India endured a shaky beginning after Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh elected to bowl first in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. Rohit Sharma looked far from his fluent best, while captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli were dismissed cheaply, leaving the visitors struggling at 17/2 within the first seven overs. The early setback put India under pressure as the Aussie bowlers maintained tight lines to stifle any scoring momentum.
Rohit, however, showed resilience and steadied the innings with Shreyas Iyer by his side. The duo stitched together a crucial 118-run stand for the third wicket, guiding India out of trouble and putting the innings back on track. Both batters reached their half-centuries, showing patience and class under pressure. But their dismissals in quick succession, followed by KL Rahul’s fall soon after, pushed India back again at 174/5, undoing much of their recovery work.
Amid the crisis, Axar Patel emerged as the savior, anchoring the innings with a composed knock. He ensured India crossed the 200-run mark while looking to accelerate in the death overs. His calculated aggression and ability to rotate strike kept the scoreboard moving. But just as he began to up the ante in the final phase, a moment of brilliance in the field turned his innings upside down.
— Robinson (@Robinson966715) October 23, 2025
Axar, batting on 44, went for an inside-out lofted shot off Adam Zampa’s googly, aiming to clear the long-off boundary. The delivery drifted further away after pitching, forcing Axar to reach for it and lose a bit of timing. Standing in the deep, Mitchell Starc judged the flight of the ball perfectly, moving swiftly along the boundary line to position himself under it.
As the ball descended, it appeared destined to clear the ropes — but Starc had other plans. With impeccable balance and presence of mind, he caught the ball just above his head, tossed it up as he crossed the boundary line, then stepped back in to complete the catch with ease. The stunning effort drew applause across social media, with fans lauding Starc’s composure and athleticism in executing one of the finest boundary catches of the series.