Aus crush Ind by 65 runs in tri-series opener

Mtoday news / CNN-IBN

Melbourne,Feb5: Team India capitulated to 151 all out, giving Australia a 65-run win in the rain affected opening match of the Commonwealth Bank tri-series in Melbourne on Sunday.

Clint McKay took 4-20 as the visitors lost complete interest in the match after the rain break and never looked close to mounting a fightback. For India, Virat Kohli top scored with 31.

 

Chasing a huge target of 217 runs to win, India were bundled out for 151 in 29.4 overs. Mitchell Starc tormented India early on when he got the prized scalps of Sachin Tendulkar and Gautam Gambhir. Tendulkar faced six balls and scored two runs while Gambhir fell for five.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli added 51 runs for the third wicket to get India back on the track, but Clint McKay got rid of both the Indian batsmen to leave the world champions reeling.

Suresh Raina’s problems against the short ball continued as he became Dan Christian’s, the second Australian debutant in the game, first victim at ODI cricket when he spliced one to mid-on.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (29) and Ravindra Jadeja (19) looked to push things on, but they couldn’t find the boundaries and it wasn’t too long before both found themselves back in the hut.

McKay finished the game off and collected figures of four for 20 when Praveen Kumar holed out to Ryan Harris at long-on.

Earlier Australia rode on half-centuries from debutant Matthew Wade and David Hussey and a brilliant cameo from Michael Hussey as they posted 217 for five in their 32 overs.

After winning the toss and electing to field first, Australia were 35-2 when rain forced the players off the field after eleven overs and play was delayed for almost three hours. When play eventually resumed, India looked like they would take charge again when Michael Clarke chipped Rohit Sharma to deep midwicket when at 10, but Michael Hussey had other ideas.

His brilliant running between the wickets and sublime touches put India’s fielders under all sorts of pressure. It also gave Wade the necessary freedom to play his natural game. The left-handed opener went to his maiden half-ton off 55 balls.

Unbeaten on 21 at the rain break, Wade attacked Rohit Sharma’s second over by lifting him to widish long on. He then ran and dived for every opportunity before reaching his maiden half century with a tap on the onside. Introduction of legspinner Rahul Sharma brought the much-needed edge in the visitors’ bowling and the youngster broke the stand when he had Wade playing him on to his stumps.

The Hussey brothers kept India on the backfoot, though, by hustling and bustling between the wickets. Michael fell five runs short of his half-century, but David kept going and a couple of lofty shots in the final few overs saw him reach his half-century off just 28 balls.

He finished 61 not out from 33 balls with debutant Dan Christian unbeaten on 17. India, opted to rest Virender Sehwag for the match and went in with two spinners.