Australia’s new breed powered them to what became a close encounter against India on Thursday night with Cooper Connolly, Matt Short and Mitchell Owen smashing the bowlers all over the Adelaide Oval.
Short top-scored with a sizzling 74 from 78 deliveries, Owen blasted 36 from just 23 deliveries and Connolly guided the Aussies home with his first half-century at ODI level.
Connolly finished unbeaten on 61 off 53 deliveries as the hosts coasted to the target of 265 with 22 balls and just two wickets in hand to clinch the three-match series after winning the opener in Perth on Sunday night.
The 22-year-old Western Australian had only mustered 10 runs from his previous six ODIs, batting just three times – out for three and a duck after retiring hurt on seven in his first hit-out.
Veteran spinner Adam Zampa took four wickets in the opening innings as Indian legend Virat Kohli made consecutive ducks for the first time in his esteemed ODI career.
Kohli was dismissed lbw by novice paceman Xavier Bartlett as India posted 9-264.
Rohit Sharma top-scored with 73 from 97 balls and Shreyas Iyer made 61 from 77, while Zampa (4-60 from 10 overs) and Bartlett (3-39 from 10) were the chief wicket-takers.
Kohli, who made his ODI debut in 2008, had never previously been dismissed without scoring in successive one-dayers.
But the former Indian captain followed his duck in the series-opener in Perth on Sunday with another in Adelaide.
In his 304th ODI, Kohli was trapped on the crease and struck on the pads in Bartlett’s second over of the game.
Australia summoned Bartlett to the team, for his fifth ODI, with near-instant reward.
The Queenslander, with the first ball of his second over, removed Indian captain Shubman Gill (nine) and then claimed the prized wicket of Kohli four balls later.
The Indians were 2-17 after seven overs before ex-skipper Sharma (seven fours, two sixes) and Iyer (seven fours) rallied with a 118-run partnership.
Sharma reached his half-century from 74 balls, Iyer posted his from 67 deliveries, and they took the total to 135.
Their union ended in the 30th over when Sharma hooked Mitchell Starc (2-62) and was caught by Josh Hazlewood at deep fine leg.
Iyer’s knock ceased three overs later when bowled by Zampa, who also soon bowled KL Rahul (11 from 15) to leave the tourists 5-174 in the 37th over.
Hazlewood completed a miserly 0-29 from 10 overs, before India’s Axar Patel (44 from 41 balls) and Harshit Rana (24no from 18) added scoring impetus.
Mitchell Marsh was caught behind for 11 and Travis Head failed to convert his start, out for 28, as the Aussies stumbled to 2-54 in their reply.
Short and Matt Renshaw put on a 55-run stand before the Queensland left-hander was bowled for a run-a-ball 30 by spinner Axar Patel.
After Alex Carey was bowled trying a slog sweep for nine, Short added another 55 with Connolly before he was caught in the deep off Harshit Rana with four fours and a couple of sixes in his highest score in green and gold colours.
Owen found the boundary twice and cleared it three times as he and Connolly got the Aussies to within striking distance and there were a few nervous flutters in the home dressing room when Bartlett (three) and Starc (four) went cheaply.
But showing maturity beyond his years, Connolly kept his composure before the Aussies brought up the winning run via an Arshdeep Singh wide.
with AAP
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