Ind vs Aus 2nd ODI : Australia Edge India in Adelaide Thriller — Series Clinched

October 24, 2025
4:32 am

Adelaide Oval crackled with tension on October 23, 2025, as Australia scraped home in a two-wicket thriller to seal the ODI series. After Rohit Sharma’s steady 73 set India up for 264, Adam Zampa’s twin roles with ball and bat, plus a calm finish from Cooper Connolly, swung the match Australia’s way and put the tourists 2–0 up.

The set-up and toss

Australia won the toss and elected to field at Adelaide Oval — a surface that offered early seam but eased into a batting track as the day progressed. Therefore, both sides knew that sensible construction early and strong death bowling would decide the match.

India vs Australia — 2nd ODI

Adelaide Oval — October 23, 2025

India

264/9 (50)

Australia

265/8 (46.2)

Australia won by 2 wickets

Stadium: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Capacity: 53,583

Toss: Australia won and chose to bowl first

Pitch Report: Batting friendly early, slow turn available by second innings, not much dew.

Source: Cricbuzz, ESPNcricinfo, that match day’s reports.

India — Batting

Top batters	Rohit Sharma 73 (97, 7x4, 2x6); Shreyas Iyer 61 (74, 6x4); Axar Patel 44 (41, 5x4)
Total	264/9 (50)

India — Bowling

Best bowlers

Harshit Rana 2/59 (8);
Arshdeep Singh 2/41 (8.2);
Washington Sundar 2/37 (7);
Axar Patel 1/52 (10)

Australia — Batting

Top batters	Matthew Short 74 (78, 4x4, 2x6); Cooper Connolly 61* (53, 5x4, 1x6); Mitchell Owen 36 (23, 3x4, 2x6)
Total	265/8 (46.2)

Australia — Bowling

Best bowlers

Adam Zampa 4/60 (10);
Xavier Bartlett 3/39 (10);
Mitchell Starc 2/62 (10);
Josh Hazlewood 0/29 (10)

Top performers

POTM: Adam Zampa 4/60

Matthew Short 74 (78)

Cooper Connolly 61* (53)

Rohit Sharma 73 (97)

India innings — stable start staggered by stall

Rohit Sharma anchored India with a patient 73 off 97, while Shreyas Iyer provided the middle-overs impetus with 61. Together they rebuilt after early jolts, and India finished 264/9 (50 overs). However, India’s scoring rate plateaued after the 30th over, and crucial wickets at intervals prevented a match-winning push late in the innings. Zampa’s left-arm spin and Bartlett’s early strikes proved decisive in breaking partnerships.

Australia chase — starts, wobbles, composed finish

Australia’s chase was built around Matt Short’s 74 and Cooper Connolly’s unbeaten 61 (53). There were tense moments — India created pressure with a few breakthroughs and near-catches — but Connolly’s calm rotation of strike and timely boundaries steadied the chase. Australia reached 265/8 in 46.2 overs, winning by 2 wickets with 22 balls to spare. Adam Zampa’s influence was twofold: he returned key bowling figures and later chipped in lower down the order.

What were the key turning points

Adam Zampa - the match-winner with ball and calm lower down with bat

Zampa claimed 4 wickets and repeatedly hit the right lines during the middle overs to choke India when they were looking to accelerate. By removing Shreyas Iyer and key lower-order batters, he prevented India from adding a late 25–40 extra runs — a difference that mattered in a two-wicket finish. His bowling shapes forced slower rotation and created pressure that Australia converted. Ultimately, that control earned him Player of the Match.

Cooper Connolly - the composed finisher

Connolly’s 61 off 53* was the hallmark of maturity. He rotated strike intelligently and picked gaps instead of always going aerial, which allowed Australia to chase with belief during the tense final overs. His temperament under pressure steered Australia from nervy to clinical, and his finishing ensured the team didn’t lose its way when wickets fell.

Matt Short - the engine of the Australian chase

Short’s 74 supplied the momentum and kept required-rate pressure manageable. He punished loose balls and built a partnership that set the stage for Connolly’s finish. Without that mid-innings platform, the chase would have been substantially harder.

Rohit Sharma (India) — the anchor whose runs set a target

Rohit’s 73 was technically sound and required for India to reach a defendable total. He shepherded the innings through early wobble and stitched partnerships, yet India’s inability to convert momentum into a power-packed last ten overs left the total just short. Rohit also collected a personal milestone during this innings.