India captain Shubman Gill said that India's modest 264-run total wasn't the reason behind their two-wicket defeat to Australia in the second ODI at Adelaide.
Shubman Gill not happy with India's sloppy fielding
In fact he believes India fell short due to costly errors in the field including dropped catches. The Men in Blue's fielding was marred by three dropped catches, including two crucial lifelines given to Matthew Short by Axar Patel and Mohammed Siraj. While Nitish Kumar Reddy's earlier drop of Travis Head was not as damaging, the reprieves for Short proved decisive. He capitalized on the mistakes, hammering 74 runs off 78 balls to anchor Australia's run chase. India’s resilience was evident as they stretched the match to the final two wickets, putting on a strong fightback but to only lose the match eventually.
"I think we had just enough runs, never easy with a couple of drops. 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," Gill said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
ALSO READ: Punjab Kings hire former India cricketer as new spin bowling coach ahead of IPL 2026
India's first loss at Adelaide in ODIs in 17 years
After losing Gill (9) and Virat Kohli (0) early, India managed to recover from a precarious 16/2 to post 264/9 in their stipulated 50 overs, thanks to Rohit Sharma's gritty 73-run knock. Besides Rohit, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel also contributed with key 61 and 44 respectively. The bowling unit also showed spirit, with Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Washington Sundar each collecting two wickets. However, this commendable effort from both batters and bowlers was ultimately overshadowed and undone by the team's poor performance in the field.
Notably, the defeat at the Adelaide Oval, marked India's first loss at this venue in the last 17 years. For Australia, this victory was crucial as it snapped their losing streak of the last three ODI series. The match started as a challenging affair for Australia, echoing the difficulties faced by their Indian counterparts. Despite a solid opening, the dismissals of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head put pressure on the team. However, Cooper Connolly emerged as the match hero for the Aussies. His unbeaten 61 off 53 balls was instrumental in guiding the team toward the target.
Australia had a brief scare when, from a comfortable position of 246/5, they suddenly lost three quick wickets for only 14 runs. Yet, Connolly's steady nerves prevented any further collapse, ensuring a smooth finish. This victory sealed the three-match series 2-0 for Australia, with the final, now a dead rubber, scheduled for October 25 in Sydney.