Australia steamrolled India by seven wickets in the rain-curtailed first ODI on Sunday, October 19, 2025, grabbing a commanding 1-0 lead in the three-match series. What promised to be a redemption arc for India's batting legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli morphed into a nightmare, as the duo's dismal failures under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method left fans reeling and questions swirling about their futures. Australia's skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and unhesitatingly bowled first, a decision that paid immediate dividends.
India's top order imploded spectacularly within the Powerplay overs, with skipper Rohit Sharma (8), star batter Virat Kohli (6), and debutant ODI captain Shubman Gill (4) all back in the hut for single digits. The carnage continued as the middle order crumbled under relentless pressure from Australia's pace battery, led by the fiery Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. India could only muster 130 all out in 32.4 overs before the heavens opened, forcing an early tea and a revised target of 131 for Australia under DLS.
Chasing the adjusted score, Australia made light work of the conditions, romping home in just 21.1 overs. Stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh anchored the innings with a gritty unbeaten 46 off 52 balls, his composed strokeplay silencing critics after a recent injury layoff. Explosive opener Travis Head blazed away to 37 off 24, including a flurry of boundaries that set the tone, while Glenn Maxwell chipped in with a quickfire 28. The rain interruptions only seemed to fuel Australia's momentum, as they crossed the line with ease, handing India a humiliating defeat in front of a vocal home crowd.
Also Read: Team India Touches Down in Perth After Flight Delays, Ready for ODI Clash with Australia
For Rohit and Kohli, both fresh off T20I and Test retirements following the heartbreak of the 2024 T20 World Cup final loss, this was supposed to be the platform to silence doubters eyeing their spots for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Returning to white-ball cricket for the first time since the March 2025 Champions Trophy triumph, the duo arrived in Perth brimming with intent. Rohit, relieved of captaincy burdens and slotted in as a pure batter, looked to rediscover his explosive flair. Kohli, ever the chase master, aimed to rebuild his form after a lean patch. Instead, both fell cheaply to loose shots—Rohit edging Hazlewood to slips, Kohli nicking Starc down leg—triggering an avalanche of collapses that exposed frailties in India's batting depth.
The spotlight now intensifies on 25-year-old Shubman Gill, thrust into the ODI captaincy hot seat after succeeding Rohit in Tests earlier this year. Gill's debut as skipper couldn't have been more baptismal by fire; his own golden duck off Cummins set a tone of trepidation that permeated the innings. Lower down, Jitesh Sharma's gritty 32 and a cameo from Washington Sundar (19) offered fleeting resistance, but it was too little, too late. Australia's bowlers, exploiting the seaming conditions masterfully, wrapped up the innings with clinical precision, their strategy of early breakthroughs vindicated.
Post-match, a somber Rohit Sharma addressed the media, admitting the top-order woes were "unacceptable" and vowing a fierce response in the upcoming games. "We've got two more cracks at this series, and we'll come back harder. The conditions were tough, but that's no excuse for the way we folded," he said. Kohli, typically stoic, cut a frustrated figure, later tweeting: "Bad days happen, but we learn and adapt. Focus on the next ball." Gill, shouldering the blame, praised his bowlers—Harshit Rana snared 2-28 on debut—but lamented the batting meltdown: "As captain, I take responsibility. We need to regroup quickly."
Australia, buoyed by the win, celebrated Marsh's leadership in Cummins' absence, with the all-rounder crediting team preparation: "The bowlers set it up beautifully, and we just had to chase smartly. Perth's always special, and this is a great start." The victory extends Australia's dominance in home ODIs against India, where they've won eight of the last 10 encounters.
Also Read: India Fined for Slow Over-Rate After Women’s World Cup Defeat to Australia