Matches between India and Australia are not for the faint-hearted given the twists and turns that ripple across the cricketing field.
The ICC World Cup warm-up game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium between the fired-up rivals lived up to its top-billing and in the end, the host rode on Piyush Chawla's spin-web to snub the defending champion. India scored 214 and defeated Australia by 38 runs after the visitor was bowled out for 176 in 37.5 overs.There was no hint of the melt-down when Shane Watson muscled his runs and along with Tim Paine, raised 51 runs off 47 deliveries. Soon Chawla, who became the pivot around whom the match turned, effected a fine running catch as Watson launched into an uppish drive against S. Sreesanth.
Paine and a dour Ricky Ponting (57, 85b, 4x4) kept the pursuit on course before a sprinting Munaf Patel snuffed out Paine's tenure. Ponting oscillated between edges and authority against R. Ashwin but the tweakers found good purchase on a pitch that allied equally with pace and spin.
Chawla (four for 31) mixed up his leg-breaks and googlies and had the batsmen groping with tepid feet and hard hands. Michael Clarke, Cameron White, David Hussey and Callum Ferguson perished in Chawla's dream second spell of 5-0-9-4.
Harbhajan Singh then got rid of his ‘bunny' Ponting and India soon stitched a welcome victory.
Earlier, the Indian innings suffered a diffident streak as wickets fell regularly while Sachin Tendulkar skipped the match. Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag (54), a strangely subdued Yusuf Pathan (32) and a dogged R. Ashwin (25 n.o.) essayed the brief notes of Indian defiance. The middle-order caved in while Sehwag hoisted Jason Krejza for six to usher in his fifty and immediately fell to the off-spinner.
Brett Lee then stepped in with a second spell of 5-0-14-3 before Pathan's consolidation-mode and Ashwin's on-drives helped India post a moderate score.
The scores:India: G. Gambhir c White b Bollinger 6 (15b, 1x4) , V. Sehwag b Krejza 54 (55b, 8x4, 1x6) , V. Kohli c Hussey b Hastings 21 (33b, 3x4) , Yuvraj c Paine b Johnson 1 (7b) , M.S. Dhoni b Hastings 11 (24b, 1x4) , S. Raina c Paine b Lee 12 (16b, 1x4) , Y. Pathan c Krejza b Hussey 32 (38b, 2x6) , Harbhajan Singh b Lee 4 (2b, 1x4) , P. Chawla b Lee 0 (6b) , R. Ashwin (not out) 25 (47b, 2x4) , A. Nehra c Krejza b Hussey 19 (24b, 3x4); Extras (lb-3, nb-1, w-25): 29. Total (all out in 44.3 overs): 214.
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-54, 3-63, 4-101, 5-113, 6-132, 7-136, 8-138, 9-187.
Australia bowling: Lee 10-1-35-3, Bollinger 6-0-29-1, Johnson 9-0-42-1, Hastings 6-0-24-2, Krejza 10-0-56-1, Hussey 3.3-0-25-2.
Australia: S. Watson c Chawla b Sreesanth 33 (26b, 7x4) , T. Paine c Munaf b Yuvraj 37 (57b, 3x4) , R. Ponting st. Dhoni b Harbhajan 57 (85b, 4x4) , M. Clarke b Chawla 0 (4b) , C. White c Ashwin b Chawla 4 (13b) , D. Hussey st. Dhoni b Chawla 0 (1b) , C. Ferguson c Kohli b Chawla 8 (8b, 1x4) , M. Johnson st. Dhoni b Harbhajan 15 (19b, 1x6) , J. Hastings (not out) 1 (3b) , J. Krejza lbw b Harbhajan 0 (3b) , B. Lee b Ashwin 1 (7b); Extras (b-3, lb-1, w-11): 20. Total (all out in 37.5 overs): 176.
Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-118, 3-120, 4-138, 5-138, 6-148, 7-166, 8-175, 9-175.
India bowling: Nehra 2-0-12-0, Sreesanth 5-0-21-1, Munaf 2-0-22-0, Ashwin 9.5-0-47-1, Chawla 9-0-31-4, Yuvraj 5-0-19-1, Harbhajan 5-0-15-3.
