Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

PHOTOS: Rohit, Pandey help India win SCG ODI; Aus take series 4-1

Last updated on: January 23, 2016 18:51 IST

Images from the fifth One-Day International between Australia and India in Sydney, on Saturday.

Manish Pandey

IMAGE: India's Manish Pandey celebrates and acknowledges the crowd after scoring a century against Australia in Sydney. Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Young Manish Pandey struck a brilliant unbeaten 104 as India thwarted Australia's push for a clean-sweep with a record run chase to notch up a thrilling consolation six-wicket victory in the fifth and final cricket One-dayer in Sydney, on Saturday.

Scorecard

Pandey, hit eight fours and a six in his 81 ball knock. The win was accomplished when Pandey hit over extra cover region as vice-captain Virat Kohli rushed to the field to congratulate him. 

The cricket caravan now moves to Adelaide, where the first T20 International will be played on Republic Day (January 26).

The Australian team pose with the winners trophy after winning the series

IMAGE: The Australian team pose with the winners trophy after winning the series. Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Australia thus won the high-scoring series by 4-1 margin.  

Chasing a steep target of 331, India's batting rode on Pandey's maiden ODI ton and a superb opening stand of 123 between Rohit Sharma (99) and Shikhar Dhawan (78) to overhaul the score with just two balls to spare, setting up the record for the highest run chase against the home team on Australian soil. After having bungled a similar chase in the previous match, the Indians made sure that they did not suffer any catastrophic collapse on Saturday with Pandey being the glue that held one end. The visitors, after cruising along nicely at one stage, were left to pick 13 of the last over which was bowled by Mitchell Marsh. He bowled the first delivery wide as the equation came down to 12 off six balls.  

Skipper Dhoni, who was struggling to middle the ball throughout the entire innings cleared the fence off a low full-toss bowled by Marsh but was out off the very next delivery leaving a tricky six runs to be scored off 4 deliveries. 

David Warner of Australia celebrates and acknowledges the crowd after scoring a century

IMAGE: David Warner of Australia celebrates and acknowledges the crowd after scoring a century. Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Earlier, Australia rode on centuries from Mitchell Marsh and David Warner in another dominant batting display to pile up 330 for seven.

- Scorecard

Opener Warner laid the foundation with 122 off 113 balls, while Marsh remained unbeaten on a brisk 102 off 84 deliveries after India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni asked the home team to take first strike. 

This was the fourth time in the series Australia crossed the 300-plus mark, and Marsh's maiden ton in this format. 

Warner struck nine fours and three sixes, while Marsh found the fence nine times and cleared it twice.

Ishant Sharma of India celebrates taking the wicket of Aaron Finch of Australia

IMAGE: Ishant Sharma of India celebrates taking the wicket of Aaron Finch of Australia. Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Australia lost last match's centurion Aaron Finch (6), out leg before in the first over to Ishant Sharma - though television replays indicated the umpire had got it wrong, following which Warner shared a half-century stand (58) with the in-form skipper Steve Smith (28).

Smith's dismissal to Bumrah, his maiden wicket, was followed quickly by those of George Bailey (6) and Shaun Marsh (7). 

Australia lost quick wickets before reaching the 100-mark in the 19th over.

Ishant finished with figures of two for 60. 

Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates

IMAGE: Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates taking the wicket of Steve Smith of Australia during game five in Sydney. Photograph: Matt King/Getty Images

Jasprit Bumrah, handed a surprise debut, responded well with figures of two for 40. 

Bumrah was not even officially included in the ODI squad, and arrived early to join up the T20 squad and was afforded this chance as Bhuvneshwar Kumar suffered a hairline fracture in his left thumb. And he grabbed the oportunity with both hands. 

Bumrah got his maiden international wicket as Smith was caught at midwicket in the 12th over, off a ball that jumped high on him.

He later got past the defenses of James Faulkner (1) with a perfect yorker. 

Mitchell Marsh of Australia celebrates after scoring a century in the Sydney ODI

IMAGE: Mitchell Marsh of Australia celebrates after scoring a century in the Sydney ODI. Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Warner then steadied the ship by putting on a valuable 118 runs for the fifth wicket with Marsh at just seven runs an over.

Having completed his century, a tired-looking Warner got out while trying to slash Ishant, managing to give a catch to an agile Ravindra Jadeja at backward point. 

Then came another crucial partnership of 85 runs for the sixth wicket between Marsh and Matthew Wade (36 off 27 balls), paving the way for another big total by the home side that has already chased down two 300-plus totals in the series so far. 

Marsh proceeded to score his maiden international hundred off 81 balls in the final over of the innings. In doing so he joined his father Goeff Marsh and brother Shaun, both of whom had also scored their maiden ODI hundreds against India as well.

AGENCIES