Win Projections to be updated soon
Perth, 19 October 2025:
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh said India could only “adapt and give their best” after rain interruptions and a tricky surface contributed to their seven-wicket defeat to Australia in the opening ODI at Optus Stadium.
“You can’t control the weather,” Arshdeep said after finishing with one wicket in the rain-shortened match. “The rule is the same for both teams. You just have to adapt as quickly as possible and give your best in whatever situation you’re in. Some days the results go your way, some days they don’t, what matters is how you back yourself and follow the process.”
The 26-year-old said the stop-start nature of the match made batting difficult. “It was a good contest wicket,” he said. “There was assistance for the bowlers, but if you spent time at the crease, you could score runs. KL [Rahul] and Axar [Patel] showed that. But with the constant rain breaks, it was tough for the batters to maintain focus. Credit also goes to Australia’s bowlers — they hit the right areas and used the conditions well.”
Asked about adapting to the ODI format, Arshdeep said the approach changes compared to T20s. “In one-day cricket, you need a mix of patience and intent,” he said. “With the new ball, you have to bowl Test-match lengths and set up batters, but in the last few overs, the T20 mindset kicks in. I’m trying to adapt quickly and read situations better.”
On Shubman Gill’s ODI captaincy debut, Arshdeep was full of praise. “Both Rohit [Sharma] and Shubman are great for bowlers,” he said. “They give you freedom to bowl to your plans. Today, Shubman backed us completely. Even with limited runs on the board, his message was simple, express yourself and enjoy the moment. It’s just the start for him, and I’m sure he’ll do really well as captain.”
Arshdeep said he was confident Gill would find runs soon in the series. “He’s already played a lot of cricket for India,” he said. “Form is just a word for him. It’s a blessing to share a dressing room with him, and I’m sure there are plenty of runs coming his way.”
