‘Before every WC they play this mind game’ – Fans react as Australia lose their fifth consecutive ODI ahead of World Cup 2023

Australia had a forgettable day at the office against India. The visiting side lost the second ODI in Indore by 99 runs and lost the series with a game to go. It is the fifth loss in a row for Australia in ODIs. The former World Champions lost three matches in a row against South Africa before coming to India. In the Indian tour, Australia has lost two matches in a row to continue their losing streak. 

Opting to bowl first, Australia conceded 399 runs in their 50 overs. Barring Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa, no other bowler looked threatening against a good Indian batting lineup. All the other bowlers in the Australian lineup conceded more than 7.4 runs per over. The Australian bowlers seemed out of plan after the attack from the Indian batters. 

The pacers were a bit predictable with their fuller lengths. If not for fuller lengths, the pacers resorted to shorter lengths. As batters got set in the middle, they found it easy to counter the bowlers. Gill, Iyer, Rahul, and Suryakumar toyed with the Australian batters. The absence of the main bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins cost Australia dearly.  

Lack of application from Australian batters barring David Warner and Sean Abbott 

Chasing 400, Australia lost the wickets of Mathew Short and Steve Smith in back-to-back deliveries. Prasidh Krishna dismissed them. David Warner tried his best to revive the Australian innings. That’s when the rain halted the play. In that period, the nature of the pitch became entirely different. After the break, the Indian spinners got the ball to spin.  

Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja turned the ball square. Ashwin with his carrom ball proved to be deadly. Warner tried a lot of things but gave away his wicket as the pressure got the better of him. Australia soon suffered a collapse. From 89/2 at one stage, Australia was reduced to 140/8. For the ninth wicket, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott scored 77 runs. But the target was a bit too much for Australia, as they lost it by a huge margin.  

Here’s how the fans reacted to the news –