The Hindu : Sport : Symonds powers Aussies to series win

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Monday, Oct 15, 2007
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Sport

Symonds powers Aussies to series win

S. Dinakar

Despite manful chase India falls short by 18 runs

— Photo: AFP

DYNAMIC DUO: Brad Hogg’s (left) four wickets and Andrew Symonds’s unbeaten century paved the way for Australia’s series-sealing victory at Nagpur on Sunday.

Nagpur: Moments of magic are not often conjured by pacemen in limited overs cricket on sub-continental belters.

Mitchell Johnson proved an exception at the Vidarbha Cricket Association ground on an eventful Sunday that witnessed Australia grabbing a winning 4-1 lead in the Future Cup ODI series.

The left-arm paceman, from round-the-wicket, sent down an astonishing maiden in the 49th over.

India required 28 off the last two overs with two ferocious strikers, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Robin Uthappa, at the crease.

However, the two, attempting big hits but beaten by the deviation, succumbed to the left-armer for India to finally finish 18 short of its target.

Rollicking

Earlier, Andrew Symonds’s rollicking yet responsible 88-ball unbeaten 107 (9x4, 4x6) propelled Australia from a worrying 129 for four to a match-winning 317 for eight after Ricky Ponting elected to bat.

Symonds then conceded just 39 runs of his 10 overs of tight off-spin to claim the Man of the Match award.

The Aussies, despite some purchase for the Indian spinners and under some pressure having lost three wickets, scored 99 runs between overs 21 and 40.

The Indian bowlers once again lost the plot in the end overs. The last 10 fetched Australia a whopping 102 runs.

In the evening, after the required run-rate had climbed beyond 12 an over, Uthappa blitzed a 28-ball 44 — his straight hits were scorching — to keep India in the hunt. Uthappa and Dhoni gathered 72 in only 46 balls, but Johnson had the last laugh.

Brilliant catch

Earlier, Ganguly was brilliantly held at squarish long-off, with Brad Hodge anticipating the hit from long-off and covering ground effortlessly. Ganguly (86, 7x4, 2x6) was looking good to take India past the finish line.

The experienced opening pair of Tendulkar and Ganguly put on 140 runs in 26 overs to lay a solid platform.

Tendulkar (72, 9x4, 1x6) hooked Brett Lee to have the crowd roaring and then unleashed some gorgeous strokes through the off-side. Australia was forced to delay its third Power Play and the chase was on.

Medium pacer James Hopes’ ability to release the ball late provided Australia the breakthrough.

He saw Tendulkar stepping out, floated the ball down the leg-side and Adam Gilchrist had the bails off.

Turning point

This was a game when India allowed the moments to fly away. The heavy-hitting Symonds was unable to keep the ball down as he struck Harbhajan with the turn, but S. Sreesanth floored a regulation offering at fine leg. Symonds was just two then and this was among the game’s turning points.

Rahul Dravid put down Gilchrist at gully off Sreesanth when the left-hander was 16. He went on make a 47-ball 51.

The pitch turned dusty as the game progressed and left-arm Chinaman bowler Hogg had Yuvraj Singh, unable to pick turn, plumb in front.

After make-shift opener Michael Clarke perished early to Zaheer, Gilchrist and Ponting picked holes in the in-field. Then, spinners Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik struck to put Australia under stress before Symonds spoiled the Indian party.

This was an effort when delicate shot-making, the glide and the late cuts to the third-man fence shared space with fierce inside-out cover-drives, the brutal straight hits, the powerful pulls over mid-wicket and square-leg.

Symonds rebuilt with Brad Haddin and accelerated with the innovative Hopes.

He jumped for joy after his hundred and in the evening, all the Aussies celebrated.

SCOREBOARD

Australia: A Gilchrist c Uthappa b Pathan 51, M. Clarke c Dhoni b Zaheer 0, R. Ponting c Dravid b Harbhajan 49, B. Hodge c Dravid b Kartik 20, A. Symonds (not out) 107, B. Haddin c Tendulkar b Sreesanth 25, J. Hopes c Dravid b Zaheer 39, B. Lee (run out) 17, M. Johnson (run out) 1, Extras (lb-3, nb-1, w-4): 8; Total (for eight wkts. in 50 overs): 317.

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Clarke), 2-98 (Ponting), 3-102 (Gilchrist), 4-129 (Hodge), 5-204 (Haddin), 6-294 (Hopes), 7-315 (Lee), 8-317 (Johnson).

India bowling: Zaheer 10-0-62-2, Sreesanth 8-0-64-1, Pathan 9-0-60-1, Harbhajan 8-0-56-1, Kartik 9-1-37-1, Yuvraj 1-0-15-0, Tendulkar 5-0-20-0.

India: S. Ganguly c Hodge b Hogg 86, S. Tendulkar st. Gilchrist b Hopes 72, I. Pathan c Clarke b Hogg 29, R. Dravid c Hodge b Hogg 7, Yuvraj lbw b Hogg 6, M.S. Dhoni c Ponting b Johnson 26, R. Uthappa c Hopes b Johnson 44, Harbhajan (not out) 6, Zaheer (not out) 3, Extras (b-4, lb-8, w-7, nb-1): 20; Total (seven wkts., 50 overs): 299.

Fall of wickets: 1-140 (Tendulkar), 2-189 (Pathan), 3-203 (Ganguly), 4-213 (Yuvraj), 5-218 (Dravid), 6-290 (Uthappa), 7-290 (Dhoni).

Australia bowling: Lee 7-0-50-0, Johnson 9-1-39-2, Bracken 8-0-54-0, Hopes 4-0-30-1, Symonds 10-0-39-0, Hogg 10-0-49-4, Clarke 2-0-26-0.

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