Aus v/s Ind: 5ht ODI..Master blasts but…India slip at the verge…

In reply to the mammoth 350 runs posed by Australia…India started off brilliantly…and everything looked going as per the game plan when the openers were blazing out right from the word go.Sehwag blasted a 30 ball 38 in a style of his with 5 fours and a six. The master…Sachin was rotating the strike and didnot look aggressive. When he had made 7 runs he had achieved a milestone of becoming the first batsmen to complete 17000 runs in ODI format…and no one in by any distance nearby. Hitting an over anxious shot Sehwag gave away his wicket…first break through for Australia…shen the score was 66 in the 9th over when the run rate was good…more than required. Sachin took charge as Gambhir joined him.Gambhir, Yuvraj and Dhoni…the back bone of Indian middle order failed to give the essential support when mattered. They went without troubling the scorers…not even reaching double digits…Even in their partnerships the bulk of scoring was done by the master and he made sure that the run rate is healthy.

When Dhoni departed at 162 in the form of 4th wicket in the 24th over…Sachin found a stable partner in the form of Raina…who not only made good shots in the company of the master but also rotated the strike.Earlier Sachin had completed his 92nd 50 in the 15th over and was proving lethal for the Australians.Sachin powered 2 mighty sixes in 22nd over off Bollinger showing his persisting energy levels.The run rate was not healthy for the next few overs…as the stabilising act was on. Just befor the completion of the 27th over Sachin stole a single off Watson…The crowd sprouting in joy…Sachin had just finished his 45th century…the hundred coming off just 81 balls…the quickest one by any Indian against the Aussies…and his 9th against the team no 1.Now his duty was to convert it into a big one if he has to see India taking a lead in the series…but a long way to go.The 5th ball of the 30th over saw 200 on board for India with a healthy run rate..powered by a six off Voges coming from the masters blade.At the end of the 39th over these both had put a 100 run stand between them…which was essential in that point of the match.With a six off McKay Raina brings his 12 fifty and the 2nd against Australia in the midway of the 42nd over.

The 43rd over of the match gave the big turning point of the match…this time in favour of Australia…much to the disgust of the Indian dressing room when everything was going good for them. In the 3rd ball Watson dismissed Raina for a well made run a ball 59 with 3 hits to the fence and 3 clearing it. Harbhajan sent ahead of Jadeja was dismissed in the last ball by Watson…without troubling the scorers. Now the burden lied completely on the shoulders of Sachin to see India through when they were very close to the destiny.The score now was 300 for 5 and India just needed another 51 in 7 overs and looked quite possible when the master was joined by Jadeja.

In the first ball of the 48th over bowled by McKay halted the heartbeats of the Indians when Hauritz held a skier from Sachin. That was the end of one of the great innings from the master…and probably the dreams of Indian supporters anticipating India to clinch a thriller. The score was 332 for 6…with 4 wickets in had the target of getting another19 runs in the remaining 17 deliveries was always possible with a mind calculation…and still Jadeja left at the crease. But what happened next is history…which is not new for India.After 3 more balls in the same over…at the score 333…Jadeja trying to take strike…and running for a run which was never there run himself out suicidally…not realising the importance of his stay till end…thus exposing the tail. But Australia started sensing the victory falling in their pan. But things were expected from Praveen who was determined to see India through. But a terrible mix up when India needed just 5 from the last 4 balls…between Praveen and Munaf…trying to take a couple saw…Praveen becoming run out…Dumb silence in the stadium…India had slipped at the edge of victory…and had lost the match by a meagre 3 runs. Sachins mastered innings going in vain. Aussies rejoiced as they have to win only one of the remaining two matches to take home the series…while India has to get 2 out of 2. Aussies now feel that they can get the series psychologically… But are Indians going to turn the tables and prove Aussies wrong or…are they goin to give up…we should wait and see. But Hyderabad and the whole world had witnessed one of the great chases in the ODI history…and a class of the ageing Tendulkar.

For a gallent fight..single handledly…Sachin was declared the man of the match for his brilliant 175 off 141 balls…with19 fours and 4 sixes. The master is still there in the game. But its a rare situation that Sachin makes a big hundred and India finishes losing…and how many times we see a batsmen or a bowler from a losing side getting the man of the match? If it is to be…it has to be masters of the game like Sachin….

Well done Sachin….Bad luck and better luck next time…You are a genious and Legend by yourself….

Aus v/s India: 4th ODI…India surrenders without trying much…Tail wag insufficient

2nd november 2009….PunjabCricket association ground…Mohali. The 4th ODI between Australia and India had to be played…with India leading the series 2-1. India won the toss and chose to field. The decission to field first by captain Dhoni was complimented by the bowlers when they bundled out the Aussies for a formidable 250 which was chasable…seeing the batting order of India. The Indian bowlers were always on top during the course of the game. They denied a big score by takin 6 of their wickets giving just 33 runs in the final 7 overs when Aussies would have planned to accelerate the run machine.Watson made a 52 ball 49 at the top and the middle order was steadied by 52 and 62 runs respectively by Ponting and White…a useful run a ball 40 coming from Hussey aswell.Nehra was the pick of the bowlers for India with 3 for 37 from 8 overs.Harbhajan bowled tidy to take 2 for 48 in his 10 overs.Indians effected 4 run outs showing fielding skills just for a change.

Now it was Indias turn to get one more than Australia and take a lead in the series….and as usual when it matters India doesnt make use of opportunities…and it was not a different story this time aswell.Sehwag and Sachin gave a good start for India puttin 40 runs for the first wicket.He was caught by Watson off Bolinger for a brisk 19 ball 30 with 7 blisterig fours.Sachin made a useful 40 before being out leg before to Hauritz in the 19th over.Later Kohli, Yuvraj, Dhoni and Raina couldnt stabilise the start in the middle and made meagre contributions.When Ponting effected a run out of Jadeja…going for 7…in the 39th over…India were struggling with 177 for 7 with 73 runs needed to win with nothing much left…since the tail had to wag and wag too good.Harbhajan gave a gallent fight making 31 in just 25 hitting 5 fours and a six..and Praveen contributing a good 16 as well…but it was not to be enough…India fell short of 24 runs and were bundled out for 226 with 20 balls remaining. Another display of unplanned Indian team…saw Aussies levelling the series at 2-2.Bollinger and Watson took 3 wickets each and effected damage at frequent intervals.Hauritz with 2 for 31 in 9 overs provided the essential support.

For a wonderful innings of 49 runs with the bat and for claiming 3 crucial wickets….Shane Watson was adjudged the man of the match.

Aus v/s Ind: 3rd ODI – India beat Australia…take a 2-1 lead in the series…

In the 3rd ODI played at Feroz shah kotla grounds Delhi on 31st october 2009…India beat Australia by 6 wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the 7 match series. Earlier Ausrtralia wonn the toss and chose to bat first. Openers Watson and Ponting gave a solid start to the innings and kept the momentum going. They pied up 72 runs playing cautiously for the first wicket in 16.2 overs…before Yuvraj struck and had the good looking Watson stumped by Dhoni for a well deserved 41 made in 59 balls.Jadeja trapped Ponting leg before in the 32nd over and sent him for a well made 59. The score at this instance was128 for 2. One over and one run later White was dismissed for naught y Raina…making it 129 for 3 quickly. Voges and Henriques made small contributions. But at the other end it was Hussey who held the nerves and compiled runs for his team…He made 81 in 82 deliveries and remained unbeaten till the end and along with Johnson took the score to 229 in the stipulated 50 overs. The score looked much within reach of the Indian batting line up. But Aussies were not to give the piece of cake so easily…and India had to plan to get to that small total….and small totals are difficult to chase in the one day format. For India almost all the bowlers were consistent. With 2 for 41 in 9 overs Jadeja was the pick of bowlers. Harbhajan, Yuvraj and Raina took a wicked each bowling a tidy line and length. This work was to be complimented by the Batsmen.

In reply India achieved the desired target with 8 balls to spare and 6 wickets in hand. It was not easy with an attacking Auz force and a slowing wicket…But Indian batsmen played with determination and made sure they are home. Indian start too was slow and Sehwag struggling to get runs departed early in the 9th over making 11 runs. When the score was 51 in the 14th over…Sachin went back making 31…run out by Johnson.Gambhir could manage only 6 and 2 runs later in the 16th over he was bowled by Hauritz…when the board read…55 for 3. Now a stabilising act was needed to prevent further hiccups…since Aussies creep up when they get opportunities. This came in the form of a 148 run stand for the 4th wicket between Yuvraj and Dhoni. They made sure that they play sensibly and take India home and their intention became fruitful.Yuvraj was dismissed by Henriques in the 44th over for a well made78 off96 balls with 2 sixes and 8 boundaries.The score was 201 at that time and with Dhoni at the crease…it only required a finishing act..and Dhoni accomplished it in style.He remained undefeated on 71 made off 95 balls and along with Raina…9 not out…took India to a deserved win.

For a well drafted 78 when needeed and 1 for 30 with the ball…Yuvraj Singh was adjudged the man of the match……

Aus v/s Ind: 2nd ODI – Dhoni hammers Aussies to all corners…India level at one all…

Vidarbha cricket association stadium…Nagpur…Afternoon of 28th october 2009…2nd ODI between Australia and India. India were playing for pride as they had lost the tour opener badly…and a win here meant a lot to them. Dhoni…the captain led from the front…and drafted one of the greatest wins of India against Australia…making a world record for highest ever runs made by a wicket keeper batsmen and Captain playing against Australia.

In the back drop…Australia won the toss and put India to bat first. Little did they know the future of the match when they took this decission. India lost Sachin early in the 4th over when the score was 21.A 46 run stand between Sehwag and Gambhir steadied things for India. Johnson in the 11th over had Sehwag caught by Hilfenhaus for 41 made in 30 ballswith 6 boundaries and a six.Yuvraj was lookin good not until he backed one to Hilfenhaus off his own bowling making a 24 ball 23 witha six and 2 fours. But at the other end Gambhir was looking rock solid…as usual. He was joined by his captain Dhoni in the 16th over when the score was 97 for 3. They not only kept things going for India but made sure that the runs were scored quicker…They put on 119 for the 4th wicket…with the bulk of scoring done by Gambhir…while Dhoni made sure of rotating the strike.Gambhir was run out by Hauritz in the34th over for a 80 ball 76 with 6 hits to the fence…the board reading 216 at that time. Raina joined his captain. Dhoni who was playing safe until then broke free and started the demolition act…not to leave behind the prolific scoring partner in the form of Raina.Both stayed till the last over and made sure India reached a healthy total of 350 plus. In the last over of the innings 3 wickets fell back to back in th form of Dhoni, Raina and Praveen Kumar…But the damage was already made and it came too late for Australia. What could be ranked as one of the greatest knocks by a wicket keeper batsmen and a captain against the mighty Australians….Dhoni leading from the front made an aggressive 124 in just 107 balls with 9 boundaries and 3 mighty sixes…tearing apart the Aussie attack mercilessly. Raina executed a masterly 62 in 50 balls including six boundaries and a six…complementing his captain in the finishing act. All the bowlers were punished by Indian batsmen…Johnson managed to get 3 wickets at the cost of 75 runs.

The Australian reply cannot be underestimated by any means by any opponents…since they plan and chase well. But this time it was not to be. Australia had to surrender to a disciplined bowling attack and the pressure of chasing 357 runs.Australia had bad start with batsmen contributing in bits and pieces….never ever looking as reaching the Indian total.In the 21st over Australia had already lost its strong top order in the form of…Watson, Siddle, Ponting and White…none troubling the scorers.Voges and Hussey showed some resistence and tried to stabilise the innings putting 47 for the 5th wicket…but the pressure was always on with creeping asking run rate. In the 31st over Jadeja bowled Hussey for a well made 60 ball 53..when the score was 140 for 5. With 218 runs required in the remaining 19 overs looked a uphill task for the Aussies now.The Aussie tail wagged long…with Voges making 36, Johnson and Marsh making quickfire 21 a piece, Hauritz making 30 and Hilfenhaus making 16…but not to worry the Indians. Australia lost the match by 99 runs…conceeding a level up for India.Jadeja with 3 for 35 in his 7 overs was the best bowler for India.Pravin and Ishant took 2 wickets each.

For a great display with his bat…Dhoni was adjudged the Man of the match…..