Rain interrupted play for the fourth time in the first ODI between India and Australia in Perth on Sunday (October 19), forcing the match to be shortened to 32 overs per side after three previous stoppages. India were struggling at 52 for 4 in 16.4 overs, with KL Rahul and Axar Patel trying to steady the innings.

The visitors endured a disastrous start, losing three wickets within the first 10 overs. Returning stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to make an impact, dismissed for 8 and a duck respectively, while newly appointed ODI captain Shubman Gill also fell cheaply for 10.

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Rohit looked uneasy during his short stay at the crease, struggling to adjust to the extra bounce and pace. His only boundary came off a clean straight drive before Hazlewood outfoxed him in the fourth over with a well-directed length delivery that rose sharply, forcing a hesitant shot and resulting in a thick edge to the slips.

Kohli, meanwhile, seemed more settled but threw his wicket away with an uncharacteristically loose shot, chasing a wide ball from Starc and finding the fielder at point. India’s troubles deepened further when Shubman Gill, captaining the ODI side for the first time, fell for just 10.

By the eighth over, India were reeling at 25 for 3, with growing tension in the dressing room. The combined total of 18 runs from the top three batters marked their lowest contribution since the 2019 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.