Story India's quest for glory 2.0 - 4th ODI - IND vs AUS 342/5 (50) - Hughes breaks ODI record

[Hamish]

It's been a while since I've visited this section of the forums, and I thought I should have another crack at a story, this time on ICC 2009. For those who are interested, you can find my first ever story here: http://www.planetcricket.org/forums/cricket-games-stories-strategies-online-leagues/indias-quest-glory-story-finished-20027.html

I hope you guys enjoy this one!

PS: I'm ignoring the Champions Trophy, which does not exist on ICC 2009

No surprises as India announces its squad for the ODI series against Australia

The Indian selectors today announced its 15 man squad that will play a gruelling 7 match one day series against Australia, who are currently ranked number 1 in a heated tussle for the top spot alongside South Africa and India.

Recent successes in the one day format, namely the victory in the West Indies, as well Sri Lanka, through claiming the Compaq Cup, has seen India hesistant to change its winning combination. The batting order is essentially the same, led by the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid, Sehwag and Gambhir. The selectors have decided to show faith in Rohit Sharma, who also joins the squad.

India, who have to still cope with Zaheer Khan's injury, a vital pace spearhead, have persisted with Ashish Nehra who will continue the lead the attack, along side Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar and RP Singh. Harbhajan and Mishra are the frontline spinners, however it is likely that Dhoni will go with just the one spin bowler, who will be supported by part timers such as Sehwag, Yusuf Pathan and Yuvraj Singh.

Dhoni was quick to assert that India still had a long way to go to truly capture that number 1 spot, and that Australia would test how the team has matured as an ODI powerhouse.

"It's been very pleasing how the boys have held themselves through our recent campaigns, and to cap it off with a series win would be the icing on the cake. However, to really match Australia, we must not only intensify our batting and bowling, but our fielding as well, which is an area of concern".

Dhoni was also not too concerned over the absence of Zaheer Khan. "Yes, it is disappointing to not have Zaheer along, but we have plenty of capable paceman who can do the job".

Indian squad (15): MS Dhoni (captain), Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh

Australia also named 18 players for the tour, the most notable inclusion being Andrew Symonds, the result of extensive talks with Cricket Australia. However, it is clear that any future misdemeanors will be the last straw.

Australian squad (18): Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Phil Hughes, Phil Jaques, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey, Brad Haddin, Shane Watson, Cameron White, Andrew Symonds, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Brett Dorey, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Peter Siddle, Shaun Tait, Doug Bollinger

9 October - 1st ODI - Jaipur (D/N)

11 October - 2nd ODI - Nagpur (D/N)

13 October - 3rd ODI - Delhi (D/N)

15 October - 4th ODI - Mohali (D/N)

17 Ocotber - 5th ODI - Hyderabad (D/N)

19 October - 6th ODI - Guwahati

21 October - 7th ODI - Mumbai (D/N)

Images: Tendulkar, with an average of 53.60 at home against Australia, will yet again be the key for another ODI success for India. Andrew Symond's inclusion is a big risk, which could either strengthen the Australian unit, or lead to fallout.

 

[Prithvi]

Cool start. Waiting for further updates.
And, you'd have totally posted an Image of Cricinfo homepage.

 

[Hamish]

1st ODI: India vs Australia - 1st Innings

Welcome to Jaipur for the first game of a long ODI series, starting with this day nighter. The atmosphere is cracking, with plenty of people turning up to see what these two formidable teams have to offer. Due to sweltering conditions here, the pitch is dry, and has cracks, so looks like both the seamers and spinners could get some rewards today. The pitch is not expected to detiorate too much however, as it looks to be holding well.

Dhoni calls heads, and Ponting wins the toss, electing to field. Surprising considering the heat during the afternoon, however Ponting believes that dew could make bowling difficult at night.

India: 1. Sachin Tendulkar 2. Virender Sehwag 3. Gautam Gambhir 4. Rahul Dravid 5. Yuvraj Singh 6. Suresh Raina 7. MS Dhoni (c)(wk) 8. Harbhajan Singh 9. Praveen Kumar 10. Ishant Sharma 11. Ashish Nehra

Australia: 1. Phil Hughes 2. Simon Katich 3. Ricky Ponting (c) 4. Michael Hussey 5. Michael Clarke 6. Shane Watson 7. Brad Haddin (wk) 8. Andrew Symonds 9. Mitchell Johnson 10. Nathan Bracken 11. Peter Siddle

India choked by Australia as they struggle to 206

Openers Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag strode out, and gave India a swashbuckling start, putting on 55 runs in just 7.5 overs. Tendulkar led the way, with his trademark off drives, as well as unleashing some fierce pulls, including one six. Both openers fed off some wayward bowling from Siddle, before Tendulkar (35 off 28 balls) nicked an outswinger from Mitchell Johnson to the hands of Hussey at first slip. Gambhir started in emphatic fashion, slogging his first delivery, off Johnson, for six over mid wicket.

However, Bracken tightened the scoring to keep Sehwag and Gambhir quite, before Watson struck in his first over, getting Gambhir (20) to edge a loose drive to Haddin, leaving India at 81/2, with Sehwag not out on 23 off 33 balls. Dravid came in, however Sehwag followed soon after, top edging a cut shot off Watson to deep point, reducing India further to 95/3 off 17 overs.

Yuvraj joined in, only to be let off on 9, skying a catch to square leg which was dropped by White. Dravid looked strong, however Bracken got an inswinger to rap him plumb lbw, dismissing him for 22 off 21 balls. Raina then edged Bracken to slip next ball, for a golden duck, leaving India struggling at 123/5. Symonds found success quickly, enticing Yuvraj to come down the pitch, and was promptly stumped for 19, India at an embarrasing situation at 128/6.

Dhoni entered, and held ship, as the tail end collapsed around him. Dhoni, who has been a reliable one day batsman of late, looked to keep strike, and managed to score an unbeaten 58 off 76 balls, as India struggled to 206 all out off 48.1 overs.

All the Australian bowlers chipped in, with Watson leading the way with figures of 3/40.

India, and Dhoni in particular, will be extremely disappointed with that total, considering the start they had. The middle order just did not hold together, and gave way to some tight bowling by the Australians. However, the pitch is tough to bat on, and chasing will be difficult.

 

[gutterman]

Great bowling by Australia to restrict India to a lowish total on a good wicket. Dhoni showing his form of late is a good sign for India. India Have to bowl well to win this i feel.

great work mate. good write up, very enjoyable for me kutgw

 

[Hamish]

1st ODI: India vs Australia - 2nd Innings

Great bowling by Australia to restrict India to a lowish total on a good wicket. Dhoni showing his form of late is a good sign for India. India Have to bowl well to win this i feel.

great work mate. good write up, very enjoyable for me kutgw

Cheers mate

Welcome back to Jaipur, where Australia have put themselves on top through some clinical and tidy bowling. India will really have to fight hard, as Australia have a deep batting lineup, with Symonds at 7 and Mitchell Johnson at 8. Let's take you back to the action...

Australia skittled out for a paltry 153

The Australians got off to a good start in chase of a modest target, as the Indian bowlers failed to get much movement in the air and off the pitch. Nehra and Kumar found controlling the ball tough with the dew that often appears during night games in India. Phil Hughes and Simon Katich played calculated strokes, as they put on a steady opening partnership of 63 off 13.5 overs. Ashish Nehra, however, struck on the last ball of his spell, bowling Katich (26 off 37) with one that cut back and kept low. Not long after, Dhoni's captaincy came into the mix, with Phil Hughes edging a doosra off Harbhajan to short leg, thus heading back to the pavilion for, what was up till then, a composed innings of 44 off 59 balls

Ponting and Hussey were the new batsmen in, and Ishant Sharma kept proceedings very tight, getting Ponting to play and miss some good swing bowling. Harbhajan fed off the frustration, and scalped Ponting (1 off 16 balls), who edged a cut shot to Dravid at slip, putting Australia at 84/3. Michael Hussey similiarly found scoring tough, and fell to Harbhajan as well for 17, bottom edging a cut shot onto his thigh, which popped up to short leg.

Spin seemed the way to go, and Dhoni was not afraid to give the part timers a go, despite Ishant Sharma's fiery 7 over spell of bowling. Michael Clarke looked fairly steady against spin, but the same could not be said for Shane Watson, who on 14, edged and expansive drive off Sehwag, which was excellently caught by Dhoni, reducing Australia to 139/5. Soon after, more ingenious field positioning saw the end of Haddin (1), who fell victim to a Sehwag top spinner, failing to keep a defensive shot down that went straight to short mid on. Australia really began to look worried with the score at 146/6, with 61 runs still needed.

A solid partnership between Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds was needed to allay any fears, however the plan went down the drain, as Suresh Raina runout Clarke for 37 with a direct hit, when Symonds looked for a sharp single to the on side. Australia took the powerplay in the 40th over, with the required run rate creeping above 6, and with that came yet another wicket, Sehwag yet again striking, trapping Symonds plumb lbw for just 3 off 16 balls.

Ishant Sharma claimed 2 wickets to clean up the tail, including the dismissal of Johnson, involving a stunning full length diving catch by Yuvraj Singh at gully. Australia were blown over, and were dismissed for 153 off 42.2 overs, giving India a 53 run win.

MS Dhoni was named man of the match for his vital knock of 58 not out.


On a pitch that would be slightly tough for batting from the outset, India have pulled off a great win. Faced with defending a low target, the bowlers, especially the spinners, were equally as tidy as the Australians, yet more penetrative. The fielding, which has been a concern for India, was also very effective, and the runout of Michael Clarke was crucial.

India now lead the series 1-0.

Next: Cricinfo previews the 2nd ODI

 

[Hamish]

India look to gain higher ground

Preview at Nagpur

Match Facts
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Start Time 14.30

Big Picture
India may have won the first game, but don't necessarily have momentum going clearly their way. The way the Australians bowled again raises the issues of the adaptability of the batsmen when faced with less scoring options, and India will look to rectify that by creating more substantial partnerships, before accelerating. The bowling was encouraging, with the spinners looking dangerous on what wasn't a overly tough pitch. However, the fast bowling stock didn't have much to write about, with Nehra and Praveen Kumar looking ineffective for most of their overs. Ishant Sharma bowled in fiery burst, but failed to capitalise on them, until claiming the consolation of two tail end wickets.

India will look to win and go up 2-0 to take some much needed momentum, against what another top team that has been wounded and cornered, and is ready to strike back.

From Australia's point of view, this is where they are the most dangerous, Often, in situation where other teams feel they have the men from down under cornered, the Australians hit back with such force that it often leaves other teams in a state of bewilderment. Australia's paceman are the most likely to lead the fightback, each one of them a proven wicket taker. Andrew Symonds also proves to be a viable spin option, along with the part timers of Michael Clarke and Simon Katich.

The way the Australians played spin in the last game is an area of concern, but for most of the batsmen, especially Clarke, it hasn't been more than a temporary problem. If the middle order can build on the kind of start Hughes and Katich can give, Australia are well on their way to posing more than a challenge to India.

Form Guide
(last five matches, most recent first, Champions Trophy 2009 not included)
India - WWLWN

Australia - LLWWW

Watch out for...
Sachin Tendulkar always brings it up a notch when it comes to playing Australia, and expect no different this time. Age does not seem to be taking a toll, and Sachin looked in full flow in the first game, even outdoing Sehwag on what was a tough pitch, before a fatal edge. If he gets going, expect him to stay for a considerable amount of the overs available to India, and Australia could find themselves staring down the barrel of an imposing total. Tendulkar's spin can't be taken for granted either, and could come in handy if Sehwag and Yuvraj leak runs.

Mitchell Johnson has gotten 25 wickets at an average of 20.24 against the Indian prior to this series, with 15 of those in India at 19.53 a piece. It is clear that Johnson's pace often gets a few of the Indian batsmen undone through his bounce, and he could provide the fuel needed to spark some of the batsmen's weakness against the short ball.


Team News
After just one game in the series, it is unlikely that either team is going to change its composition. After batting failures by both sides, the last thing they will do is chop and change the batting orders, while all the bowlers performed reasonably. It is likely though that Dhoni may consider moving up to avoid having to bat with the tail. India may consider fielding two frontline spinners depending on conditions, considering the success of spin so far. Similiarly, Australia could opt for another spinner in the form of Cameron White, but that would mean sacrificing a pacer, which Ponting may not be ready to do considering their previous performance.

India (probable): 1 Sachin Tendulkar 2 Virender Sehwag 3 Gautam Gambhir 4 Rahul Dravid 5 Yuvraj Singh 6 MS Dhoni (c)(wk) 7 Suresh Raina 8 Harbhajan Singh 9 Praveen Kumar/Amit Mishra 10 Ishant Sharma 11 Ashish Nehra

Australia (probable): 1 Phil Hughes 2 Simon Katich 3 Ricky Ponting 4 Michael Hussey 5 Michael Clarke 6 Shane Watson 7 Andrew Symonds 8 Brad Haddin (wk) 9 Mitchell Johnson 10 Nathan Bracken 11 Pete Siddle

Pitch and Conditions
The forecast looks to be good, with warm temperatures. The pitch at Nagpur is expected to be on the flatter side, with a hint of grass to provide something for the seamers earlier on, and the spinners should come into player later in the day.

Quotes
"It was a good win, but in terms of the series, it doesn't set us apart. We have a lot of things to improve, and a long way to go before we can claim any sort of momentum over the Australians"
- MS Dhoni refuses to look anywhere but ahead to the next 6 games.

"India played very well, but we had our positives as well. Our bowling was spot on, but the batting wasn't adequately planned or executed, but we're confident it was just one blip. It happens time to time, and I'm sure we'll be back to where we want to be in the next game"
- Ricky Ponting shrugs off the last game in support of the batsmen and gears up for another anticipated contest.

Image: Mitchell Johnson will prove to be a vital key if Australia are to restrict the Indian batsmen

 

[gutterman]

A good win in the end for India. The Bowlers stayed composed and got the job done. India still look the better side despite their average batting performance against Australia's pace attack.
good write once again mate kutgw

 

[Hamish]

2nd ODI - India vs Australia - 1st Innings

Greetings from Nagpur for this second day-night clash between the two teams, here at one of the finest and most modern cricket stadiums in India, and infact the world. There's another very good turnout to see this all important fixture. Conditions are warm, and the pitch looks dry, with nothing much in offer for the pace bowlers, while the spinners will look like getting some good turn as the match progresses. There is, however, considerable cloud cover, expected for the whole day, which made aid swing bowling.

Dhoni has correctly called heads and elected to bat. Both sides have named identical teams to that of the 1st ODI.

Dravid, Gambhir set Australia a target of 282

Similiar to the first game, Sachin Tendulkar got off to a flowing start, timing his shots to perfection from the word go. However, the mood was dampened by the early wicket of Sehwag in the 4th over, Mitchell Johnson bowling him with an inswinger for just 2. Despite the amount of swing both the opening bowlers got, Tendulkar powered on in vintage style, racing to 50 off just 45 balls as India moved to a solid 72/1 off 13 overs.

​

As Gautam Gambhir cautiously moved to in excess of 20, Tendulkar fell shortly after, victim to a prodigious inswinger from Shane Watson, which bowled Tendulkar for 56 off 51 balls, ending a 64 run partnership. Gambhir and Dravid proceeded to see the shine off the new ball, before Dravid accelerated through a combination of teriffic timing and placement, while Gambhir played a tempered approach. Both batsmen reached 50 in a partnership of 116, Dravid making 76 runs off just 71, including 12 fours and 1 six, before being trapped lbw by Johnson. Dravid's wicket brought the score to 199/3 off 35.5 overs.

Yuvraj Singh failed to keep the momentum going, when he skied a catch off Johnson to deep point to be dismissed for just 1. Gambhir attempted to accelerate, making 76 off 104, before holing out to Michael Clarke at deep mid off, to give Johnson his 4th wicket. Dhoni (19) and Suresh Raina (39) pushed India forward, before Watson cleaned up the tail, with India making a solid 281 off 48 overs.

​

So India have managed to put on a relatively substantial total thanks to Dravid and Gambhir, despite Mitchell Johnson's efforts. The middle and lower order were unable to capitalise on the strong start, and India may feel they are 20 runs short of a safe total. The pitch is good for batting, and the game is very wide open, and the way the Australians play spin today may decide the game.

 

[Gary123]

281 is a good total by Indians.
Sachin,Dravid and Gambhir batted well.
It's upto the bowlers now.

 

[Hamish]

2nd ODI - India vs Australia - 2nd Innings

Welcome back to Nagpur, where Australia have a target of 282 runs to win in front of them. The pitch may turn more as the game goes on, but it still looks a cracker.

Watson's all round show seals the deal for Australia

The Indians got off to a good start, with Nehra and Praveen Kumar getting the ball to move through the air, culminating in the early wicket of Simon Katich, who, on just 9, tamely popped up a return catch to Praveen Kumar. However, Hughes and Ponting got set and managed to steadily build a partnership. They both put on 40 runs together, before Praveen Kumar struck again, bowling Hughes (24 off 36 balls) around his legs with an outswinger. As Ponting battled on, Michael Hussey entered, only to look very scratchy, playing down the wrong line to many deliveries, an indicator that Mr. Cricket is continuing to find batting tough. Hussey struggled in making 15 off 35 balls, before being bowled by Harbhajan, leaving Australia at 86/3 off 19.5 overs, with pressure building.

Ponting and Clarke lead a dramatic comeback, as they targeted both Harbhajan and Sehwag, scoring at a brisk rate to put India off its game plan. Ponting scored his half century at a run-a-ball, with Clarke providing able support. Dhoni then gave the ball to Yuvraj, who struck in his 2nd over, trapping Ponting lbw for a run a ball 71, Australia in a slightly more comfortable position at 172/4 off 31 overs. Yuvraj provided the breakthrough again in his 3rd over, surprising Clarke with a quick yorker to the toe, with the easiest of lbw decisions confirmed, Clarke falling short of a half century with 46 runs off 44 balls.

​

Shane Watson and Brad Haddin then led an emphatic recovery, as they feasted on some wayward bowling from Ishant Sharma and Ashish Nehra. Haddin was particularly brutal, scoring 47 off 37 balls including two 6s, before top edging Nehra to Dravid at third man. Australia at this point were now ahead of the game at 251/6 off 42.2 overs, thanks to the 74 run partnership between Watson and Haddin. Australia benefited with their long batting lineup, with Symonds coming at number 8. Shane Watson put the result beyond doubt, punishing the wayward seamers, as he raced to 54 not out off 43 balls, Australia reaching 284/6 off 47.1 overs, winning by 4 wickets with 17 balls to spare.

Shane Watson was awarded the man of the match for his important unbeaten half century, and his 4 wickets that cleaned up India and denied them a chance to fully capitalise on a good start.

So, Australia have shown a great deal of resilience to bring down a good total after regular wickets. Ponting and Clarke laid the platform, before Watson and Haddin took the game away with some brisk scoring. The Indian bowlers were disappointing, and lacked the discipline that they showed in the first game.

The series is now level at 1-1 with 5 games remaining.

Next: Preview of the 3rd ODI

 

[gutterman]

it was a good turnaround batting wise for both teams. unlucky for india not to get the win though. great presentation kutgw

 

[Hamish]

Series heats up as both teams look to gain the advantage

Preview at Delhi

Match Facts
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Start Time 14.30

Big Picture
With the series at 1-1, both India and Australia will be vying to stamp their presence in this game, as whoever loses will have the unenviable task of having to win 3 out of 4 games to claim the series. Both teams sparked a turnaround in terms of their batting through putting up solid totals, however Australia will be more confident, as their lower order performed more admirably than that of India's.

The Australian bowling attack was carried by the efforts of Johnson and Watson, as well as some economical figures from Bracken, but they will be hoping that Siddle and the part time spinners make a lasting impression. India on the other hand will have some concerns over their pace bowlers, who were erratic in the last game, and Dhoni would prefer not to have to depend on the spinners.

Again, it will be very hard to predict a winner for this game based on form, and the crowd should be in for a treat.

Form Guide
(last five matches, most recent first, Champions Trophy 2009 not included)
India - LWWLW

Australia - WLLWW

Watch out for...
Yuvraj Singh has had a poor run of innings in ODIs so far recently, averaging only 12 in his last 6 matches. The pressure will be on him to perform in this match, as Rohit Sharma and Yusuf Pathan are waiting in the ranks and raring to go, and if Yuvraj plays this match and fails, he could almost certainly be replaced.

Shane Watson has had a great year so far in ODIs, averaging 46.43 with the bat and 27.62 with the ball. In the two games so far, Shane Watson has provided the breakthroughs, and troubled a few of the batsmen with the swing he extracted with the ball, and he could well be a key factor in this game as well.

Team News
Neither side is likely to change their lineups, however Dhoni may opt to replace the underpeforming Yuvraj with either Rohit Sharma or Yusuf Pathan.

India (probable): 1 Sachin Tendulkar 2 Virender Sehwag 3 Gautam Gambhir 4 Rahul Dravid 5 Yuvraj Singh/Rohit Sharma/Yusuf Pathan 6 MS Dhoni (c)(wk) 7 Suresh Raina 8 Harbhajan Singh 9 Praveen Kumar 10 Ishant Sharma 11 Ashish Nehra

Australia (probable): 1 Phil Hughes 2 Simon Katich 3 Ricky Ponting 4 Michael Hussey 5 Michael Clarke 6 Shane Watson 7 Andrew Symonds 8 Brad Haddin (wk) 9 Mitchell Johnson 10 Nathan Bracken 11 Pete Siddle


Pitch and Conditions
Another warm day is to be expected, and the pitch is likely to be good for batting, with plenty to offer for the spinners as the pitch wears down.

Image: Yuvraj Singh is under pressure the perform in Delhi, after a poor run in ODIs so far...

 

[Hamish]

3rd ODI - India vs Australia - 1st Innings

We are here at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, in Delhi, for this much anticipated 3rd match of the series between India and Australia, the series being level at 1-1. It is warm, and currently there is some cloud cover, which is expected to clear up. The pitch is similiar to that of the 1st ODI, as it is dry and has some cracks, so there is something in offer for the pacers amd spinners, and batting won't be straightforward.

Dhoni has called the heads and lost the toss, with Ponting electing to bat and take first use of the pitch.

India have named an unchanged side, but Australia have sparked a surprise, replacing Simon Katich with Phil Jaques.

Let's join the team for Australia's innings...

Ponting stars with a century as Australia post 298

The Australian openers got off to a very positive start, with Phil Hughes leading the way, as the Indian bowlers failed to swing the ball despite the cloud cover present. Ashish Nehra was a tad expensive, as Hughes scored at a good tick, while Jaques provided the anchor role. The opening partnership lasted 14.3 overs for 64 runs, before Ishant Sharma came in to force an edge by Jaques (27 off 50 balls) off a delivery that reared up from a good length, Dhoni with the gloves taking a simple chance. Ponting came in to partner and Hughes, and it was clear Australia wanted to take the steady approach by forging useful partnership, as both batsmen settled in. Hughes looked very composed, getting to his 50 off 71 balls.

The Australians were really pressing their advantage, as Ponting raced to a half century in no time, and the partnership between him and Hughes moved along, as they saw off any threat that the spinners may pose. They put on 93 runs, before Harbhajan had Hughes caught at short leg for 68 off 93 balls, the score now 157/2 off 31.4 overs. Michael Hussey's problems continued, as he did not last long, scoring 15 off 20 balls, popping up a catch off an Ishant Sharma to square leg. Ponting and Clarke played aggressively to further Australia's cause, putting 62 runs, as Ponting neared a century. Ashish Nehra struck back, bowling Clarke for 33, the score moving to 244/4 off 43.1 overs.

Nehra then struck the next ball, Shane Watson edging a cut shot to gully for a golden duck. Ponting reached his century off 84 balls, after edging a cut shot to third man for 4. Ponting quickly put on another 14 runs, before being dismissed for 114 by Praveen Kumar, hitting a pull shot straight to square leg. Brad Haddin (25no) and Andrew Symonds (10no) were able to push Australia to an impressive 298/6.

So again, India's bowlers lacked discipline and leaked runs, apart from Harbhajan, and could only manage to get wickets once the damage had been done. Australia have done well on what isn't an easy to pitch to bat on, Ponting looking unstoppable with a brilliant century, and well supported by Hughes and Clarke. The Indian batsmen have their work cutout, and will need to get a good start to put some pressure on Johnson and co.


Next: India's reply to a target of 299

 

[Prithvi]

Great Presentation. KIUGW.
But you could have presented Pontings Latest Ton's Pictures rather than posting that old one

 

[Hamish]

Great Presentation. KIUGW.
But you could have presented Pontings Latest Ton's Pictures rather than posting that old one

Yeah, I was considering it, but those pictures with Ponting celebrating are at night, which kinda conflicts with Australia batting here during the day. But thanks for the suggestion!

3rd ODI - India vs Australia - 2nd Innings

Welcome back to Delhi, where India face an uphill task in chasing 299 to win...


Clinical Australia go up 2-1 in the series

India got off to the worst possible start when Sachin Tendulkar glided the first ball wide of Michael Hussey at 2nd slip, and took off for a single. However, Hussey dived and fielded the ball, then pulled off a direct hit in one motion to runout Virender Sehwag for a duck, without facing a ball.

Tendulkar and Gambhir failed to match the required run rate thanks to some tight bowling from Johnson and Siddle, before Tendulkar, on 17, edged Johnson to Watson, who had just replaced Hussey at 2nd slip, leaving India swaying at 34/2 off 9.4 overs. Gambhir led the recovery, putting on 57 runs with Rahul Dravid. Dravid struggled for the most part, scoring 24 off 36 balls, before being bowled by Shane Watson.

Shortly after, Gambhir reached his 50 off 67 balls, but India descended into further trouble at 114/4 off 25.2 overs, Yuvraj failing again, after Andrew Symonds bowled him for just 11. Dhoni's stay wasn't long either, hitting two 4s, before tamely hitting a delivery off Bracken to Johnson at square leg, thus departing for 8.

​

As the required run rate shot up to 7.5, Suresh Raina joined Gambhir in a valiant partnership of 74 to give India hope, However, Gambhir fell lbw to a Siddle yorker to be dismissed for 87 off 103 balls, India now 197/6 off 36.4 overs, with the tail now exposed. Suresh Raina continued on, scoring his half century off just 40 balls, but was then promptly bowled by a leg cutter from Siddle for 51, obliterating India's chances. Praveen Kumar and Nehra frustrated Australia for a while, before India were cleaned up for 236 foff 46.3 overs, giving Australia a comfortable 62 run win.

Ricky Ponting was named Man of the Match for his fantastic century.

That ends a fantastic perfromance by Australia, who completely outclassed India in every aspect. Ponting led the way, as Australia made a big score on a pitch which probably had a par score of 230-240. They capitalised on India's wayward bowling, and when they took the field, the captured every chance they could get to really blow India away. Apart from Gambhir and Raina, none of the batsmen stood up, and India are now under alot of pressure for the remaining games.

Australia now lead the series 2-1.