Bret and Ben shock Indian batsmen:

Bret and Ben shock Indian batsmenAussie pace ‘B’s humble India

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE reporting from Australia

Australia, after two successive defeats inside three days in Adelaide, bounced back to earn a thumping 110-run win over India in their CB Series match at Gabba here yesterday. The win came Australia’s way with an all-important bonus point, which enabled the hosts to keep their chances alive in the three-nation tournament which also features Sri Lanka.

India, which successfully chased a target of 270 to humble the hosts by four wickets in Adelaide exactly a week ago, were nowhere in the game from the start.

Everything went right for the hosts, including a vital toss after which they elected to bat first. Stand-in captain Rickey Ponting, after losing to Sri Lanka by eight wickets under his leadership in the previous game, made sure that Australia takes command right from the first ball.

Boosted by a solid 70-run opening stand in 13 overs between Matthew Wade (45 off 67 balls with one six and two fours) and David Warner (43 off 46 balls with one six and five fours), Australia made a healthy 288 for 5 in 50 overs. India had a short relief when they had the wicket of skipper Ponting for 7 as the Australian total read at 83 for 2 in 19.2 overs.

The poor form of veteran Ponting has been a big concern for the hosts.

He has fared miserably in all his five innings of the CB Series so far, scoring only 2, 1, 6, 2 and 7 – the worst lean run in his 365-match ODI career during which he has aggregated 13,704 runs, the second in the all-time list behind Indian Sachin Tendulkar.

But a 100-run partnership for the fourth wicket off 93 balls between Peter Forrest and Michael Hussey enabled Australia to make merry against a moderate Indian attack.

Hussey was the more aggressive of the two showing no mercy to Indian bowlers to score his half century (59) off 52 balls with six fours. Forrest gave him ample support at the other end, scoring 52 off 79 balls with three boundaries.

The departure of Forrest off the last ball in 44th over did not give any relied to Indian bowlers as Michael Hussey, joined by his younger brother David, continued to consolidate the Australian innings. David Hussey and Daniel Christian shared an unfinished 55-run sixth wicket partnership in just 36 balls, hitting helpless Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Irfan Pathan, playing his second game of the tournament, unleashed a new slower ball towards the end of the Australian innings.

Making his usual run, he ended up bowling an off break with the front elbow - a mirror image of former Sri Lanka spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan. One of those slower balls was declared a wide and another was pulled over midwicket for four. He finished with 3 for 61 – the most successful for the visitors.

India never looked comfortable in their run chase after losing opener Gautham Gambhir for five only in the second over of their innings.

Pacemen Brett Lee and Ben Hilfenhaus had two wickets each in their opening spells to provide early shocks to India – 36 for 4 in 10.3 overs. The visitors never recovered and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 178 runs in 43.3 overs, giving Australia a valuable bonus point to climb up in the Tri-Series points table.

The only bright spot in the Indian innings was that brave captain’s innings by M.S. Dhoni who made 56 off 84 balls with one six and two fours. But none of the other Indian batsmen were able to show any resistance against that penetrative Australian pace attack as Lee and Hilfenhaus shared eight of the ten wickets to fall between them.

Twenty-eight-year-old Hilfenhaus, who has captured only 18 wickets during his previous 15 ODIs for Australia, finished with a career best 5 for 33 off 9.3 overs, including the prize wicket of veteran Sachin Tendulkar for three.

Experienced Lee provided the ideal support for the youngster, capturing 3 for 49 off 10 overs.

The win enabled Australia to regain the lead in the latest CB Series points table with 14 points in five matches with three wins and two defeats. India, despite today’s loss, takes the second place with 10 points, also after five games with two wins, two defeats and a tie.

Sri Lanka, which has played only four games, takes the last spot with only seven points – one win, one tie and two defeats.

But they still stand a good chance of making it to the best-of-three finals after that convincing eight-wicket win over Australia in their last game. Nevertheless, Sri Lanka must win their next game – against India in Brisbane on Tuesday, if they are to keep their chances alive.