Yuvraj too good, India two down

Yuvraj smashed 121 runs in just 115 balls with three sixes and 12 fours, and, with skipper MS Dhoni, took India to within striking distance of Australia’s 290. But when Dhoni edged pacer Brett Lee behind to Adam Gilchrist with India needing another 117 runs from 14 overs and just rookie Rohit Sharma and the tail left, the game was as good as over.

In fact, Australia’s confidence was evident after the toss itself when they chose to bat first despite curator Gopal Rao making it clear that chasing a total would be a better option considering the early swing. But then, India played into their hands too with Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan failing to get their line right from the beginning. Sreesanth, the focus of attention here after the theatrics in Kochi, kept his temper under control but was way off the mark with the ball, giving away five wides.

In the event, Australia stepped on the gas, riding on Matthew Hayden’s 70-ball 60 and later Andrew Symonds’ brash 89 off just 67 balls, studded with five sixes, to push India to the wall by lunch. Michael Clarke chipped in with a half-century, Gilchrist got going with a 31-ball 29 and Ricky Ponting, struggling for rhythm after an injury lay-off, hung on grimly for 25.

Among the six bowlers used by Dhoni, quite worried after the run leak in Kochi between Over No 30-40, only Harbhajan Singh put his hand up to be counted today. The sardar tossed up a few, and was spot-on with his length, too, to take home a miserly economy rate of 3.8 runs per over. Among the others who completed their quota of 10, Irfan Pathan remained the second best at 5.7 runs an over.

In reply, Indian started disastrously, with Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa and Rahul Dravid beaten by the sheer pace generated by Lee and left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson — Uthappa and his former skipper were back for ducks.

Then, Tendulkar buckled down with Yuvraj to put together 95 valuable runs before three-wicket man Brad Hogg — the left-arm chinaman bowler who’s turning out to be the sensation of his series—got through the little master’s square-cut with a straight ball. And that set the stage for the most entertaining part of the match with Yuvraj and Dhoni mixing it up, squeezing out singles and doubles along with the odd thud at the boundary fence.

But just when they entered the home stretch, adding 65 runs in 11 overs, Lee packed off Dhoni for a typically unorthodox 33, and it was all over.

SCOREBOARD

Australia: Adam Gilchrist b Pathan 29, Matthew Hayden c Dhoni b Pathan 60, Ricky Ponting c Sreesanth b Yuvraj 25, Michael Clarke c Pathan b Khan 59, Andrew Symonds c Uthappa b Sreesanth 89, Brad Hodge b Khan 3, James Hopes c Dravid b Sreesanth 11, Brett Lee not out 0

Extras (b2, lb3, w9): 14; Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs): 290

Fall of wickets: 1-76, 2-112, 3-135, 4-258, 5-263, 6-290, 7-290

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 10-1-61-2, Sreesanth 9-0-58-2, Irfan Pathan 10-0-57-2, Harbhajan Singh 10-1-38-0, Yuvraj Singh 7-0-49-1, Sachin Tendulkar 4-0-22-0

India: Gautam Gambhir lbw Lee 6, Sachin Tendulkar b Hogg 43, Robin Uthappa lbw Johnson 0, Rahul Dravid c Hayden b Lee 0, Yuvraj Singh b Johnson 121, MS Dhoni c Gilchrist b Lee 33, Rohit Sharma c Lee b Hopes 1, Irfan Pathan lbw Hogg 3, Harbhajan Singh not out 19, Zaheer Khan c&b Hogg 3, Sreesanth b Clark 1

Extras (b1, lb3, nb1, w8): 13; Total (all out, 47.4 overs): 243

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-11, 3-13, 4-108, 5-173, 6-176, 7-183, 8-219,

9-226

Bowling: Brett Lee 8-1-37-3, Mitchell Johnson 10-0-51-2, Stuart Clark 8.4-1-44-1, James Hopes 10-0-43-1, Brad Hogg 9-0-46-3, Brad Hodge 2-0-18-0

Man of the Match: Andrew Symonds

Result: Australia won by 47 runs

Series: Australia 2, India 0