2nd ODI: Starc five-fer, Abbott's three-fer help Australia bowl out India for 117

Visakhapatnam, March 19 (IANS) Left-arm premier quick Mitchell Starc claimed his ninth five-wicket haul in 50-over cricket and emerged as the main architect for Australia in bowling out India for just 117 in 26 overs in the second ODI of the three match series at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, here on Sunday.

Starc, who had picked a three-fer in the first ODI in Mumbai, produced yet another stunning exhibition of early swing bowling to scythe through the top order and then took out Mohammed Siraj to finish with 5/53.

Sean Abbott was excellent in his 3/23 while Nathan Ellis provided great support through 2/13. For India, who lost four wickets in power-play for the first time since the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand, Virat Kohli and Axar Patel top-scored with 31 and 29 not out respectively.

It was a disappointing batting performance from the hosts' where four batters fell for ducks, while rest didn't have any answers to tough questions posed by Starc & Co to crash to their fourth lowest total at home.

Starc's stellar show began from the very first over, with Shubman Gill slashing a full and wide delivery straight to point. Starc found some inward movement, but Rohit Sharma clipped him through square leg for four on the last ball of the opening over.

He and Virat Kohli took a boundary each off Cameron Green's half-volleys in the next over, before the latter drove and clipped off Starc in the third over. Starc bounced back in the fifth over, enticing Rohit to chase a wide delivery and a thick outer edge was caught by Steve Smith at first slip.

On the very next ball, Starc's inswinger comprehensively beat Suryakumar Yadav on the inside edge to trap the right-hander lbw for a second straight golden duck. The inswinger from Starc then took out KL Rahul, who looked to flick, but was struck on the front pad in front of stumps.

India lost their fifth wicket in the tenth over when Hardik Pandya pushed away a Sean Abbott delivery without any footwork and Smith dived to his right to take a one-handed screamer of a catch with his right hand.

There was no respite for India as Nathan Ellis struck on his second delivery in the 16th over, trapping Kohli lbw with a straighter delivery while trying to play across the line. Four overs later, Ellis had his second wicket when his good length delivery got extra bounce and took the thick edge off gloves to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Axar and Kuldeep Yadav tried to put up some resistance. But Abbott lured Kuldeep into playing a pull and the ball went into the hands of forward square leg. On the very next ball, Mohammed Shami pokes at a full delivery and nicked behind to Carey.

Axar smacked Starc for delightful sixes down the ground and backward square leg in the 26th over. But the left-arm pacer ended the over by rattling Mohammed Siraj's top of off-stump to complete a fantastic five-wicket haul.

Brief Scores: India 117 in 26 overs (Virat Kohli 31, Axar Patel 29 not out; Mitchell Starc 5/53, Sean Abbott 3/23) against Australia

--IANS

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