better outcome would have increased).
Every time India plays Australia, ego walks in before the batting does.
- Shailendra Tripathi (@AskShailendra) October 19, 2025
37/3 isn’t a collapse — it’s overconfidence on display#INDvsAUS
''Batting order is a joke now along with selection. Gautam Gambhir may succeed but not because of his strategy but because of quality india has'', another Indian fan vented out.
At the time of writing this article with rain being a spoilsport, the score is locked at 37/3 after 11.5 overs. With conditions still tricky and Australia's pacers on song, India's middle order faces a stern battle to salvage a competitive total in Perth.