India and Australia claimed one point each after rain and thunderstorm stopped the vital Group ‘A’ contest in the 43rd over of the Australian innings.
Australia was 234 for four at SuperSport Park here on Monday when inclement weather interrupted the innings. Play never resumed.
To qualify for the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy, India must beat the West Indies by a handsome margin in its last match at the Wanderers on Wednesday and hope that Pakistan defeats Australia at Centurion on the same day. Pakistan is through to semifinals.
If India and Australia finish on three points each, the net run-rate will come into the picture. Presently, Australia is ahead on run-rate.
When the downpour sent the players off the field, the free-stroking Cameron White (35 not out, 30b, 2x4, 1x6) and Callum Ferguson (2 not out) were at the crease.
Australia, opting to bat, was powered by half-centuries from Tim Paine, skipper Ricky Ponting and the left-handed Michael Hussey. The side was progressing towards a healthy total.
Opting for five bowlers
India, rightly, decided to go in with five specialist bowlers. Swing bowler Praveen Kumar replaced an off-colour R.P Singh and leggie Amit Mishra came in for Yusuf Pathan.
The pitch had a few patches of grass but was still on the slower side. Aashish Nehra bowled a zestful spell with the new ball. The left-arm paceman angled the ball across the right-hander from the middle and off stump and bent his back to extract a measure of bounce.
Shane Watson picked the wrong ball from — from outside the off-stump — for the pull and Harbhajan gobbled up the catch at short mid-wicket. India and Nehra had struck early.
From the other end, the under-rated Praveen bowled craftily. Praveen is not sharp but can be skiddy with a pronounced wrist action.
Pegged back at the start, Paine and Ponting gradually opened out.
Ishant Sharma struggled during his first spell. The lanky paceman was not running in well and his bowling lacked the zing — seam movement laced with bounce — that made him such a compelling bowler not so long ago. Ishant’s wrist is an integral aspect of his bowling and he needs to look back at his wrist position. He is not able to fire the ball with the same force or hit the seam with the same regularity. Consequently, he is tending to bang it in short.
Paine pulled Ishant for the maximum and Ponting unleashed a glorious cover-drive. Ponting then turned his attention on Praveen, skipping down for a delicious straight six.
Australia was 49 for one at the end of 10 overs. India took the bowling Power Play. Mishra was introduced in the 12th over.
Mishra impresses
Mishra bowled admirably, spinning the ball away from leg and middle, and slipping the odd top-spinner and the wrong ’un. He evoked respect from the fleet-footed Ponting.
Meanwhile, Paine continued to pick runs off Ishant, pulling and cover-driving the paceman to the fence. Paine is not the most attractive batsman around but can be effective. He innovated as well reverse-sweeping Harbhajan.
However, it was the conventional sweep that led to Paine’s (56, 58b, 7x4, 1x6) downfall as he top-edged one off Mishra. Australia was 87 for two in the 17th over.
Hussey collected runs with typical efficiency; extravagance was out and timing and placement were in. The left-hander’s feet movement was precise, so was his shot-selection.
Engrossing duel
The duel between Ponting and Harbhajan was an engrossing one. The Aussie captain swept the off-spinner to the fence and played his former nemesis with confidence.
Ponting (65, 88b, 4x4, 1x6) was batting in a sublime manner, gliding Ishant to the point fence and looking looked good for more when a direct hit from Gautam Gambhir to the non-striker’s end from sweeper cover ended his tenure.
White and Hussey strung together another partnership. White displayed soft hands for a big man, caressing Mishra to the mid-wicket fence. He also struck Harbhajan over mid-off and slog-swept Mishra into the stands beyond mid-wicket.
Hussey (67, 65b, 5x4) eventually holed out at long-off off Ishant but this was the day when Australia was able to build partnerships.
Eventually, a promising encounter was cut short by rain.
