Zampa keeps India to 264 despite Rohit, Shreyas fifties

Virat Kohli's difficult return to international cricket continued after falling for his second straight duck before Rohit Sharma overcame a sluggish start with a fighting half-century to help lift India to a competitive total.

After being sent in under sunny skies at the Adelaide Oval, India could not quite get going despite teasing on several occasions with Rohit and Shreyas Iyer threatening with a 118-run third-wicket partnership. A late flurry from tailenders Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh powered India to a bigger total than expected earlier in the innings.

For the first time in his legendary ODI career, Kohli has fallen for consecutive ducks but Rohit fared much better with 73 off 97 balls as he overtook Sourav Ganguly into third place on India's ODI runs list.

After a disciplined performance from their bowlers and proactive captaincy from Mitchell Marsh, Australia will remain confident of chasing down India's total of 264 for 9 and clinch the three-match series.

Australia's trio of quicks conjured movement off the surface, with swing bowler Xavier Bartlett proving an inspired selection having gained selection ahead of Nathan Ellis. After Josh Hazlewood bowled without reward in his opening spell, Bartlett rocked India's top order with the dismissals of captain Shubman Gill and Kohli in the seventh over.

Bartlett and legspinner Adam Zampa claimed seven wickets between them, but Hazlewood again was the standout despite not taking a wicket after conceding just 29 runs from 10 overs.

Marsh's decision to bowl was vindicated with sideways movement evident with the new ball. After a new-ball assault in Perth warmed the hearts of Australia's hierarchy ahead of the Ashes, Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc continued their strong start to the international summer with probing bowling.

Hazlewood started with two maidens in a seven-over burst and particularly troubled Rohit, but was left frustrated after two unsuccessful reviews.

There has been a lot of pressure on Rohit with his future uncertain as India start building towards the 2027 World Cup. After a scratchy 8 in Perth, Rohit was almost run out in the third over by a direct throw from Mitch Owen only to scramble back to show off his trim physique.

Rohit could do little against the unrelenting accuracy of Hazlewood, who targeted a fuller length with plenty of swing on offer. At one stage Rohit went 17 balls without scoring a run against Hazlewood.

With runs at a premium and having had little of the strike, a flustered Gill tried to counterattack but hit Bartlett to counterpart Marsh at mid-off. In a contrast to his Test reign, Gill has started his ODI captaincy quietly with scores of 10 and 9.

All eyes were on Kohli after his long-awaited return to international cricket ended with an eight-ball duck in Perth. He lasted just four deliveries here after being trapped plumb lbw by an inswinger from Bartlett, who later admitted on the television broadcast that he was trying to bowl an outswinger.

Kohli had before this tour never made a duck in 29 previous ODI innings in Australia as he walked off to warm applause on a ground that he had enjoyed plenty of success across formats.

Rohit continued to look unconvincing, crawling to 14 off 40 balls, before finally getting hold of Hazlewood and muscling him down the ground. Iyer's fluency rubbed off on him as Rohit's confidence started to blossom when he whacked two shorter deliveries from Owen over the smaller fine-leg boundary.

Enjoying batting together, Rohit and Iyer scored with increasing ease in the middle overs as Marsh rang the changes. Rohit brought up his half-century off 74 balls and eyed a much bigger score until falling tamely to an innocuous short delivery from Starc, who was brought back in the 30th over.

Having entered the attack in the 21st over, Zampa enjoyed his return to the team after missing the opening ODI due to paternity reasons. He came out on top of an absorbing battle with Iyer before also knocking over KL Rahul as India slumped to 174 for 5.

Axar Patel continued on his impressive form in Perth and quietened those sceptical of him batting at No.5. He hit 44 off 41 balls, but fell short of a half-century when Starc claimed a clever catch on the long-off boundary.