Mitchell Starc returned figures of 5-53 with his excellent swing and seam to power Australia to a series-levelling 10-wicket win over India in the second One-day International. Starc, a left-arm quick, rattled the Indian batting with his pace and swing to bundle out the opposition for just 117 in only 26 overs. Openers Travis Head, who hit 51, and Mitchell Marsh, who smashed 66 off 36 balls, then took apart the Indian bowling to romp home in 11 overs.

Australia finished the chase with 39 overs to spare and bounce back from their opening defeat to hand India their biggest ODI loss in terms of balls remaining. Starc led the team’s lethal attack with the wicket of Shubman Gill for a duck after the tourists decided to bowl first after overnight rain.

“It was a great day for us,” man-of-the-match Starc told broadcasters Star Sports. “I think the bowling unit was pretty spot on. I guess the conditions helped the ball swing a bit but I think we bowled really good areas. We were probably on the more aggressive side when we started to get a few wickets in the powerplay.”

Marsh, who stood out with his blazing knock that included six fours and six sixes, praised Starc. “It was a pleasure to watch. You know what he can do with the white ball, especially when he is swinging it. He is the best in the world,” said Marsh. Two successive strikes from Starc to get returning skipper Rohit Sharma for 13 and then Suryakumar Yadav, out for a second straight first-ball duck, pushed India onto the back foot.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP