The spotlight in Perth was firmly on the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who made their return to international cricket after seven months. The two stalwarts, however, failed to leave a mark with the bat, and while the media dissected their struggles, another issue quietly emerged on the field — India’s glaring lack of wicket-taking options with the ball.

The 1st ODI exposed a vulnerability that was overshadowed by Ro-Ko's failure on Sunday. Interestingly, India’s top order was the same as the one that played the 2023 ODI World Cup, and looked solid on paper, but the bottom half, i.e, the bowling unit lacked serious bite. The absence of an experienced, attacking option beyond the new ball meant Australia could bat with confidence, particularly in the middle overs, where wickets are

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