Match report
We’ll have a match report on the site shortly but that’s all for today’s stop-start blog. Thanks for your company – goodnight!
The player of the match is Mitch Marsh
The weather played its part – big thanks to all the crowd who stuck around. It’s nice to get a win: we were 0/3 here [in ODIs], so we’re away!
It was swinging around a little bit so it was a challenge to get through that. Proud of the way the young guys came out and took the game on.
[On Josh Philippe] Yeah, awesome. He came out and made it look very easy didn’t he? Any time you get young guys coming in, you want them to have fin and enjoy it. They all looked right at home.
[On his reaction to the pickle juice] I thought it was one of those sugar/carb things. They’ve done me like a dinner there! It was awful, but it fixed my cramp so [looks towards the camera with a smile] whatever company it was, it was great!
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Shubman Gill’s verdict
It’s never easy when you lose three wickets in the Powerplay; you’re always playing a catch-up game. There are a lot of learnings for us from this game and we’re satisfied that we took it quite deep while defending only 130.
Josh Philippe’s reaction
Yeah, super exciting. It’s always a dream for Australia, and it’s pretty special to do it in Perth.
[Mitch Marsh] is in some serious form at the moment. Got a glimpse of it in New Zealand and again today; he’s hitting the ball beautifully.
It’s been a long wait [since 2021] and I wasn’t sure if I’d get another opportunity. I feel like I play my best when I have that aggressive intent. I was just watching the ball and trying to hit it as hard as I could. I feel like I’m hitting it nicely at the moment.
Australia win by 7 wickets with 29 balls remaining (DLS)
21.1 overs: Australia 131-3 (Marsh 46, Renshaw 21) Matt Renshaw hits the winning run on his ODI debut, tapping Reddy into the leg side for a single. Australia have won comfortably in a slightly muted, on-off match. The captain Mitch Marsh ensured there were no dramas in the runchase, making 46 not out to continue his fine recent form. Since the start of the series against South Africa in August, Marsh has made 548 runs at 78 in 10 white-ball innings for Australia.
21st over: Australia 130-3 (target 131; Marsh 46, Renshaw 20) Renshaw hooks Arshdeep round the corner for four, placed deliberately fine to beat the fielder on the boundary. A single off the last ball gives him the chance to hit the winning runs, and prompts some low-key gentle boos from the home fans.
20th over: Australia 121-3 (target 131; Marsh 45, Renshaw 13) Renshaw walks at the bowler Reddy, who fields the ball and throws it back at the stumps in one movement. It hits the scrambling Renshaw on the rump and deflects to safety. Renshaw is dropped next ball by the keeper KL Rahul, diving low to his left. It was a tough chance but Rahul’s footwork was excellent and he’ll be disappointed to have put it down.
Pickle juice aside, we haven’t mentioned Mitch Marsh in a while. He started with a few eyecatching sixes and has been happy to play a supporting role since then. Ten to win; Marsh needs half of them to reach another half-century.
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19th over: Australia 117-3 (target 131; Marsh 42, Renshaw 12) Arshdeep caused Renshaw a few problems in the previous over. Renshaw responds by jumping across to ramp a lovely six over the keeper’s head.
Height negates an otherwise excellent LBW appeal from Arshdeep against Renshaw. Just 14 to win now.
18th over: Australia 110-3 (target 131; Marsh 42, Renshaw 6) “What is that?” gurns Mitch Marsh after swigging some pickle juice between overs. Marnus Labuschagne, who provided the crampbusting goodness, bursts out laughing in response.
When play resumes, Renshaw drives Washington handsomely over long-off for… one run, with Siraj doing brilliantly to save the six while leaping backwards over the rope.
17th over: Australia 102-3 (target 131; Marsh 38, Renshaw 2) Mitch Marsh signals to the dressing-room that he needs – not wants, let’s be clear on that – some pickle juice. “It’s either cramp,” he tells one of the umpires, “or I’ve done both my calves!”
Arshdeep returns and has an LBW appeal turned down when Renshaw plays down the wrong line. Nicely bowled but it hit him outside off and wouldn’t have hit the stumps anyway. Apart from that, Renshaw was plumb.
Australia need 29 from 54 balls.
16th over: Australia 100-3 (target 131; Marsh 37, Renshaw 1) Nine years on from his Test debut, Matt Renshaw walks out to play his first white-ball innings for Australia. He works Washington for a single to get off the mark, and bring up the Australian hundred.
WICKET! India 99-3 (Philippe c Arshdeep b Washington 37)
Washington Sundar’s first ball flies down the leg side for five wides. But he strikes with his second legitimate delivery when Philippe clunks a pull and is nicely caught by the diving Arshdeep Singh at deep backward square.
That was a nice innings from Philippe, probably the most fluent of the game. He made 37 from 29 balls with three fours and two sixes.
15th over: Australia 94-2 (target 131; Marsh 37, Philippe 37) The new bowler Nitish Kumar Reddy is cuffed handsomely over midwicket for six by Philippe, who has caught up with Mitchell Marsh despite arriving when Marsh was on 26.
A single off the last ball of the over brings up the fifty partnership in 43 balls.
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14th over: Australia 83-2 (target 131; Marsh 34, Philippe 29) Philippe, who is batting with increasing authority, dumps a slog-sweep for four off Patel. He kept beautifully in the Indian innings too, so it’ll be interesting to see how Australia juggle the team when Alex Carey returns.
This game is all over bar the shouting: Australia need 48 from 72 balls.
13th over: Australia 75-2 (target 131; Marsh 33, Philippe 22) Philippe rides a sharp lifter from Rana, steering the ball wide of slip for four. There was a bit of edge involved but he played it well because it was a cracking delivery.
The next ball is wider and slashed for four more. Australia are cruising.
Drinks: Australia need 64 from 84 balls
12th over: Australia 67-2 (target 131; Marsh 33, Philippe 14) After a quiet over from Axar, it’s time for drinks.
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11th over: Australia 62-2 (target 131; Marsh 32, Philippe 12) Harshit Rana bowls a heavy ball and is deceptively quick, as Philippe finds out when he top-edges a pull over the keeper’s head for a flat six. He’s still only 23 and could be a serious bowler when he works it all out.
Right now Australia, despite a few false strokes and some awkward batting conditions, are well on course for victory.
10th over: Australia 55-2 (target 131; Marsh 32, Philippe 4) A stroke of luck for Marsh, who tries to cut Axar and edges wide of the keeper for four.
Australia need 76 from 96 balls.
9th over: Australia 48-2 (target 131; Marsh 27, Philippe 3) Harshit Rana has changed ends to replace Siraj (4-1-21-0). He’s very keen on an LBW review when Philippe plays around a back-of-a-length delivery; Shubman Gill is less enthused and replays show it would have bounced over the top.
Nicely bowled though, and he follows it with a sharp inducker that beats Philippe on the inside.
8th over: Australia 45-2 (target 131; Marsh 26, Philippe 1) Josh Philippe works his first ball for a single.
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WICKET! Australia 44-2 (Short c Rohit b Axar 8)
The left-arm spinner Axar Patel strikes in his first over. Matthew Short was itching to play an attacking stroke after four dot balls to start the over, but he was done in the flight and sliced it straight to Rohit Sharma at short third. He goes for 8 from 17 balls, an innings the streets have already forgotten.
7th over: Australia 44-1 (target 131; Marsh 26, Short 8) Wickets plural are India’s only hope of victory, so Siraj continues. There’s no breakthrough but he does clonk Marsh on the side of the grille with a beautiful short ball. It’s not often that Marsh misses a pull stroke.
Marsh takes off his helmet and smiles as Siraj walks over to check he’s okay. He seems fine but will undertake a concussion test.
6th over: Australia 38-1 (target 131; Marsh 22, Short 7) The hulking Harshit Rana replaces Arshdeep Singh (2-0-14-1). Marsh goes straight after him, larruping another majestic six over extra cover as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. To him, it probably is.
Marsh has 22 from 20 balls: three sixes and four singles from the other 19.
5th over: Australia 29-1 (target 131; Marsh 15, Short 5) Marsh makes room to clatter Siraj over extra cover for six, the kind of shot only a handful of batters in world cricket could play. Those are the only runs from the over, which means Siraj has bowled 11 dot balls in 12 to Marsh – and been hit for a massive six.
4th over: Australia 23-1 (target 131; Marsh 9, Short 5) Turns out Marsh was only waiting for a slightly bad ball. He seizes upon a delivery from Arshdeep that is fractionally short, pulling it for six with the usual devastating certainty. The more I think about it, the more his selection as an opener for the Perth Test makes sense. Put simply, I think England would fear him more than the alternatives, particularly at the Optus Stadium.
Short cuffs his first boundary through the covers, then chases a length inswinger and is beaten.
3rd over: Australia 12-1 (target 131; Marsh 2, Short 0) The new ball is swinging and for now Mitch Marsh looks content to wait for the bad ball. He’s still waiting: Siraj’s second over is an accurate, challenging maiden to Marsh.
2nd over: Australia 11-1 (target 131; Marsh 2, Short 0) The new batter Matthew Short is beaten by an absolute jaffa from the left-armer Arshdeep: just back of a length, pitching on leg stump and seaming away.
Short then chases a wider delivery and is beaten again. Fine start from Arshdeep: two runs, one big wicket.
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WICKET! Australia 9-1 (Head c Rana b Arshdeep 8)
It’s the way he plays. After hitting two boundaries in the first over, Head slices a wider outswinger from Arshdeep straight to deep backward point, where Harshit Rana takes a comfortable catch.
1st over: Australia 9-0 (target 131; Marsh 1, Head 8) Australia’s target is sufficiently modest that their openers can take a bit of time to get their eye in if they want.
Yeah, right. Head flicks Siraj wide of midwicket for four, then drives handsomely over mid-off for another boundary.
After a short break between innings – we’ve already lost enough time – the players are back out in the middle. Mohammed Siraj has the ball.
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26th over: India 136-9 (Reddy 19, Siraj 0) Reddy launches Kuhnemann over midwicket for a big six, then turns down a single so that he can face the last two deliveries of the innings.
Siraj doesn’t get the memo and pushes for a single off the next ball. He’s sent back but makes his ground before the throw hits the stumps.
Reddy’s policy is justified by the last ball – another mighty six, this time over long-off. A good finish for India but they surely don’t have enough – especially as they’ve just lost six runs to the wonders of DLS. Australia’s adjusted target is 131 from 26 overs.
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WICKET! India 124-9 (Arshdeep run out 0)
Arshdeep Singh is run out without facing. He took one for the team, turning for a non-existent second so that Nitish Kumar Reddy could keep strike.
25th over: India 123-8 (Reddy 6, Arshdeep 0) Owen ends his debut spell with figures of 3-0-20-2.
WICKET! India 123-8 (Rana c Philippe b Owen 1)
Reddy is dropped at long on by the sliding Renshaw, then Harshit Rana slogs a short ball miles in the air and is comfortably caught by Josh Philippe. Two wickets for Mitch Owen on his debut.
WICKET! India 121-7 (Rahul c Renshaw b Owen 38)
Mitch Owen beams with delight after taking his first ODI wicket. KL Rahul holed out to the other debutant, Matt Renshaw, at long-on to end a useful innings of 38.
Nine balls left in the innings.
24th over: India 118-6 (Rahul 38, Reddy 2) This is some spell from Kuhnemann: 3-0-13-2 with no boundaries conceded.
WICKET! India 115-6 (Washington b Kuhnemann 10)
Washington tries to reverse ramp Kuhnemann, is too early on the shot and gloves the ball onto his stumps. It was a lovely piece of bowling though – Kuhnemann sensed Washington would try something and sent down a much slower delivery (81kph) that gripped and beat the batter for lack of pace.
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23rd over: India 114-5 (Rahul 36, Washington 10) Washington anticipates Ellis’s slower short ball, moves across to the off side and whirls it over the keeper’s head for four. Ellis ends his reduced spell with figures of 5-1-29-1.
Three overs to go. It feels like India’s score is well short.
22nd over: India 106-5 (Rahul 34, Washington 5) Kuhnemann is doing a fine job here, particularly with his around-the-wicket angle to cramp the left-handers, and concedes only five singles from his second over. Australia will take that for the remainder of the innings.
21st over: India 101-5 (Rahul 31, Washington 3) Matthew Short comes on to bowl his occasional offspin. Kl Rahul allows himself one sighter before slamming back-to-back sixes down the ground; lovely stuff from one of the world’s most elegant batters.
20th over: India 84-5 (Rahul 17, Washington 0) Six overs to go.
WICKET! India 84-5 (Axar c Renshaw b Kuhnemann 31)
A superb first over from Matt Kuhnemann ends with the wicket of Axar Patel, who tried to clear long-on but could only pick out Matt Renshaw on the rope. Really well bowled.
19th over: India 80-4 (Axar 30, Rahul 14) Starc and Hazlewood have bowled out so Ellis is the senior man or the remainder of the innings.
No matter, he’s getting the treatment. Axar picks a slower short ball and cuffs it through midwicket for four, then KL Rahul makes room to smash the ball over the bowler’s head for his first boundary. That’s a brilliant shot because Ellis followed him outside leg stump but Rahul still managed to muscle the ball to the off side.
Rahul makes it back-to-back boundaries with a wristy slap over wide mid-on. Fifteen from the over.
18th over: India 65-4 (Axar 24, Rahul 5) Axar Patel hits Mitchell Owen for successive boundaries – a top-edged pull and a thump over midwicket – in a good over for India. No surprise to see them target the debutant Owen, especially with overs running out in this reduced game.
17th over: India 54-4 (Axar 15, Rahul 4) Nathan Ellis bowls the last two deliveries of his third over, which began before the rain break. Axar and Rahul take a single apiece.
Play to resume at 4.30pm local time
Great news. The covers are off and KL Rahul and Axar Patel are ready to walk to the middle. The match has been reduced to 26 overs per side, so India have another 9.2 overs to bat.
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Weather update The rain stopped for approximately 12 seconds, but the umbrellas are going back up. The forecast is a lot better for this evening though.
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Thanks Martin, evening everyone. No update from Perth, where it’s still raining, but Fox are showing an interesting interview with the rejuvenated Marnus Labuschagne. Here’s what he had to say.
[On his call-up to the ODI squad] I finished the Shield game and then flew here last night. I’m ready to go.
[On his mental state right now] It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. The only thing I really wanted, coming into the summer, was to be back playing with freedom; being able to read the game and take the game on.
[On why he struggled in 2023 and 2024] It was probably more mental. There are a few technical things I’ve ironed out but it was more that I got too deep into my technique – I was trying to be perfect instead of just playing with what I’ve got, reading the game and using my technique to adjust to whatever they’re bowling and how they’re trying to attack me.
You’ve got to get out of your own mind and find a way to get back out there and score runs. Coming into the summer, runs were going to be the currency so that was a big focus point. It doesn’t matter how you score them or what it looks like, just find a way to score them. Since then my technique has moulded into whatever the game needs.
It’s always nice when you score runs. You walk a bit taller and it’s a nice reminder, after struggling for a couple of years, that you’ve still got it. I went back to the chalkboard and tried to start from scratch.
[On the Ashes] It’s always in the back of your mind. I kept telling myself that, if I’m playing at my best, that stuff takes care of itself.
[On where he’d like to bat if he is playing in Perth] Wherever the selectors and the coach put me, tht’s where I’ll be batting. I’ve batted my whole career for Australia at No3, so… there’s nothing more to be said! Wherever they put me is where I bat.
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Thanks for following along so far and especially if you have endured everything from the first ball a little over four hours ago all the way through the all-too-many rain delays.
Hopefully we get a good run of overs from here and India can at least reach a competitive total. Rob Smyth will guide you through the rest of this innings and Australia’s chase.
Nathan Ellis works away at KL Rahul from back of a length then pitches up to Axar Patel. Plans are in place but there is a single to each batter before the all-too familiar sight of the stumps resting on the turf and the covers making their way to the middle returns.
Apparently this is the first time that the groundskeepers have had to use the covers during play at Optus Stadium. They’re certainly getting an opportunity to test out their skills today, as the players head in the opposite direction.
16th over: India 50-4 (Axar 13, Rahul 2) Mitchell Starc returns for his sixth over as Australia look to blast India out. Full and outside off is the order of the day as the left-armer has Axar in trouble early. The India left-hander gets to the other end with a single to third man. Starc goes shorter to Rahul and the right-hander keeps the ball down as he fends to the on side for a quick single.
15th over: India 48-4 (Axar 12, Rahul 1) The multiple and regular rain delays have not helped India but that is far from their main concern. KL Rahul flashes at a wide ball off Nathan Ellis and is fortunate that the ball bounces a few centimetres in front of Cooper Connolly at backward point. Both batters pick up a single while getting their eye back in.
Nathan Ellis continues with four deliveries remaining in the 15th over. KL Rahul is on strike and India are in a dire need of a partnership of note.
The covers are off again and play will resume at 3.25pm local time in Perth / 6.25pm AEDT. The game is now reduced to 32 overs per side with two bowlers allowed seven overs, and three bowlers to send down six.
Australia will likely turn to Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to get through their allocation quickly in case the game, and their permitted overs, are further reduced.
Nathan Ellis returns to the attack and gets two deliveries in before the umpires are forced to lift the stumps again as the rain returns and so do the covers. But the two-and-a-half overs were enough time for Australia to pick up another wicket as India walk from the field again with their tail between their legs at 46 for 4.
14th over: India 45-4 (Axar 10, Rahul 0) Josh Hazlewood ensures Australia picks up where they left off before the long rain delay with the wicket of Shreyas Iyer. KL Rahul is the next India batter to try to pick up the pace.
WICKET! Shreyas c Philippe b Hazlewood 11 (India 45-4)
Clever captaincy from Mitch Marsh as he continues with Josh Hazlewood and the gun quick lures Shreyas into a loose stroke. The India batter does not have the required control as he swings down the leg side and Philippe takes a second sharp, diving catch of the innings.
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13th over: India 45-3 (Shreyas 11, Axar 10) Mitch Owen comes into the attack for his first over in his ODI debut. Axar gets an inside edge that bounces towards the on side for a single, and Shreyas eases the next ball to third man. Axar is showing more intent since the resumption and slices a cut shot into the deep for two more.
12th over: India 41-3 (Shreyas 10, Axar 7) Shreyas Iyer does his best to make the last ball of Josh Hazlewood’s over worth the wait as he punishes a wide loosener with a square cut to the boundary.
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Play is now scheduled to resume at 2.50pm local time in Perth/5.50pm AEDT with each side batting for 35 overs. India have faced 11.5 overs so far to reach 37 for 3.
Excitement at Optus Stadium – and for fans around the globe – as the groundskeepers begin to remove the covers. Though we’ve been here before …
The umpires have been onto the field at Optus Stadium though in less positive signs they were carrying umbrellas with them. And after a pause in the rain it has started to fall once again, so the waiting game continues … IYKYK!
England are also chasing a semi-final spot at the Women’s World Cup, though Raf Nicholson has been far from impressed with their batting so far in the tournament.
Will England make dramatic changes against India? The short answer is no. The longer answer is that they can’t, because head coach Charlotte Edwards selected a World Cup squad stacked with bowlers.
While Australia and India’s men’s teams are both building towards the next Cricket World Cup to be hosted in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027, the Women’s World Cup is well and truly under way. The all-conquering Australia have already qualified for the semi-finals, as have South Africa, while India are still in a position to join them.
Australia captain Alyssa Healy has given her side – and the tournament as a whole – a huge boost with back-to-back centuries, as her young opening partner Phoebe Litchfield enjoys a front row seat.
But seeing that from the other end and at training, and just even being able to play with her, it’s such a huge honour. Just to see how her brain clicks and how she goes about scoring runs, I look up to her a lot. Especially that mind-frame of going hard at the ball and being attacking, I learn a lot off that.
There is some movement with the covers – the heaviest protection is being removed with attention turning to pushing water away from the outfield. But no word yet on when the teams are expected to return to the field or how many overs the ODI will be reduced to.
Marnus Labuschagne concedes that the Ashes and returning to the Test side after being dropped for the series in the West Indies continue to drive him. But he is less comfortable talking about where he would prefer to bat if selected to face England in the series opener in Perth on 21 November.
[The Ashes] is always in the back of your mind. If I’m playing at my best, that stuff takes care of itself. And that’s still my thoughts now. Wherever I’m playing, for whoever I’m playing for, I just want to keep playing my best cricket. Then I want to keep enjoying it and playing with that freedom. Then the rest will take care of itself.
Wherever the selectors and the coach put me, that’s where I’ll be batting. I’ve batted my whole career for Australia at three, so there’s nothing more to be said … wherever they put me, is where I bat.
Marnus Labuschagne has forced his way back into national consideration with a weight of runs at domestic level. The former world No 1 Test batter scored four tons in his first five knocks of the summer playing for Queensland to earn a recall to the ODI squad – and potentially Australia’s XI for the Ashes opener in Perth. Labuschagne is talking on Fox Sports about the changes he has made and the reasons for his lean patches in recent years.
It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. The only thing I really wanted coming into this summer, take everything out including selections and everything else, I just really wanted to be back playing cricket the way I want to be playing. Playing with that freedom and just being able to go out there, read the game and take the game on. It’s nice to have come out and started the way I have.
It was probably more mental. There is a few technical things that I’ve ironed out of my game and had a bit of time to work on. But I think it’s just more getting too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of just playing with what I’ve got. Just going out there and reading the game and using my technique to adjust.
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England had to deal with worse conditions in New Zealand yesterday but they were likely more grateful when the storm arrived after slumping to 81 for five. Sam Curran rescued his side with 49 before the T20 was abandoned with England on 153-6.
The rain is proving to be more persistent this time with no sign of the covers being removed any time soon in Perth.
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12th over: India 37-3 (Shreyas 6, Axar 7) Axar clips a stray ball towards square leg for a single and Hazlewood digs one in to Shreyas but is called for a wide as the ball sails high over the batter. The Australia quick tightens up his line but with one ball left in the over, the covers interrupt the fun once again. The rain doesn’t look too heavy at this stage, so it should only be a second brief break.
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11th over: India 35-3 (Shreyas 6, Axar 6) Axar leans into a drive but fails to properly time the stroke and the ball is pulled up short of the boundary. A slip of feet and seemingly of mind costs India a run as Axar’s bat fails to cross the crease at the non-striker’s end. Shreyas adds a couple more with a cut to the deep and a single with a punch to point. Axar ends a promising over with a controlled cut for three.
10th over: India 27-3 (Shreyas 3, Axar 1) Shreyas Iyer is watchful against Josh Hazlewood with maintaining wickets suddenly the main concern for India. Both batters pick up a single to third man.
9th over: India 25-3 (Shreyas 2, Axar 0) Nathan Ellis starts the over with the wicket of Shubman Gill and after a rain delay almost completes it with the dismissal of Axar Patel. The India all-rounder slashes at the first ball after the interruption and is fortunate that it misses the outside edge.
The players are getting back into position and we’ve quickly lost two overs – the ODI will now be a 49-over contest.
The covers are being packed up and play should resume shortly.
India are more likely to appreciate the break in play due to rain with all of their top-order dismissed inside nine overs. Rohit Sharma was the first to go after failing to handle extra bounce off Josh Hazlewood while Virat Kohli was sent packing in a more familiar fashion as Australia continued to target the India star outside off stump.
It is Kohli’s first duck in an ODI in Australia where he averages 49.14.
VIRAT KOHLI GONE FOR A DUCK!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/cg9GbcMRAE
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 19, 2025
The sprinkle of rain turns into more of a light drizzle and the covers are on their way. Nathan Ellis has bowled four dots to Axar Patel who is happy to dig in with India needing to rebuild their innings at 25 for three after only 8.5 overs.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood each have 1 for 12 from four overs, while Ellis has made a fast start with the wicket of Shubman Gill from his first ball.
WICKET! Gill c Philippe b Ellis 10 (India 25-3)
Nathan Ellis comes into the attack and immediately gets the breakthrough as Gill tickles one off the hip and Josh Philippe dives to his left.
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8th over: India 25-2 (Gill 10, Shreyas 2) The India captain will shoulder the responsibility of leading the fightback and picks up a single with a comfortable drive to cover. Shreyas sees out the rest of the over from Hazlewood without much intent to score.
7th over: India 24-2 (Gill 9, Shreyas 2) Mitchell Starc gets his reward for a controlled opening spell and India are on the ropes with two of their batting greats back in the sheds. Shreyas Iyer is more comfortable against the left-armer though with two wickets down well inside 10 overs, defence is currently the order of the day.
WICKET! Kohli c Connolly b Starc 0 (India 21-2)
What a catch! Copper Connolly pulls down a screamer at point and Virat Kohli is gone for a duck. The India star was lured into a drive and a thick edge sends the ball wide off Connolly who dives hard to his left to send Kohli on his way.
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6th over: India 21-1 (Gill 9, Kohli 0) Shubman Gill has trouble getting bat on ball until a scorching drive sends the ball flying through cover to the rope. Josh Hazlewood unusually loses his line and sends down three wides in the over.
5th over: India 14-1 (Gill 5, Kohli 0) A maiden for Starc to Kohli with an over of fuller deliveries angling across off-stump. Kohli chases a wider ball and is fortunate to be beaten on the outside edge.
4th over: India 14-1 (Gill 5, Kohli 0) Hazlewood picks up the early wicket of Rohit to bring Virat Kohli to the crease. The Australia quick immediately turns to pitching the ball up and there is a half-hearted appeal for a delivery that is tracking down leg. Kohli gets off strike from a leg-bye but the Australia plan already seems clear.
WICKET! Rohit c Renshaw b Hazlewood 8 (India 13-1)
Rohit Sharma is beaten for bounce as the India defends on the back foot but edges to debutant Matt Renshaw at second slip. The ball flew off the top of the bat and Renshaw looked comfortable moving to his left to send Rohit on his way.
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3rd over: India 13-0 (Rohit 8, Gill 5) Rohit shows his intent with an attacking slash over point that feels like a high-risk shot for the reward of only two runs. A well-timed drive through mid-off to the boundary is worth twice as much with half the effort.
2nd over: India 6-0 (Rohit 1, Gill 5) Josh Hazlewood takes the new ball and immediately goes to work on his familiar line and length. But when the Australia quick overpitches, Gill opens up and times a straight drive to the rope. A first boundary for India.
1st over: India 2-0 (Rohit 1, Gill 1) Mitchell Starc is right on the money from the get-go but is unable to find an opening-over breakthrough. A fitter-looking Rohit nudges a quick single from the first ball and Gill adds another to mid-off. Rohit ends the over with a rush of blood and the former skipper’s swing and a miss is one to forget.
Mitchell Starc is at the top of his mark and ready to kick off the summer of cricket. Will it be one of the left-arm quicks trademark blistering opening overs …
The Australia and India national anthems are complete and play is about to get under way at Optus Stadium in Perth.
India veteran Rohit Sharma will open alongside new captain Shubman Gill. Virat Kohli is also in town for a farewell tour around the country where he has made such an impact over the years. Both sides will have plenty to play for against their bitter rivals while ramping up their preparations for World Cups to come.
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While the spotlight turns onto the first of eight white-ball matches between Australia and India, local eyes are also looking further into the future and the Ashes series that begins in just over a month back in Perth.
Pat Cummins is all but ruled out of opener against England but Australia’s chair of selectors, George Bailey, is optimistic about the captain’s chances of playing a significant part in the the Test series.
[We are] really confident that he’s going to play a major part. Hopefully it’s the first Test. If not, then we’ll pick it up.
India XI
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (capt), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
A mix of the old and new for the tourists with Rohit and Kohli in the side while Nitish Reddy makes his ODI debut.
Here's a look at #TeamIndia's Playing XI for the 1️⃣st ODI 👌
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 19, 2025
Nitish Kumar Reddy makes his ODI debut. 👍
Updates ▶ https://t.co/O1RsjJTHhM#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/dWPlzUHqmu
Updated
Australia XI
Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Matt Short, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matt Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood.
A pair of ODI debutants for Australia also mean cap presentations are in order. Shaun Marsh hands Matt Renshaw his cap, Tim David does the honours for Mitch Owen.
Marnus Labuschagne will bide his time after finding red-hot form in domestic matches and being a late addition to the squad.
Mitch Owen and Matt Renshaw are ready for their ODI debuts 👏
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 19, 2025
You can watch #AUSvIND live: https://t.co/jz58BSKT2I pic.twitter.com/BWbQ1Oy8n0
Updated
Shubman Gill concedes that India would have bowled first if they had won the toss and believes his side is ready to play despite only arriving in Australia three days ago.
Looking at the weather, it might be a stop-and-play game. It looks like a good surface so hopefully we get some runs on the board.
It’s all about getting mentally ready. Most of the players were playing in India before coming here, so it’s just about getting together. I think we’re in a good mental space.
Toss
Mitch Marsh is leading Australia in the white-ball series against India’s Shubman Gill. The Australia skipper wins the toss and elects to field first in the ODI at Optus Stadium.
Marsh explains his thinking as he captains the national side at his home ground…
Looks like a pretty good Perth Stadium wicket, hopefully it’s hard and fast, little bit of moisture around, hopefully we can make the most of that today.
It’s always a huge honour to captain your country but I guess to do it front a somewhat home crowd is always an exciting day.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the first one-day international between Australia and India at Optus Stadium in Perth. This is the opener of three ODIs between the arch-rivals with the remainder of the series to be played in Adelaide on Thursday and Sydney on Saturday. A five-match T20 series will follow that before the main event on these shores when England arrive for the Ashes next month.
But before we reach the highly-anticipated Test series, there is fresh appetite for white-ball matches especially with India in town and a near-sell out is expected today in Perth.
There has been a bit of rain and cloud around this morning with more showers forecast to arrive later in the day, but the covers are off at the moment so the players are on track to start at the scheduled time.
First ball will be at 11:30 local time in Perth / 2.30pm AEDT / 9am IST. The toss and team news will be coming up shortly. Meanwhile, let us know your thoughts and predictions - shoot me an email or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky or X. Let’s get into it!
