INDIA POST EMPHATIC 60-RUN VICTORY OVER AUSTRALIA
Australia who were 181/5 at the end of 30 overs lost their way and finished at 255 all out in the 44th over. Srinath (3/49) and Shewag (3/59) were the chief architects of the victory.
Steve Waugh (18) was the sixth wicket to go, lbw to Shewag. Waugh was distinctly unlucky to be given out, as the TV replays suggested there was a big inside edge on to the pads.
Adam Gilchrist played a little cameo of 27 off 28 balls, before he played all over a low full toss from Zaheer Khan. He struck three boundaries in his stay at the crease.
Ian Harvey (17) and Shane Warne (13) tried to put up a fight in the low order. But Ganguly caught Harvey off the bowling of Agarkar. Srinath bowled Warne and then trapped Glenn McGrath (0) in front of the wicket to bring the match to a rather swift end.
India kept up with their winning habit, beating the Aussies comprehensively by 60 runs. Australia has a lot to think about,
going into the second One-Day international to be played at Pune on Wednesday.
AUSTRALIA STRUGGLING AT 181/5 AFTER 30 OVERS
Australia have again been undone by off spin. From a relatively comfortable 174/3, Australia lost two quick wickets to Shewag's harmless off spin to be struggling at 181/5 at the end of the 30th over. Australia still need 135 runs from 20 overs to win this match.
Bevan (49) was unlucky not to get to his fifty, hitting a short-pitched delivery from Ganguly, straight to Robin Singh at mid-wicket. Bevan and Hayden added 109 runs in 17.3 overs for the third wicket.
Hayden who played a commanding knock, was dismissed one run short of his hundred, lbw to Shewag. Hayden's explosive stay at the crease was punctuated with seven fours and a six, coming off just 89 balls.
Damien Martyn (1) lasted only for six balls; he edged one from Shewag to Dahiya behind the stumps. Australia who were looking like cruising to the target with some ease were suddenly pushed back to the walls.
Australian will have to rely on their captain Waugh and his deputy Gilchrist to make a fist of this battle. The ball has slowed down a lot and is not coming on to the bat.
Steve Waugh (7) and Adam Gilchrist (1) are the unbeaten batsmen at the crease. Though the Aussies have taken 33 runs off the six overs bowled by Harbhajan Singh, it is Shewag who has turned the tide with a spell of 4-0-24-2 so far.
AUSTRALIA ARE 93/2 AFTER 15 OVERS
Chasing the target of 316 runs to win from 50 overs, Australia had scored 93/2 at the close of 15 overs. Opening batsman Matthew Hayden is unbeaten on 47 (42 balls, 4 fours) and Michael Bevan is on 25* (28 balls, 2 fours).
Australia lost their most prolific One-Day batsman, Mark Waugh (5), in the third over. He was beaten and bowled by Srinath; Waugh was going for an inside out off drive.
Ricky Ponting did not last long enough to make an impression, his poor run of form continues. He was caught by Dravid off the bowling of Zaheer Khan after making just nine runs. Australia were reduced to 44/2 in the seventh over.
Hayden who has looked solid as a rock, played some powerful shots to take the initiative away from the Indians. He is really enjoying a good tour of India, carrying his good form from the Test series into the One-Dayers. In the 12th over Hayden pushed a ball to Khan at mid-off and ran through for a tight single. Khan had a go at the stumps at the non-striker's end, but failed to hit the target with Hayden way too short of his crease.
Michael Bevan is a vital member of the Australian One-Day team. He prefers to accumulate runs silently. Along with Hayden he has put together a partnership of 49 runs for the third wicket in just about 7.3 overs. Bevan caressed a ball from Srinath through the covers for a four, easily the best shot of the Australian run-chase so far.
INDIA PILE UP THE RUNS, 315 ALL OUT IN 49.5 OVERS
Indian batsmen got cracking in the last 20 overs to score 147 runs, losing the remaining six wickets. India were all out for 315 in 49.5 overs.
Rahul Dravid stepped up the tempo with a six off McGrath in the 31st over. The bowler was left shaking his head after Dravid, going for a pull, top-edged the ball high over the long leg fence.
Shewag kept striking the ball as clean as a whistle, timing the strokes sweetly past the ropes eight times. He made 58 runs off 54 balls, helping Dravid add 100 runs for the fifth wicket in 16 overs. Shewag's knock came to an end when he was bowled off an inside edge by Fleming.
Dravid and Dahiya put together 61 runs in just 6.4 overs. Dahiya, playing some incredible strokes to the fence, had the Aussie bowlers in a lot of trouble. Dravid made 80 off 84 balls before holing out to Harvey at long on off the bowling of Martyn. He struck three boundaries and a six as he steadied the Indian innings.
Agarkar (13) played some lofted shots before giving McGrath a simple return catch. Harbhajan Singh (0) was caught by Ponting off Harvey from the first ball he faced. Dahiya raced to his fifty and was run out by Bevan; going for the second run he found himself short of the crease. Dahiya's hard-hitting innings included six boundaries and a six.
Javagal Srinath (2) was caught by Martyn off McGrath in the last over. Zaheer Khan remained unbeaten on one. It was Dahiya's blitz that helped India past the three hundred mark. McGrath, Fleming and Harvey picked up two wickets each.
AUSTRALIA CLAW BACK INTO THE MATCH
Australia has done a commendable job of restricting India to 168/4 at the end of 30 overs. India was allowed to score just 66 runs in the last 15 overs for the loss of Hemang Badani's wicket.
Badani who came into the middle at the fall of Laxman's wicket tried to steady things for India along with Dravid. Warne who was putting in an extra effort, got one ball to spin away from Badani, who had a swing at it, only to edge the ball into the safe hands of Mark Waugh at first slip. Badani made 11 runs off 18 balls.
Virendra Shewag who replaced Badani in the middle got going immediately, cracking an off drive for four. He has looked confident and went on to punish Mark Waugh for ten runs off the 25th over. He is unbeaten on 28 off 28 balls with four boundaries.
Rahul Dravid has been playing the sheet anchor's role, steadying the Indian innings. He has hit only a solitary boundary in his unbeaten 37 made off 51 balls. India will be looking to the local hero Dravid to bat through the innings. So far the two batsmen have added 46 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket partnership.
Shane Warne's first over had cost him 15 runs; he has come back strongly and has an analysis of 8-0-43-1. Mark Waugh too bowled well to give away just 22 runs off his four overs.
INDIA POWER TO 102/3 AT THE END OF 15 OVERS
VVS Laxman who has had the Australian bowlers at his mercy through the Test series, continued his heroics with the bat in the first One Day International. He cracked 45 runs off just 34 balls, which included seven breathtaking boundaries and a massive six off Warne over long off. Damien Martyn caught Laxman at long off from the bowling of Ian Harvey with the last ball of the 15th over reducing India to 102/3 with Rahul Dravid unbeaten on ten.
Earlier, India started off cautiously against the pace of McGrath and Fleming. Ganguly looked woefully out of form taking 13 balls to score his first run. In the sixth over, Ganguly tried to hit Fleming on the rise and ended up giving a simple catch to Mark Waugh at short cover. Ganguly made 6 runs off 27 balls in the Indian score of 16/1.
In the following over Sachin Tendulkar tore into McGrath's bowling; pulling a six over midwicket and taking three more boundaries off that over. McGrath went for 19 runs and was duly taken off the attack. Tendulkar smacked two more boundaries, one each off Fleming and Harvey before tragedy struck in the 10th over.
Laxman struck one to Bevan at the third man fence and the batsmen took the first run. Tendulkar charged down the track for the second, only to be refused by Laxman; by the time Tendulkar turned to run back, Bevan's throw had found Gilchrist, who took the bails off. Tendulkar made 35 off just 26 balls with the help of six boundaries and a six.
It was then left to Laxman to play his cracking knock. He was severe on Harvey striking three boundaries in the 13th over. In the following over Shane Warne was brought into the attack; Laxman and Dravid together knocked off 15 runs.
INDIA WIN TOSS AND ELECT TO BAT FIRST
Saurav Ganguly has won the toss for India and elected to bat first. On a pitch, which promises a feast of runs, India will be looking forward to put up a huge score. India is going into this match with six batsmen. Virendra Shewag, Hemang Badani, Ajit Agarkar and Javagal Srinath come into the team. Robin Singh is the twelfth man for India.
Australia will be eager to salvage their pride after losing the last two Test matches. Australia has packed their side with batsmen-allrounders. The ODI specialists Damien Martyn, Michael Bevan and Ian Harvey add strength to the side. Matthew Hayden makes a comeback into the Australian One-Day team riding on his cracking form in the Test series. He last played for Australia in April 2000 against South Africa. Damien Fleming will open the bowling with Glenn McGrath. Andrew Symonds is the twelfth man for Australia.
The day and night encounter has already caught the imagination of Bangalore. All eyes will be on Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman, going into this match after their phenomenal success in the Test series.
The teams:
India:
Sourav Ganguly (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Hemang Badani, Virender Shewag, Vijay Dahiya (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan. 12th man Robin Singh
Australia:
Steve Waugh (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Matthew Hayden, Ricky Ponting, Ian Harvey, Michael Bevan, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Damien Fleming. 12th man Andrew Symonds.
Umpires: Devender Sharma (New Delhi) and SK Sharma (Mumbai).
Third Umpire: TG Laxmi Narayan (Tamil Nadu).
© CricInfo
