India flex their muscle with big series-clinching win

Australia's stuttering World Cup lead in has been handed another harsh reality check as India romped to a series-clinching victory in the second ODI in Indore.

Minus captain Pat Cummins and spearhead Mitchell Starc, the visitors' attack was belted around Holkar Stadium on Sunday, narrowly avoiding conceding 400 for the second time in four matches.

After stand-in skipper Steve Smith sent India in, the hosts racked up 5-399 – their highest total against Australia in men's one-day internationals.

The visitors stumbled out of the blocks in reply with Matt Short – elevated from No.8 to open as Mitch Marsh was rested – and Steve Smith both wafting at wide deliveries from Prasidh Krishna (2-56) and fell in consecutive balls in the second over.

Not even a 73-minute rain delay could halt India's momentum or save Australia from a fifth-straight defeat, as David Warner even tried facing up right-handed to haul in a revised target of 317 in 33 overs.

He was out lbw for 53 (39) trying to reverse sweep Ravichandran Ashwin (3-41) as a right-hander after successfully conventionally sweeping him for four with his opposite hand the over prior.

Replays later showed a faint under edge meaning Warner would have survived had he opted to review.

Cameron Green's amateur dismissal summed up a dreadful day for Australia, failing to ground his bat over the crease line and was run out by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan's direct hit.

Sean Abbott (54) and Josh Hazlewood (23) added some respectability to the scorecard late with the visitors' second highest partnership of the innings (for the ninth wicket), but they were bowled out for 217 in the 29th over to lose by 99 runs under the Duckworth Lewis Stern (DLS) method.

Despite the absence of key figures Cummins and Starc, the inability of Australia's attack to stem the flow of boundaries since the second ODI of their South African tour is beginning to become a headache for coach Andrew McDonald.

Green (2-103) was belted for nine sixes (half of the 18 hit by India), one of which landed on top of the Anil Kumble Stand, the second of two hits to clear the structure bearing the name of the great Indian leg-spinner after Shubman Gill deposited Adam Zampa onto the roof on his way to a sublime century.

Australia have now conceded 75 sixes in their last six one-day internationals, as many as they'd been hit for in their 24 matches prior, dating back to their first ODI against the West Indies in July 2021.

After Hazlewood removed Ruturaj Gaikwad in third over, Gill (104) and Shreyas Iyer (105) put Australia's bowlers to the sword with 200-run stand for the second wicket.

Gill continued his ominous purple patch ahead of next month's World Cup, finding the boundary with ease as he registered his sixth ODI hundred and second in a little over a week after his 121 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup.

The opener has scored 480 runs already this month striking at 99.4, with two centuries and three half-centuries in six Asia Cup innings and the first two ODIs against Australia.

Iyer battled a cramp in his hand during his 90-ball knock, and after reaching his third ODI century he survived a caught and bowled catch the third umpire deemed Abbott had grounded while not in control of his body, reminiscent of the one Starc was denied off Ben Duckett during the Lord's Ashes Test.

He promptly smashed the next ball over mid-wicket for four before holing out to Short off Abbott (1-91) the following delivery.

The assault didn't stop following the pair's departure as India's stand-in skipper KL Rahul continued from where he left off in the first ODI with a 38-ball 52 and Ishan Kishan contributed 31 off 18.

It was then time for the SKY show; India's 360-degree wonder Suryakumar Yadav showing no mercy as he blasted Green for four consecutive sixes to start the 44th over.

Green's best over was his last, conceding just five to help keep the hosts under 400 as Suryakumar finished 72no from 37, his second half-century on the trot after a run of 19 ODI innings without one.

The experienced Hazlewood (1-62) – who, according to Opta, executed Australia's only yorker for the innings in the 48th over – and Zampa (1-67) were the pick of the bowlers.

Debutant Spencer Johnson's first cost 13 and he later left the field without completing his final two overs due to minor hamstring soreness. The left-armer also suffered a hamstring injury in South Africa that kept him out of the five-match ODI series.

India take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series as the two sides head to Rajkot for the final game on Wednesday.

2023 Qantas Tour of India

September 22: India win by five wickets

September 24: India win by 99 runs (DLS method)

September 27: Third ODI, Rajkot (D/N), 6pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

India squad for first two ODIs: KL Rahul (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan , Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

India squad for the third ODI: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj