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Aussies cruise to win

Aussies cruise to win

02/05/2012 11:30:22 AM

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Australia has comfortably accounted for India by 65 runs in the opening match of the Commonwealth Bank ODI Tri-Series at the MCG on Sunday.

Defending a highly-competitive 5-216 in a contest reduced to 32 overs per side following the loss of more than three hours of play due to rain, the Australians bowled out the tourists for 151 in the 30th over.

Making his ODI debut, wicketkeeper/batsman Matthew Wade top-scored for the hosts with 67 for which he was named the man of the match.

Wade received great support from the Hussey brothers - David, who smashed an unbeaten 61 from 30 balls-faced, and Michael, who belted 45 from 32.

Clint McKay returned the best figures for the Australians, a handy 4-20.

The Indian innings started poorly and folded quickly.

Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc struck early when he had Sachin Tendulkar caught by a diving Ricky Ponting at backward point for two and Gautam Gambhir (8) caught behind by Wade.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli added 51 for the third wicket before both were dispatched in the space of three deliveries in McKay's opening over, the 12th of the innings.

Ponting held his second scorcher to remove Kohli for 31 while Rohit (21) provided Wade with his second catch.

India slumped to 5-77 when Australia's other one-day debutant, Dan Christian, had Suresh Raina caught at mid-off by David Hussey for five.

Skipper MS Dhoni and Ravi Jadeja advanced the score to 114 in the 24th over to give the tourists a sniff, but Jadeja's dismissal for 19 sparked a mini-collapse - four wickets for 14 in the space of three overs - and that, effectively, was that.

The Australian innings was interrupted when the first of a series of heavy showers swept across the ground at 3.10pm local time.

Despite a couple of breaks in the weather, play didn't resume until 6.17pm.

In trouble at 3-58 at the midway point of their innings, the Aussies smashed 159 from the last 16 overs.

After being sent in, openers Wade and David Warner struggled to get bat to ball on a two-paced track in conditions that offered plenty of sideways movement for India's new-ball bowlers Vinay Kumar and Praveen Kumar.

Vinay got the breakthrough when he bowled a frustrated Warner for six in the fifth over and followed up with the wicket of Ponting (2), caught at cover.

Conscious of the need to step up the tempo on resumption, Michael Clarke chanced his arm and holed out to Rahul Sharma in the 15th over from the bowling of Rohit Sharma for 10.

Wade and Michael Hussey proceeded to take 73 runs from the next 50 deliveries - the key partnership of the Australian innings - when Wade played on to Rohit Sharma.

Wade's 67, scored at run-a-ball pace with four boundaries and two monster sixes, was an emphatic follow-up to his 72 on debut in last Wednesday T20 International.

After Michael Hussey was caught on the square leg boundary off Vinay Kumar, it was left to younger brother David to close the innings, and he did an outstanding job, smashing four boundaries and three sixes.

With him at the finish was Christian on 17 from 16 deliveries.

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

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