Indian batting flounders again

Australia scored a resounding 87-run win over India in Sydney on Sunday to book a berth in the final of the ongoing CB Series.

Chasing 253 to win, the visitors could only manage 165, losing with 10.3 overs to spare.

The lacklustre show by the Indians gave the Australians a bonus point which has now put them on top of the points table with 19 points followed by Sri Lanka who have 15 points. India remained static on 10 points.

Earlier, Indian bowlers stifled Australia's batsmen in the death overs to restrict the hosts to 252 for nine. The visitors begun well through Praveen Kumar, who immediately made his presence felt after being given a game on account of Vinay Kumar's hamstring injury. 

Praveen began with a maiden and then took the wickets of stand-in captain Shane Watson (1) and Peter Forrest (7) in his first spell of 7-1-22-2. 

Watson pulled a short-delivery from Praveen into the hands of the mid-on fielder while Forrest tried to cut a rising delivery too close to him and dragged it down on to his stumps.

Warner and Mike Hussey (10) then tried to stem the rot before the latter fell by way of run-out. 

Hussey drove Ashwin past covers to long-off and sensing a second run went for it as his partner Warner had initially responded.

Warner then changed his mind and Hussey was too way down the track to turn and regain the non-striker's crease. 

Fielder Irfan Pathan was good with his throw and Ashwin did the rest. Australia were 57 for 3 in the 14th over.

David Warner completed his half century by thrashing Umesh Yadav through the covers, needing 48 balls with five fours.

It was his third ODI fifty, his first in the CB series. 

Warner left as soon as the 100 of the innings was posted. He tried to sweep a fullish delivery from Ravindra Jadeja in the 21st over.

Warner made 68 off 66 balls and hit seven fours during his knock.

Warner tried to sweep a fullish delivery from Ravindra Jadeja and as the ball looped up in the air, both Suresh Raina, from inside the circle, and Irfan Pathan at fine leg, dashed for it.

Raina, running with the ball, took a splendid catch but couldn't avoid the on-rushing Pathan and both collided in a terrible manner. 

However, both escaped without any serious injury. Australia were 107 for 4 in the 21st over and in trouble.

The talking point at the ground though was the "obstructing the field" appeal by the Indians against David Hussey in the 24th over which was over-ruled by onfield umpires, after direction from third umpire Simon Fry. 

It was Ravichandran Ashwin's seventh over and Australia were 119 for 4 when left-hander Matthew Wade hit the ball into the covers. Suresh Raina swooped on the shot and threw it hard at the keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. 

Hussey, then on 17, dashed down from the non-striker's end in a flash. He found himself in line with the throw and instinctively thrust out his right hand to fend himself. However, the Indians viewed it as obstruction of field and skipper Dhoni appealed against the batsman.

However, after long deliberation, the decision was given in favour of the batsman. The umpires' view was that Hussey wasn't trying to obstruct the field but was trying to save himself from a physical injury. 

As umpire Billy Bowden resumed his position at the striker's end, Dhoni and other Indian fielders followed him and argued. Dhoni clearly wasn't in sync with the decision and gave the umpire his piece of mind.

David Hussey (54) and Matthew Wade (56) steadied the Australian innings with a 94-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

The two batsmen matched each other stroke for stroke and briskness between the wickets. Wade completed his half century with a massive six over midwicket off Ashwin.

Wade made 56 off 66 balls with two fours and a six and shared a 94-run fifth wicket stand with Hussey off 110 balls. The latter completed his half century in the same over, facing 58 balls and striking two fours. 

When Umesh Yadav was introduced into the attack in the 15th over, he was expensive. The medium-pacer conceded 20 runs in his two overs.

However, he made a good comeback, accounting for Wade in the second ball off his third over. The left-hander departed in the 40th over while trying to steer a delivery from Yadav, caught comfortably by Dhoni.

Yadav made it a twin strike when he made one rise on Hussey and the batsman, trying to slash it, edged the chance behind the stumps. The junior Hussey made 54 off 64 balls with two fours. Australia were 212 for 6 in the 43nd over. 

India built on these two successes and restricted the home team to 252 for nine.

The by now-familiar inability of the top order to strike was in evidence as was the fact that middle-order has now become adept at wasting good starts. 

Virender Sehwag (5), utterly miserable on this tour, was again a Blink-And-You-Miss Kind of case, lasting 11 balls and driving a return catch to Ben Hilfenhaus who took a stunning catch off his bootlaces in his follow through. 

Sachin Tendulkar (14) was run-out and went away gesticulating angrily, believing bowler Brett Lee had purposely blocked his path.

Gautam Gambhir had dabbed a ball on the off-side and Lee crossed the pitch in a bid to prevent a single. But even as fielder David Warner picked up the ball and took a shy at the stumps, Lee stood in a manner, hands on his knees with his back to the non-striker, that Tendulkar had to go round him and thus lost the crucial second of making his ground.

It was the second controversial moment of the day, the first being the 'obstructing the field' appeal against David Hussey which wasn't upheld by the umpires. 

Hussey had thrust out his hands and prevented Suresh Raina's throw from reaching the stumps but umpires reckoned the batsmen had done so to prevent a physical injury and he didn't intend to prevent a run-out.

Gambhir (23) and Virat Kohli (21) briefly promised a revival, putting on 44 runs for the third wicket before both fell close to each other.

Kohli flicked Shane Watson to midwicket and Gambhir dragged a square drive off Clint McKay on to his stumps. 

For the umpteenth time this summer, the batsmen had failed to capitalize on good foundations.

But to return to the Indian innings,  Suresh Raina (8) was the next one to go, edging Watson for a catch behind the stumps and India were 89 for 5 in the 21st over. Ravinder Jadeja (8) too left after India had just reached the 100-mark in the 25th over.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni found the run-making a stifling experience and had made only 14 from 49 balls when a Hilfenhaus delivery found him plumb in front of his stumps. 

Ravi Ashwin and Irfan Pathan, coming at number nine, stayed for a while but the end was near. Ashwin mistimed a flick and was caught at midwicket while Pathan, after slamming Lee for a stunning straight six, lofted one for fielder at deep square leg to complete the catch. 

The rest lost little time in gifting away their wicket to complete the shambolic batting display.