Australia crush India in rain-hit ODI opener, Gill-led India faces early setback

In a rain-shortened 26-over match, India collapsed to 136/9 before Australia comfortably chased down the target with 7 wickets in hand to take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series.

Team India faced a crushing defeat in the first ODI against Australia as Shubman Gill’s men failed to handle both rain interruptions and Australia’s bowling attack. Winning the toss, Australia opted to field first, a decision that worked perfectly in their favor as rain delayed play and reduced the match to 26 overs per side.

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India’s batting lineup struggled from the start, collapsing to 136/9. Apart from KL Rahul’s 38 and Axar Patel’s fighting 31, no batter managed to stand tall. Former skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck, Rohit Sharma scored only 8, and captain Gill managed just 10 runs.

In response, Australia chased down the 137-run target with ease, losing just three wickets. Their clinical performance exposed India’s batting frailty under pressure and gave them a 1–0 advantage in the three-match series.

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For India, the loss was a disappointing start to the series, especially under the new leadership of Gill and mentor Gautam Gambhir. The team must now win both remaining matches to secure the ODI series. The second ODI is scheduled for October 23.