Nehra helps India bowl out Aussies
India were 205 for 7 in 42 overs :
India fielded and bowled with gusto to restrict Australia to 250 all
out in 49.2 overs in the fourth one-day international here on Monday.
Left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra picked 3-37 and also ran out top-scorer
Cameron White (62) after India won the toss and sent Australia in to bat
in the day-night encounter at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium.
A disciplined effort in the field by the generally sluggish Indians
resulted in four run-outs and contained the world champions to what
looked like a below-par total on a good batting track.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was back among the wickets after an
indifferent show in the previous three games of this seven-match series,
picking 2-48 off his 10 overs.
Australia started off well but stumbled in the final overs, losing
their last six wickets for 54 runs.
White, 26, hit three fours and a six in his 71-ball knock to steady
the middle order after captain Ricky Ponting (52) had scored his third
half-century of the series. Ponting also shared a 64-run stand for the
second wicket with Shane Watson (49) after the early dismissal of opener
Shaun Marsh (five).
Ponting hit five fours and a six in his 59-ball knock for his 73rd
half-century in one-day internationals while Michael Hussey chipped in
with a fine 40 off 41 balls.
The Australian skipper lost his wicket to a direct throw from
Ravindra Jadeja while Graham Manou (seven) was run out by Praveen Kumar.
Watson and Ponting helped Australia regroup after the cheap dismissal of
Marsh, trapped leg-before by Nehra in the eighth over.
Watson was unlucky to miss out on his 10th half-century, being caught
behind off Harbhajan for a 52-ball 49 containing six fours.
India left out the injured Gautam Gambhir while Australia brought in
Marsh in place of all-rounder Adam Voges. India need to average 5.02
runs an over if they are to go 3-1 up in the series and overtake
Australia as the top-ranked team in one-day internationals.
MOHALI, AFP
AUSTRALIA:
S. Watson c Dhoni b Harbhajan 49
S. Marsh lbw b Nehra 5
R. Ponting run out 52
M. Hussey c Sharma b Yuvraj 40
C. White run out 62
M. Henriques st Dhoni b Harbhajan 6
M. Johnson b Nehra 8
G. Manou run out 7
N. Hauritz not out 9
P. Siddle c Jadeja b Nehra 1
D. Bollinger run out 0
EXTRAS:(lb1, nb1, w9) 11
TOTAL(all out in 49.2 overs) 250
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-24 (Marsh), 2-88 (Watson), 3-123 (Ponting), 4-196 (Hussey), 5-217 (Henriques),
6-226 (White), 7-236 (Johnson), 8-241 (Manou), 9-247 (Siddle), 10-250 (Bollinger).
Bowling: Kumar 9.2-0-41-0 (w4), Nehra 8-0-37-3 (nb1, w1), Sharma 5-0-42-0 (w1), Jadeja 7-0-27-0, Harbhajan 10-0-48-2 (w2), Yuvraj 10-0-54-1 (w1). |