Starc and Marsh destroy India in a 37-over masterclass

A masterclass from Mitchell Starc and a T20-style shot from Mitchell Marsh led Australia to a stunning 10-wicket ODI victory over India in a match that lasted just 37 overs.

Starc went 5-53 from eight overs in Sunday’s second one-day international in Vizag to bowl India for a meager 117 in 26 overs.

In response, Marsh cracked six sixes and six fours en route to a 36-ball 66, with Travis Head (30-ball 51) a handy ally.

Australia reached the winning goal in just 11 overs.

The result leveled the three-game series 1-1 and advanced to the final on Wednesday in Chennai.

Marsh only opened in the first two games due to the absence of David Warner, who missed the first game to give him more time to recover from a hairline fracture in his elbow.

Warner was scheduled to play on Sunday, but a corked quad stopped him from doing so.

Marsh hit 81 of 65 balls in Friday’s five-wicket loss to India and he continued India’s attack in the second game.

His scorching form as the opener has given Australia food for thought ahead of this year’s 50-over World Cup in India.

The highlight of Sunday’s game belonged to Steve Smith, who dived right on the first full-length slip to land a stunning one-handed catch and send Hardik Pandya for one.

Smith was airborne and horizontal when he made the catch, and the assistant skipper was bullied by his teammates in the aftermath.

Although Marsh and Head provided the fireworks with the bat, it was Starc who set up the win with a stunning display.

The left arm started the destruction in the opening by enticing Shubman Gill (0) into a loose shot while Marnus Labuschagne devoured the catch at the back point.

Smith gave Starc his second wicket with a juggling attempt to sack Rohit Sharma for 13.

And when Suryakumar Yadav was sent off by Starc for a golden duck in the second game in a row, the Aussie pace ace had a hat-trick.

KL Rahul blocked the hat trick ball but was caught in front by Starc a short time later, reducing India to 4-48.

Jewel! #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/WhSkg8VhJx

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 19, 2023

Smith’s stunner in a slip – after Sean Abbott bowled – made it 5-49, and Nathan Ellis snatched the prized scalps of Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja (16) as India plummeted to 7-91 in the 20th over.

Starc was beaten for consecutive sixes by Axar Patel when he returned for another spell, but finished the innings by bowling Mohammed Siraj.

Only Waqar Younis (13) and Muttiah Muralitharan (10) have more five-wicket moves in ODI cricket than Starc’s nine.

“We saw a Mitch clinic there today like we’ve seen before,” Abbott said of Starc’s exploits.

Abbott (3-23) and Nathan Ellis (2-13) produced handy cameos.

Virat Kohli (31) scored the best goal for his side while Patel (29) was the only other batsman to fight back.

It was India’s third lowest overall ODI against Australia, behind 63 at the SCG in 1981 and 100 also at Sydney in 2000.

It was also India’s fourth lowest total of ODIs in India compared to all nations.

Qantas ODI Tour of India 2023

First ODI: India won by five wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by 10 wickets

Third ODI: Wednesday, March 22, Chennai (7pm AEDT)

All matches will be broadcast live and exclusively on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports

Squad Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Squad India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj , Umran Malik, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, and Jaydev Unadkatt