Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI, Nov 8 – It was a disappointing day for the packed Nehru Stadium crowd here today as just after nine overs of play the match was taken-away off from India. At that crucial juncture India were tottering at 27 for five and never recovered from the early slump.
Finally they managed to surpass the lowest ODI total of 135, that was also scored by India in 1987 against West Indies and were all out for 170, thanks to some courageous batting by Ravindra Jadeja and Praveen Kumar with half centuries.
The Australian batsmen were never in trouble in reaching the target and hit the winning run in 41.5 overs losing just four wickets. With this victory the visiting team confirmed the seven-match series win with an unassailable 4-2 lead.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s gamble to bat first on a tricky wicket backfired as they started losing wickets early. Virender Sehwag’s sixer off Mitchell Johnson in the very first over was the only positive spot of the preliminary stage ofthe match, otherwise it was the darkest part of the entire match when India lost all the top order batsmen in quick succession in a span of nine overs.
It was a truly professional display by the second-rung Australian side as they shot India out for a paltry total in 48 overs.
On a track where the ball turned sharply in the afternoon, Australia rode on Shane Watson’s 49 from as many balls and quickfires from Ricky Ponting (25) and Cameron White (25) to inch closer to the target. Michael Hussey and Adam Voges with unbeaten 35 and 23 respectively took their team home with 8.1overs to spare.
Earlier, opting to bat first India were reduced to 27 for five in nine overs and at that point a three-figure total looked like a dream for the star-studded home team.
However, fortunately Ravindra Jadeja (57) and Praveen Kumar (54 not out), his maiden ODI half-century, stood firmly on the wicket and took the score to 170.
Man-of-the-match Doug Bollinger (5/35) and Mitchell Johnson (3/39) ripped through the Indian batting line up with some beautiful swing bowling which apparently fooled the Indian top order.
Both Bollinger and Johnson made good use of the morning moisture on the track and the mild wind and swung the balls either way. The deliveries which beat Sehwag and Gambhir were extraordinary from Johnson. The balls hit thewickets of both the batsmen through their bats and pads before they could read them.
Tendulkar looked like continuing his golden form of the Hyderabad match but Bollinger disappointed the capacity crowd when he removed the little master with a well judged catch off his own bowling for 10.
Yuvraj Singh departed soon after in an unusual manner. The Bollinger delivery hit him on the pad and the ball jumped over his shoulder. Yuvraj hit the ball while trying to drag his bat and finally the ball knocked thewickets and took off the bail. Suresh Raina also could not last long which brought in Jadeja to the wicket. The pair tried to repair the early damage but Dhoni became a victim of a doubtful LBW decision off Bollinger, adjudged by Shavir Tarapore.
Jadeja and Praveen Kumar got their act together and gave some respectability to the Indian innings adding 74 runs for the eighth wicket partnership. Jadeja hit seven fours and a six in his entertaining knock. Praveen’s unbeaten 54 was studded with seven four, and a six.
SCORECARD
India: Sehwag b Johnson 6, Tendulkar c & b Bollinger 10, Gambhir b Johnson 0, Yuvraj Singh b Bollinger 6, Dhoni lbw b Bollinger 24, Raina c Hauritz b Johnson 0, Jadeja c White b Bollinger 57, Harbhajan Singh b Bollinger 0, P Kumar not out 54, A Nehra b Watson 4, M Patel b Watson 0. Extras (B 1, LB 1, W 4, NB 3) 9. Total (all out in 48overs) 170. Fall of wickets : 1-7, 2-7, 3-23, 4-24, 5-27, 6-75, 7-75, 8-149, 9-170, 10-170. Bowling: M Johnson 9-1-39-3; D Bollinger 10-4-35-5; C McKay, 10-1-44-0, NM Hauritz 9-2-19-0, S Watson 8-0-27-2, A Voges 2-0-4-0.
Australia: S Watson c Sehwag b Harbhajan Singh 49, S Marsh lbw b Patel 6, R Ponting c Raina b Harbhajan Singh 25, C White lbw b Raina 25, M Hussey not out 35, A Voges not out 23. Extras (B 6, LB 2, W 1) 9. Total (for 4wickets in 41.5 overs) 172. Fall of wickets : 1-24, 2-85, 3-90, 4-143. Bowling: P Kumar 2-0-10-0; A Nehra 3-0-21-0; M Patel 4-1-13-1; R Jadeja 10-1-36-0; Harbhajan Singh 10-1-23-2; Yuvraj Singh 7-1-29-0; S Raina 3-0-13-1; V Sehwag 2-0-8-0; S Tendulkar 0.5-0-11-0.
GUWAHATI, Nov 8 – It was a disappointing day for the packed Nehru Stadium crowd here today as just after nine overs of play the match was taken-away off from India. At that crucial juncture India were tottering at 27 for five and never recovered from the early slump.
Finally they managed to surpass the lowest ODI total of 135, that was also scored by India in 1987 against West Indies and were all out for 170, thanks to some courageous batting by Ravindra Jadeja and Praveen Kumar with half centuries.
The Australian batsmen were never in trouble in reaching the target and hit the winning run in 41.5 overs losing just four wickets. With this victory the visiting team confirmed the seven-match series win with an unassailable 4-2 lead.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s gamble to bat first on a tricky wicket backfired as they started losing wickets early. Virender Sehwag’s sixer off Mitchell Johnson in the very first over was the only positive spot of the preliminary stage ofthe match, otherwise it was the darkest part of the entire match when India lost all the top order batsmen in quick succession in a span of nine overs.
It was a truly professional display by the second-rung Australian side as they shot India out for a paltry total in 48 overs.
On a track where the ball turned sharply in the afternoon, Australia rode on Shane Watson’s 49 from as many balls and quickfires from Ricky Ponting (25) and Cameron White (25) to inch closer to the target. Michael Hussey and Adam Voges with unbeaten 35 and 23 respectively took their team home with 8.1overs to spare.
Earlier, opting to bat first India were reduced to 27 for five in nine overs and at that point a three-figure total looked like a dream for the star-studded home team.
However, fortunately Ravindra Jadeja (57) and Praveen Kumar (54 not out), his maiden ODI half-century, stood firmly on the wicket and took the score to 170.
Man-of-the-match Doug Bollinger (5/35) and Mitchell Johnson (3/39) ripped through the Indian batting line up with some beautiful swing bowling which apparently fooled the Indian top order.
Both Bollinger and Johnson made good use of the morning moisture on the track and the mild wind and swung the balls either way. The deliveries which beat Sehwag and Gambhir were extraordinary from Johnson. The balls hit thewickets of both the batsmen through their bats and pads before they could read them.
Tendulkar looked like continuing his golden form of the Hyderabad match but Bollinger disappointed the capacity crowd when he removed the little master with a well judged catch off his own bowling for 10.
Yuvraj Singh departed soon after in an unusual manner. The Bollinger delivery hit him on the pad and the ball jumped over his shoulder. Yuvraj hit the ball while trying to drag his bat and finally the ball knocked thewickets and took off the bail. Suresh Raina also could not last long which brought in Jadeja to the wicket. The pair tried to repair the early damage but Dhoni became a victim of a doubtful LBW decision off Bollinger, adjudged by Shavir Tarapore.
Jadeja and Praveen Kumar got their act together and gave some respectability to the Indian innings adding 74 runs for the eighth wicket partnership. Jadeja hit seven fours and a six in his entertaining knock. Praveen’s unbeaten 54 was studded with seven four, and a six.
SCORECARD
India: Sehwag b Johnson 6, Tendulkar c & b Bollinger 10, Gambhir b Johnson 0, Yuvraj Singh b Bollinger 6, Dhoni lbw b Bollinger 24, Raina c Hauritz b Johnson 0, Jadeja c White b Bollinger 57, Harbhajan Singh b Bollinger 0, P Kumar not out 54, A Nehra b Watson 4, M Patel b Watson 0. Extras (B 1, LB 1, W 4, NB 3) 9. Total (all out in 48overs) 170. Fall of wickets : 1-7, 2-7, 3-23, 4-24, 5-27, 6-75, 7-75, 8-149, 9-170, 10-170. Bowling: M Johnson 9-1-39-3; D Bollinger 10-4-35-5; C McKay, 10-1-44-0, NM Hauritz 9-2-19-0, S Watson 8-0-27-2, A Voges 2-0-4-0.
Australia: S Watson c Sehwag b Harbhajan Singh 49, S Marsh lbw b Patel 6, R Ponting c Raina b Harbhajan Singh 25, C White lbw b Raina 25, M Hussey not out 35, A Voges not out 23. Extras (B 6, LB 2, W 1) 9. Total (for 4wickets in 41.5 overs) 172. Fall of wickets : 1-24, 2-85, 3-90, 4-143. Bowling: P Kumar 2-0-10-0; A Nehra 3-0-21-0; M Patel 4-1-13-1; R Jadeja 10-1-36-0; Harbhajan Singh 10-1-23-2; Yuvraj Singh 7-1-29-0; S Raina 3-0-13-1; V Sehwag 2-0-8-0; S Tendulkar 0.5-0-11-0.
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