Perth, Oct 20:After spending nearly five months on the road with the Australian squad and featuring in just two matches, left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann finally had his moment — albeit after a long wait and four separate rain interruptions — during Australia’s seven-wicket win over India in the first ODI at Perth on Sunday.
Making his first international appearance on home soil, Kuhnemann watched patiently as the home side’s pace duo, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, ripped through India’s top order early on. The visitors were reeling at 52 for 4 when the fourth rain delay halted play for almost an hour.
When the skies eventually cleared, the contest was reduced to a 26-over-a-side affair. With Starc and Hazlewood having already bowled out their quota, Kuhnemann was entrusted with finishing the innings — a task that tested both his nerve and skill against a resurgent Indian lineup looking to accelerate after their early collapse.
The 29-year-old spinner rose to the occasion. Drawing upon months of experience traveling with Australia’s white-ball squads across series in the West Indies, South Africa, and New Zealand, Kuhnemann delivered a disciplined four-over spell that proved crucial in containing the world’s top-ranked ODI side.“At one stage I didn’t think I’d get to bowl with all those rain breaks,” Kuhnemann told reporters after the match. “Bowling at the death is never easy, but I’ve been preparing for that role over the past six months in T20s, and it definitely came in handy today.”His persistence paid off as he went 20 balls without conceding a boundary, taking two key wickets that halted India’s late charge. Thanks to his efforts, India could only muster 136 for 9 from their 26 overs.Under the revised target of 131 via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, stand-in skipper Mitch Marsh led Australia’s reply with a fluent, unbeaten 46. The hosts cruised home with 29 balls to spare, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series.Australia’s death bowling has long been spearheaded by Adam Zampa, who has excelled in the closing overs across formats since 2020. But with Zampa unavailable for the Perth game due to family reasons, Kuhnemann seamlessly filled the role. (Agencies)
