Australia outclass India in truncated CBS opener

Australia completely outplayed India en route to a comfortable win in the opening match of Commonwealth Bank series at MCG by 65 runs. After rain reduced the match to 32 overs per innings, Australia powered their way to 216 mainly due to contributions from Mathew Wade and the Hussey brothers. In reply, India displayed the same tendency of crumbling under pressure as has been evident during the recently concluded Test series. The tourists lasted only 29.4 overs to be dismissed for a sorry-looking 151.

Australia considerably stepped up their scoring rate after the rain interruption to rake up a big score. Vinay Kumar struck two early blows to reduce Australia to 35 for 2 when inclement weather intervened.

With rain in the air, Australia were asked to bat first on what looked like a good batting track. As the openers-debutant Mathew Wade and explosive David Warner- made their way into the middle, the wind picked up steadily meaning rain was just round the corner. Meanwhile, the two Kumars, Praveen and Vinay justified Dhoni’s decision with accurate spells of medium fast bowling upfront. Warner was tied down for thirteen deliveries before he missed an attempted heave to be clean bowled for six. In his next over, Vinay persuaded Ricky Ponting to go after a wide delivery but the aerial shot went straight to the fielder at extra cover

The two early wickets hurt Australia hopes of a rapid start. However, with Wade still there, acceleration was never going to be problem. He went after Praveen in the eleventh over, blasted one over cow corner and slapped the next through point for a boundary, taking the score to 35 for 2. With Wade beginning to cut loose, weather gods came to India’s rescue. The ensuing hide-and-seek between clouds and sun kept players away from action for 3 hours.

When play resumed, a total of 36 overs had been lost, thus each inning was curtailed to 32 overs. Australia didn’t have an auspicious start after the long break, Michael Clarke holed out on the bowling of Rohit Sharma. After fifteen overs, India were very much in control as Australia struggled to get any partnership going, the score board read 50 for three.

While the team was in a spot of bother, Wade improved his standing as a worthy successor of Brad Haddin with yet another brilliant knock. With Michael Hussey tearing into the spinners, Wade also pressed the accelerator. While R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja offered freebies, the two batsmen cashed-in on any loose delivery in a bludgeoning 73-run stand that took only 8.2 overs. The 69-ball knock strengthened Wade’s case of taking a permanent position behind the stumps as Australia’s wicket keeper.

With Indian bowlers struggling to control the flow of runs, Australia piled on the agony. After Wade, the Hussey brothers took charge of the innings. A mix of big shots and intelligent running between the wickets drove Australia forward. Michael fell for a 32-ball 45 but David kept dispatching the ball towards the boundary and finished undefeated on 61. The hosts made a final push in the last over, Ravindra Jadeja conceded 17 in four deliveries after a confusion over the number of overs meant Rahul Sharma was stopped from bowling mid-way through his seventh over.

The extent of India’s listless bowling can be gauged from the stat that 166 runs came in the last seventeen overs, even though Vinay Kumar had figures of 7-0-21-3.

The Indian chase started with the required rate well over six per over. A bright start was badly needed after they let the game slip in the first half. Sachin Tendulkar, included in the playing eleven at Virender Sehwag’s expense, had to fire at top of the order. He almost got going in style but Ricky Ponting took an absolute blinder to send back Sachin in the second over. Gautam Gambhir could only edge a rising delivery from the same bowler into Wade’s gloves; the openers were back in the hut with India tottering at 13 for 2.

Young guns Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma tried to resurrect the innings with a 51-run stand but Clint McKay took the wind of India’s sails with a crippling double-strike in the 12th over. Pointing pouched another screamer; this time Virat Kohli was the victim and an edgy Sharma only managed to fend a short delivery to the keeper. India could never recover after the two wickets in three deliveries. Suresh Raina couldn’t handle a Dan Christian bumper and Ravindra Jadeja was smartly caught in the deep.

Dhoni’s 38-ball 29 just delayed the inevitable as India subsided to 151 all-out in 29.4 overs, McKay starring with the ball with impressive numbers 4 for 20.