India bounce back, hand out 99-run defeat to Australia

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NAGPUR - Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led the charge with a power-packed century in the home team’s 99-run victory over Australia in the second One-day international here Wednesday.

The Indian top order set a massive 355-run target for Australia to chase, and their bowlers bundled the visitors out for 255 in 48.3 overs. India thus drew level in the seven-match series.

Dhoni (124 off 107 balls) knocked his fifth century, while Gautam Gambhir (76) and Suresh Raina (62) played perfect foil to him.

Dhoni added 119 runs with Gambhir for the fourth wicket and then 136 with Raina as India piled on a massive 354 for seven, their highest total against Australia.

Australia floundered in the chase right from the beginning as Praveen Kumar (2-37) and Ishant Sharma (2-34) removed the top three with only 45 runs on the board. Ravindra Jadeja bowled a tight economical spell in the middle overs, claiming three wickets in 6.3 overs to put it beyond Australia.

Kumar got the new ball to swing and the Australian openers were clearly uncomfortable facing him, playing and missing on ocassion. He crashed through the defences of Tim Paine and then trapped Ricky Ponting lbw. Shane Watson was surprised by a Ishant deivery that bounced on him akwardly and carried an edge to Sachin Tendulkar at first slip.

Cameron White (23) and Michael Hussey (53) led a brief revival before Jadeja bowled intelligently to leave the Australians rattled.

Harbhajan Singh broke the partnership, dismissing White. Jadeja turned one sharply to hit Hussey’s stumps and then cleaned up Shaun Marsh (21) and Adam Voges (36).

The Australians were on the top of their game in the first match at Vadodara, but India bounced back to dicate terms here.

Australia were missing Brett Lee and James Hope due to injuries and it showed in their bowling. Indian top order made Ricky Ponting pay for asking them to take strike on a batting wicket.

It was a compact performance by the Indian batsmen who fumbled while chasing 293 in Vadodara and missed out the target by a mere four runs.

At Nagpur Wednesday, Sachin Tendulkar (4) was out early, edging one to the slip off Peter Siddle while going for an expansive drive.

Virender Sehwag laid the foundation with a blistering 40 off 31 balls with the help of six fours and one six.

Sehwag looked in ominous touch as he clobbered the new ball in his inimitable style, raising 46 runs with Gambhir, before being dismissed by Mitchell Johnson (3-75).

Yuvraj Singh, coming back to international cricket after missing the Champions Trophy, kept the momentum going, scoring 23 off 24 balls.

Yuvraj was out after striking two fours and a six and India were three down for 97 runs.

Dhoni and Gambhir then scored at a rapid pace. The duo were quick on their feet and rotated the strike with ease, their running between the wickets was the highlight of the innings.

Despite not getting the big hits, they managed to maintain the run rate at six runs per over.

Dhoni’s half-century came in 55 balls and included three fours, before he plundered the bowling in the death, bludgeoning six fours and three sixes.

Gambhir hit six fours in his 80-ball knock and looked set for a century but was unfortunate to be run-out.

Dhoni and Raina then shifted gears. The captain reached his century in style, hitting two consecutive sixes off Shane Watson that also brought the 300 for the team.

Johnson’s last over accounted for the wickets of Dhoni, Raina and Praveen Kumar, conceding only five runs.