Australia defeated India by seven wickets in the rain-curtailed first ODI of the three-match series in Perth. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh praised the young players in his team, particularly Josh Philippe.
“Proud of the way our young guys came out, took the game on, and got us over the line,” Marsh said at the presentation. “He (Josh Philippe) came out and made it look very easy, didn’t he? It’s fun seeing young kids coming in. Well, they’re not necessarily kids — the young guys coming in. You just want them to have fun and enjoy it. In one-day cricket, we don’t always get to play in front of big crowds, so I told them to really enjoy it.”
Australia lost the swashbuckling opener Travis Head early in the second over, with just 10 runs on the scoreboard. Matthew Short also failed to make an impact, as Axar Patel outfoxed him. After the loss of two early wickets, Marsh and Philippe put on a partnership of 55 runs off just 45 balls for the third wicket. That stand effectively sealed the match for Australia. Philippe scored 37, while Marsh remained unbeaten on 46.
Marsh also expressed gratitude to the spectators for their patience amid multiple rain interruptions and praised his team’s composure in tricky conditions.
“The weather played its part today. Big thanks to all the crowd who stuck around. I know days like this can be really frustrating, but it’s nice to get a win. It’s always great to win at home. I love playing for Australia. (On the run chase) It was swinging around a little bit. We knew that was going to be the case for both teams, so it was a bit of a challenge to get through,” he said.
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