'They are the best team in the world': India receive big praise from Aussies despite ODI series loss

India put up a fight, but Australia held their nerve to take the second ODI by two wickets in Adelaide on Thursday and win the series 2-0. Despite the loss, the Indian team received high praise from Australian players.

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Rohit Sharma once again showed his experience and grit, scoring 73 off 97 balls on a tricky track. Shreyas Iyer also contributed 61 runs, while Axar Patel scored a quick 44 to keep the scoreboard moving. However, Virat Kohli failed to score for the second consecutive match, and other batters could not make big contributions.

In reply, Australia struggled initially against India’s spinners, but Cooper Connolly’s 61 not out and Mitchell Owen’s 36 steadied the innings after Matthew Short and Matt Renshaw got out. The duo guided Australia to 265/8 in 46.2 overs, sealing the series. Adam Zampa, with 4/60, impressed with the ball.

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Zampa and Marsh praise India

Zampa won the Player of the Match award and praised India’s quality after the game. “Nice to beat India, always been a good battle with them in ODIs. Two teams that are able to adapt to conditions really well. They are the best team in the world and it’s great to test ourselves vs them,” he said.

Australian captain Mitchell Marsh also lauded India after sealing the series. “Been awesome. It’s rare to play in front of big crowds in ODI cricket. Thrilled to have won the series. We’ll certainly have a beer and enjoy ourselves in the changing room, but small turnaround between this game and next. India are a great team, so we’ll want to enjoy this win," Marsh said.

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Meanwhile, Indian skipper Shubman Gill blamed the dropped catches for the defeat. He said the batters had put on enough runs to give something to defend, suggesting fielding errors cost them the series. “I think we had just enough runs, never easy with a couple of drop catches. Wicket got better as the ball got older. Toss was more crucial in the first game, not as much this time. Both teams played almost 50 overs. Wicket settled nicely after the first 10-15 overs first innings.”

The third and final ODI is scheduled to be played on Saturday, October 25 in Perth. India will look for a consolation win there as Australia have already taken an unassailable lead.