 "The first ODI between India and Australia at Perth has been reduced to 26 overs per side due to rain breaks. Image: AFP")
It has been a chaotic first ODI between India and Australia at the Perth Stadium as rain continues to play hide and seek on Sunday (19 October). The first game of the three-match series has already witnessed four rain breaks, with the first innings yet to be completed.
India were 52/4 from 16.4 overs at the time the match was interrupted for the fourth time. As a result, the ODI was reduced to a 26-over game, resuming at 2 PM IST.
IND vs AUS 1st ODI match conditions
After the first rain break, the match was reduced to 49 overs per side, before being cut down to a 35-over game. It was further reduced to 32 overs per side as rain returned for a third time, before the match was cut down to a 26-over game
As a result, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, who have already bowled seven and six overs each, respectively, won’t be allowed to bowl anymore. Australia will be handed a revised target as per the DLS method and not the target that India sets at the end of their innings.
Earlier, Mitchell Marsh won the toss and decided to bowl first in the first ODI of the three-match ODI series as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made a much-anticipated return to international cricket.
Rohit, however, did not last long in his 500th international match as he was dismissed early on by Hazlewood for eight off 14 balls.
Kohli had a much worse return as he got out on a duck off Starc after playing eight balls shortly before new ODI captain Shubman Gill was dismissed on 10.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsShreyas Iyer was dismissed by Hazlewood as Axar Patel and KL Rahul look to take India to a winning total. India also have Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh in the dugout and ready to bat.