India endured a shaky start at the Adelaide Oval after Australian captain Mitchell Marsh elected to bowl first in the second ODI on Thursday. Rohit Sharma, just like in the previous game, appeared a bit rusty early on, struggling to find his rhythm as he played out four overs of dot balls during the powerplay. The visitors crawled to 17/0 in the first six overs, leaving fans anxious for some momentum at the top.
However, as commentator Ravi Shastri aptly pointed out, the crucial part was that Rohit was still at the crease, weathering the storm despite losing both Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli cheaply. The skipper’s trademark composure was on display as he absorbed the pressure, waited for his moment, and began to slowly change gears once the initial movement off the pitch settled down. His resilience soon began to translate into runs, signaling the start of a turnaround.
Rohit was batting on 30 off 62 balls when Mitchell Owen came in for his second over. The Indian captain finally broke free, unleashing his signature pull shot to deposit two massive sixes into the leg-side stands off the first three deliveries. The crisp timing and effortless power reminded everyone of Rohit’s ability to shift tempo without warning, as Owen suddenly looked helpless under the onslaught.
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The medium pacer, visibly rattled, tried to regain his rhythm, managing to breathe a small sigh of relief when Rohit rotated strike with a single off the fifth ball. But the pressure of facing the Indian skipper seemed to linger, and what followed next was a comical yet telling moment of nerves. As Owen charged in for the final delivery, he lost control of the ball mid-run-up, dropping it completely before releasing.
The umpire immediately signaled a dead ball as Owen awkwardly jogged back to reset, drawing chuckles from the Indian dugout. When he finally managed to complete the over, it didn’t end well for him either — Shreyas Iyer took full advantage, driving the last ball straight down the ground for a boundary, further compounding Owen’s misery and keeping India’s momentum alive.