Mitchell Marsh hails impact of debutant Matthew Renshaw as Australia claim seven-wicket victory over India in first ODI in Perth
ByTNT UK
Updated 20/10/2025 at 14:25 GMT+1
Stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh lauded Australia's debutants after guiding his side to a comfortable seven-wicket win over India in a rain-affected first ODI at Perth Stadium. India posted 136-9 after 26 overs - revised to 131 under the DLS method - despite brief resistance from their middle order. Marsh praised newcomers Mitchell Owen, Matthew Renshaw, and Matthew Kuhnemann for stepping up.
Highlights: Australia cruise past India in rain-shortened first ODI
Video credit: TNT Sports
Stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh hailed the impact of Australia's debutants after a comfortable seven-wicket victory was secured over India in Sunday's rain-affected first One-Day International at Perth Stadium.
Despite brief resistance in the middle order, India managed just 136-9 after 26 overs - a total that was adjusted to 131 under the DLS method due to the rain delays.
Australia made light work of the chase. While the ball offered some movement early on, Marsh anchored the innings with an unbeaten 46, guiding his side home with 29 balls to spare. He was well supported by Josh Philippe (37), as Australia reached 131-3 in 21.1 overs.
Marsh, who was named Player of the Match despite battling cramps, reserved special praise for ODI newcomers Mitchell Owen, Matthew Renshaw and Matthew Kuhnemann. All stepped up in the absence of Pat Cummins, wicketkeeper Alex Carey, and spinner Adam Zampa.
Renshaw took three catches and scored an unbeaten 21, and Marsh said on his impact: "He came out and made it look very easy, didn't he?
"It's fun to get young kids coming in. They're not necessarily young kids - the young guys coming in. You just want them to have fun and enjoy it. In one-day cricket, we don't get to play in front of big crowds all the time, so I told them to really enjoy it."
Put in to bat after Marsh won the toss, India never found their rhythm on a surface offering pace and bounce. All three of the rain delays occurred during the Indian innings, but the top order had already collapsed before the first interruption.
Rohit Sharma, returning to action for the first time since the IPL in June alongside fellow veteran Virat Kohli, was the first to fall. He edged Josh Hazlewood to second slip for eight off 14 deliveries in the fourth over.
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India celebrate taking Phillipe wicket
Image credit: Getty Images
Kohli’s return was even more short-lived - he fell for a first-ball duck, driving at a wide delivery from Mitchell Starc in the seventh over and finding Cooper Connolly, who pulled off a sharp catch at backward point.
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Shubman Gill followed soon after, strangled down the leg side by Nathan Ellis off the first ball of the ninth over. His dismissal left India reeling at 27-3 - a position from which they never truly recovered.
Marsh, who hit his unbeaten 46 off 52 balls, acknowledged that conditions weren’t entirely straightforward despite the modest target.
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'Comprehensive performance' from Austrailia to kick off series with seven-wicket win
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"The weather played its part today," he added. "Big thanks to all the crowd that stuck around. I know these days can be really frustrating, but it's nice to get a win. It's always nice to win at home. I love playing for Australia.
"I think we were 0-3 here - we're away! It’s nice for us as a team to get that hoodoo off our back."
The all-rounder has claimed he plans to be "six beers deep" by lunchtime on the first day of the first Test against England - but has left the door open for selection for the Ashes series.
Questions are growing over whether the stand-in ODI captain should be reintroduced to the Test fold after also hitting a ton and an 85 in separate T20I matches against New Zealand and a century and an 88 during his side’s recent ODI series against South Africa.
Marsh was pressed about whether he could return to Test cricket to feature for Australia against England in Perth on November 21.
"I’m going to be six beers deep by lunch on day one, mate," the 33-year-old told ABC when he was asked if the best way for him to be in attendance for the first Test was through being out on the pitch.
When asked if he would consider a return if he hit another century with the ODI squad, Marsh added: "Oh, I would never say no to playing Test cricket again... not at this stage again."
Marsh has averaged 76.85 with a superb strike rate of 122.55 this year, fuelling speculation of an Ashes call-up.
A lot of people will be keeping a keen eye on his form during this series with intrigue.
"He’s in some serious form at the moment," Philippe told Fox Cricket. "He looks like he’s hitting the ball beautifully. It’s always the dream to play for Australia. It’s been a long wait - I wasn’t sure if I was going to get another opportunity. I feel like I’m hitting the ball really nicely at the moment."
Gill: We were always trying to play catch-up
India captain Gill admitted his side were on the back foot from the outset after the early dismissals of himself, Sharma and Kohli.
Despite a late rally from KL Rahul (38), Axar Patel (31) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (19*), Gill’s tenure as India’s ODI captain began on the same note as his Test leadership debut — with a defeat.
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Hazelwood 'nags, nibbles and gets the reward' with early wicket of Sharma
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Reflecting on the seven-wicket loss to Australia, Gill said his team struggled to regain momentum after the top-order collapse and were never able to post a competitive total.
"It's never easy when you lose three wickets in the Powerplay — you're always trying to play catch-up. There were a lot of learnings and positives as well," said Gill after the contest.
The result not only handed Gill a loss in his first match as 50-over skipper but also ended India’s eight-match winning streak in ODIs this year.
India will now look to regroup quickly ahead of the second ODI as they aim to level the series and get their new era under Gill back on track.
The second ODI will take place in Adelaide on Thursday, with the series concluding in Sydney on Saturday before the two teams begin a five-match T20 series.
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