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Marsh, Watson plunder Indian attack

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Erratic bowling by the pace-trio; fielding not up to scratch

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

WELL-PACED INNINGS: Australia’s Shaun Marsh bided his time to score his maiden ODI hundred against India at the Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: Like father, like son. Geoff Marsh scored his first One-Day International hundred at India’s expense in Sydney in 1986. And 23 summers later, his son Shaun Marsh too notched up his maiden ODI ton with the Indians being the sufferers again.

The junior Marsh’s cultured 112 (112b, 8x4, 2x6) along with Shane Watson’s opening blitz (93), skipper Ricky Ponting’s 45 and Cameron White’s 57, helped Australia post 350 for four in 50 overs against India in the fifth ODI of the Hero Honda Cup series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Thursday evening.

Missed chances

Marsh did enjoy his reprieves on 29 and 51 when Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni and a diving Virender Sehwag at short-cover failed to latch on to sharp chances, while bowlers Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh sulked.

And till Watson departed in the 26th over, Marsh was just a bit-player living up to his role of being an apt second-fiddle while his aggressive partner mauled the bowlers in an opening alliance worth 145 runs off 152 deliveries.

However, there is no mistaking the talent and resilience that resides within the southpaw’s frame. He bided his time while Watson cut loose against an errant seam trio of Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar and Munaf Patel, who replaced Ishant Sharma in the Indian XI, after Ponting opted to bat. Later, Marsh displayed power in carting Harbhajan down the ground and finesse while hoisting Nehra over mid-wicket with a delicate turn of the wrist.

Marsh’s hundred was the thread that held the Australian innings together till the 43rd over before White and Hussey whipped the Indian attack all over the park. Initially, Watson gave momentum and spirit to the Australian innings.

The allrounder, who has slowly warmed up with scores of 5, 19, 41 and 49 in the previous games, expressed his innate aggression as he hit through the line and pulled with aplomb as the Indian seamers either bowled too full or too short. Watson clouted sixes off Nehra (2) and Munaf as he reached his first fifty of the series.

Watson slowed down a bit towards the end of his tenure as Harbhajan bowled a tight opening spell of 8-0-28-1 though left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja’s half-volleys were pulled with relish.

Meanwhile, Marsh took his time to settle down with a long hiatus between his first four a pull off Praveen and his next two that were pocketed down the ground off Munaf.

Watson eventually missed his century as he found an alert Jadeja as Harbhajan exulted. Ponting (45, 45b, 3x4, 1x6) then stepped in and stole his singles and when offered width, unfurled his drives through the off-side before he swept Harbhajan over short third-man’s head and thumped Praveen over mid-wicket.

Dhoni employed a short mid-on to cut Ponting’s drives and had two men manning the short third-man area to stifle the dab-cuts of Marsh. However, with the bowlers being off their radar and the fielding not up to scratch, Nehra coming off as comical in the outfield, runs were plundered with ease.

As Marsh gained in confidence, he loved the deliveries homing into his pads, whipping them past the on-side and with a brace off Praveen, he registered his maiden ODI ton. The lone ugly shot in his innings undid him as Gambhir took a tumbling catch while Ponting watched Praveen slip one past his flashing blade.

In the final stretch of last 10 overs, Australia scored 105 runs as White (57, 33b, 2x4, 5x6) and Michael Hussey (31 n.o., 22b, 1x4, 2x6) unfurled a bouquet of slog-sweeps, pulls and inside-out drives to leave the Indians gaping at a huge target.

India was 264 for 4 after 39 overs. Tendulkar (147) and Raina (46) were at the crease
SCOREBOARD Australia: S. Watson c Jadeja b Harbhajan 93 (89b, 9x4, 3x6), S. Marsh c Gambhir b Nehra 112 (112b, 8x4, 2x6), R. Ponting b Praveen 45 (45b, 3x4, 1x6), C. White c Tendulkar b Praveen 57 (33b, 2x4, 5x6), M. Hussey (not out) 31. Extras (lb-6, w-5, nb-1): 12. Total (for four wickets in 50 overs): 350.

Fall of wickets: 1-145 (Watson), 2-236 (Ponting), 3-270 (Marsh), 4-350 (White).

Power Plays: One (Overs 1-10): 56/0; Bowling (11-15): 41/0; Batting (35 to 39): 44/1.

India bowling: Praveen 9-0-68-2, Nehra 10-0-79-1, Munaf 9-0-73-0, Jadeja 5-0-44-0, Harbhajan 10-0-44-1, Yuvraj 7-0-36-0.

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