*Photo Courtesy: Cricket Australia Twitter*

Mitchell Starc’s exceptional five-wicket haul, followed by explosive batting from Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head, led Australia to a resounding 10-wicket victory over India with 234 balls to spare in the second ODI of the three-match series at YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

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Marsh scored an unbeaten 66 off 36 balls, while Head contributed a 30-ball 51*, leaving Indian bowlers wicketless and allowing Australia to level the series 1-1 with an easy win.

Chasing a modest target of 118, Australian openers Marsh and Head got off to a blistering start, dominating the Indian bowlers from the outset. The duo took advantage of the favorable batting conditions and piled on the runs, with both Marsh and Head hitting several boundaries and rotating the strike effectively.

They rapidly crossed the 50-run and 100-run marks, with Head completing his half-century in 29 balls.

In the 11th over, Marsh struck a magnificent four, sealing a comprehensive 10-wicket victory for Australia. Earlier, Starc’s outstanding bowling performance had dismantled the Indian batting lineup, restricting them to 117 runs.

He struck early, breaking the opening partnership in the first over and continuing to apply pressure throughout the innings. Despite a brief counterattack by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Starc’s relentless bowling kept India on the back foot.

The Indian wickets fell regularly, with Starc claiming key scalps, including Surya Kumar Yadav and KL Rahul. Hardik Pandya attempted to stabilize the innings, but his efforts were in vain as he was dismissed by Sean Abbott, thanks to a brilliant catch by Steve Smith.

Nathan Ellis then removed the well-set Virat Kohli for 31, and despite Axar Patel’s valiant effort to keep the scoreboard ticking, India’s innings ended at a meager 117, with Starc completing a five-wicket haul.

Team India register their third lowest ODI total against Australia

In the second ODI of the series, India were dismissed for a paltry 117, marking their second-lowest score when batting first at home. The lowest total against Australia was recorded in 1981 when the Men in Blue were all out for just 63 runs in Sydney. Another low score occurred in Sydney in 2000, with India managing only 100 runs against Australia.

India narrowly avoided setting a new record for their lowest first-innings total at home, surpassing the 112 scored against Sri Lanka in Dharamsala in 2017 by just five runs. This latest total ranks as their fourth-lowest in ODIs at home and their third-lowest against Australia.

India’s defeat in this match marked the largest margin of loss in their ODI history, as Australia reached the target with a staggering 234 balls remaining. Previously, the worst loss occurred in Hamilton in 2019 against New Zealand, when the Black Caps chased down a 93-run target with 212 balls to spare.