PERTH: The much-anticipated return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma ended abruptly within 22 balls, as both senior batters fell cheaply in India’s seven-wicket defeat to Australia in the rain-affected first ODI here on Sunday.

Their low-key outings set the tone for a sub-par performance that saw India concede a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Asked to bat first, India laboured to 136 for 9 in a match reduced to 26 overs a side due to multiple rain interruptions. The hosts were handed a revised DLS target of 131 and comfortably chased it down in 21.1 overs.

Travis Head was dismissed early by Arshdeep Singh, slicing a delivery to Harshit Rana at deep third man. Matthew Short also departed without making any significant contribution.

However, local favourite and skipper Mitchell Marsh (46 not out off 52 balls) used his brute strength to keep Australia in control, stitching together a crucial 55-run stand with Josh Philippe (37 off 29 balls).

The Indian pace trio of Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Siraj and Harshit Rana failed to match the accuracy of their Australian counterparts, frequently offering loose deliveries. Marsh capitalised, striking a six each off all three pacers. A standout moment came when he executed an inside-out lofted shot over the covers off Siraj.

Philippe provided able support to his captain with a busy knock, and his dismissal came as a minor hiccup in Australia’s dominant march towards victory.

Earlier, India’s momentum was severely disrupted by weather interruptions and a relentless display of new-ball bowling from Australia, with KL Rahul (38 off 30 balls) being the lone bright spot.

Rohit (8), playing his 500th match for India, walked in with captain Shubman Gill to loud cheers from the Perth crowd. He played a delightful straight drive off Mitchell Starc, evoking memories of his vintage form.

But his innings ended soon after, when Josh Hazlewood extracted steep bounce from a back-of-length delivery. The ball took the edge of Rohit's bat and was caught by debutant Matthew Renshaw at second slip.

Kohli, greeted with even louder applause, could not produce his trademark brilliance. In a pre-match conversation, he had remarked how Australia often brought out his best.

On this occasion, Starc induced a loose drive outside off-stump, resulting in Kohli’s edge being brilliantly caught by Cooper Connolly at backward point. It marked Kohli’s first ODI duck in Australia.

Both veterans will need substantial contributions in the upcoming ODIs in Adelaide and Sydney to reaffirm their long-term place in the squad.

Unlike his senior partners, Gill looked composed but was dismissed attempting a casual flick off Nathan Ellis, edging down the leg side to wicketkeeper Philippe. Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer fell similarly, gloving a bouncer from Hazlewood to Philippe, as India slipped to 45 for four in the 14th over.

India regained some stability through a 39-run fifth-wicket partnership between Axar Patel (31) and Rahul before Axar was dismissed by spinner Matthew Kuhnemann. Rahul impressed with his control against the bounce, executing a textbook straight drive and a pull off Ellis for consecutive boundaries.

Rahul accelerated once the spinners came on, striking two sixes in a row off Matthew Short. He and Washington Sundar added 30 runs for the sixth wicket, but regular wickets in the limited number of overs stifled India’s late acceleration.

Australia’s composed chase ensured a comfortable win, etching a commanding start to the series and raising questions over India’s batting resilience ahead of the next fixtures.

Brief scores:
India: 136 for 9 in 26 overs (KL Rahul 38, Axar Patel 31; Matthew Kuhnemann 2/26, Josh Hazlewood 2/20, Mitchell Owen 2/20).
Australia: 131 for 3 in 21.1 overs (Mitchell Marsh 46 not out, Josh Philippe 37).