Melbourne: Exactly 10 days ago, India's humiliation in the one-off Twenty20 here signalled ominous signs for an inexperienced side, in for another month of pain. Four matches into the Commonwealth Bank Series though, India returned to the MCG, and returned the humiliation to Australia.
India's fast bowlers did a number of their own on the Aussies, but victory didn't come easy for the visitors as they stumbled and scrambled their way to 160, collecting their first win of the series by five wickets with 4.1 overs to spare.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (17 not out) and Rohit Sharma (39 not out) shouldered India over the line at a time when India had looked in quite a bit of a soup at 102-5, securing their first one-day win at the MCG after 21 years.
Once again, Virender Sehwag's bat fired blanks. The Delhi dasher had one boundary off an outer edge to show when Nathan Bracken wrapped him on the pads to send him back. But his opening partner Sachin Tendulkar was in no mood of an early walk back.
After Hayden's 21-ball 25, Tendulkar was the only one who batted with intent. He didn't have many boundaries to show — only three — but they came in one Brett Lee over, and they never came any better than that.
Lee, who is enjoying perhaps his season of utmost content, was steaming in at over 90mph when he ran into Tendulkar's fit of frenzy. The first was carved out through point. The second, probably the best of the lot, was met with fierce power right down the ground that went at the double the speed it was delivered, while the third was even straighter, again at frightening speed.
With runs drying up from the other end, Australia silently worked themselves back in the game. Irfan Pathan, promoted at No. 3, lasted 30 balls for his 18 when he was trapped by Mitchell Johnson, before Gambhir, centurion from the last game, played out a circumspect 43-ball 21 before losing his wicket.
Tendulkar, who had a healthy strike-rate throughout his 44 from 54 balls, too felt the pressure when he was snapped up brilliantly by Brett Lee at mid-off, before Yuvraj Singh's woes were compounded with his dismissal for three.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma chose to remain quiet, prodding and collecting whatever came their way, until cashing in on Australia's part-timers to register a win that got India back on top of the points table.
Electing to bat, Australia folded up inside 44 overs, putting up 159, after having trumped World Cup finalists Sri Lanka in the previous game. The chief architect: 19-year-old Ishant Sharma, with figures of 4-38, completed a spell that perhaps went unfinished in the rain-hit tie against the world champions in Brisbane.
India's fast bowlers did a number of their own on the Aussies, but victory didn't come easy for the visitors as they stumbled and scrambled their way to 160, collecting their first win of the series by five wickets with 4.1 overs to spare.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (17 not out) and Rohit Sharma (39 not out) shouldered India over the line at a time when India had looked in quite a bit of a soup at 102-5, securing their first one-day win at the MCG after 21 years.
Once again, Virender Sehwag's bat fired blanks. The Delhi dasher had one boundary off an outer edge to show when Nathan Bracken wrapped him on the pads to send him back. But his opening partner Sachin Tendulkar was in no mood of an early walk back.
After Hayden's 21-ball 25, Tendulkar was the only one who batted with intent. He didn't have many boundaries to show — only three — but they came in one Brett Lee over, and they never came any better than that.
Lee, who is enjoying perhaps his season of utmost content, was steaming in at over 90mph when he ran into Tendulkar's fit of frenzy. The first was carved out through point. The second, probably the best of the lot, was met with fierce power right down the ground that went at the double the speed it was delivered, while the third was even straighter, again at frightening speed.
With runs drying up from the other end, Australia silently worked themselves back in the game. Irfan Pathan, promoted at No. 3, lasted 30 balls for his 18 when he was trapped by Mitchell Johnson, before Gambhir, centurion from the last game, played out a circumspect 43-ball 21 before losing his wicket.
Tendulkar, who had a healthy strike-rate throughout his 44 from 54 balls, too felt the pressure when he was snapped up brilliantly by Brett Lee at mid-off, before Yuvraj Singh's woes were compounded with his dismissal for three.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma chose to remain quiet, prodding and collecting whatever came their way, until cashing in on Australia's part-timers to register a win that got India back on top of the points table.
Electing to bat, Australia folded up inside 44 overs, putting up 159, after having trumped World Cup finalists Sri Lanka in the previous game. The chief architect: 19-year-old Ishant Sharma, with figures of 4-38, completed a spell that perhaps went unfinished in the rain-hit tie against the world champions in Brisbane.
No comments:
Post a Comment