India’s struggles in Australia continued as the hosts clinched the ODI series 2-0 with a two-wicket win in Adelaide on Thursday. Despite strong batting performances from Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel, India’s bowling and fielding fell short, allowing Australia to chase down 265 with 22 balls remaining — marking India’s first ODI loss in Adelaide in 17 years.

Former India pacer Varun Aaron weighed in on the team’s performance, suggesting that head coach Gautam Gambhir should consider a tactical shift. “Kuldeep Yadav should have come in from game one. You will have to sacrifice a batsman. Kuldeep gets you wickets and makes up for the runs not scored. And when you play one batter short, others take more responsibility,” Aaron said while speaking to broadcasters after the match.

He added that India’s over-reliance on waiting for opposition errors rather than proactively taking wickets had hurt their chances in both ODIs. “Kuldeep would be a great addition because he gets wickets in the middle overs. India were depending on batsmen to make mistakes instead of creating wicket-taking opportunities,” Aaron explained.

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Meanwhile, Australia’s young star Cooper Connolly played a match-winning knock, remaining unbeaten on 61 to guide his team to victory. With this win, the hosts sealed the three-match series with one game remaining.

Following the loss, Gambhir faced criticism from fans on social media, with many questioning team selection and the decision to keep Kuldeep Yadav benched. While some fans accused Gambhir of “favoring all-rounders,” others lamented India’s bowling choices and leadership changes after Rohit Sharma’s exit as ODI captain. As the third ODI approaches, pressure is mounting on Team India to bounce back and end the series on a high.

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