India at a loss: From 277 for 1 to 323 all out

Also Read: Dhoni takes blame: ‘It was my wicket’

Indians know how to score fancy centuries. Australians know how to win matches. Indians can build a buzz, Australians know how to crack the business end. On current evidence of a 0-4 series scoreline (India lead the centuries count 5-3), the exhausting, exasperating inference to be drawn at the Manuka Oval is that while Indian batsmen can go past milestones, they are grossly inadequate in taking the team past the finish line. Days like Wednesday when two Indian hundreds (Virat Kohli’s 106 and Shikhar Dhawan’s 126) were rendered redundant in the 25-run defeat, highlight the contrast with the world champion Australians, for whom Steve Smith’s 51 and Glenn Maxwell’s 41 were as relevant as Aaron Finch’s 107 and David Warner’s 93.

Also Read: Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan must take fair share of blame

Seven single digit scores followed the twin centuries for India, but nothing stares more mockingly at followers of the Indian team than the two hundreds which couldn’t add up to a run-chase target of 349. The darkest recesses of a bitter Indian mind will immediately throw thoughts back to the 90s when Indians were known to chase individual glory. The fourth ODI of the current series — in which India have been made to look ridiculous owing to their ability to defend 300-and-thereabouts scores — was a recall of all those bad memories of meaningless milestones returning, even if India notched another notorious 300-plus score, this time while chasing.

Even a statistician will shake his head in mild anguish at what ought to read like happy figures — five hundreds scored in four games. Away in Australia, with Virat Kohli slamming consecutive hundreds. But there’s more than a tinge of sadness even when celebrating Shikhar Dhawan’s 126, his first hundred after ten months of a very evident struggle for form. That India with its batters pickled in IPL glory of impossible run-chases, needed a mere 75 runs in 13 overs with nine wickets in hand to get to the target — and contrived to lose from there, is cold water to the face even for a captain who had thrown his hands up on his incompetent bowlers while believing that his batsmen could get him an elusive win.

But India cruelly learnt in a match, where Australia opted to bat first, that it takes more than two centuries of audacious chest-thumping, growling intent, to win a match.

Pity that it was a loose shot to end his innings that Indians will resentfully remember of Kohli’s 25th century. He has been the poster boy of India’s successful, clinical — bold, even — run-chases. If anyone knows how to orchestrate a run-riposte after captain Dhoni, it is Virat Kohli. Very unlike the batting greats of yesteryear, Kohli seemed to know how to take the team past the line unfailingly. He was almost Australian in his consistency and ambition in grabbing wins.

But it was an inexplicably impetuous coming down the track from Kohli, as he spooned a catch to Smith at mid-off, that set the teeth grinding.

Early promise

India were chasing 349 and to the credit of the openers, both Rohit Sharma and Dhawan laid down a foundation adding 65 in eight overs. Sharma was unlucky with the ball kissing his gloves while playing a flick to be caught by wicket-keeper Mathew Wade. It was then time for the Delhi boys to shine.

Dhawan and Virat Kohli were making a mockery of the opponent’ bowling attack, blasting them without remorse and taking control of the game. On a flat pitch, the Australians looked clueless about where to bowl to the duo even as the masters of the big run chase settled nicely into a rhythm of one big hit per over. From his score of 76, Dhawan scored his next 26 in a mere 16 balls, racing away to his ninth ODI hundred. Kohli was not far behind. It took him a mere 84 balls to reach his century. It was an innings of stubborn aggression and saw the first wicket stand of 212 runs at a smug run rate of 7.40.

India were 274 for 1 at one stage with another 75 needed off the last 13 overs. A not-too-difficult win was on the cards at that stage as Dhawan and Kohli had taken charge completely before Dhawan was out at 126.

It could’ve been shrugged off as a setback but John Hastings, who got Dhawan, later claimed the wicket of Mahendra Singh Dhoni two balls later. The Indian team which was looking for an easy runs by now was soon on the back-foot. Ajinkya Rahane had four stitches on his finger webbing which meant he came out to bat late.

The onus was once again on Kohli. He has been the reason for several of India’s big chases lately and the boy had changed India’s perception when it came to big totals. He was India’s answer to a Glenn Maxwell or George Bailey, who had successfully and repeatedly achieved this for Australia in past few games. But Kohli would betray the Indian penchant for not finishing at the most inopportune moments.

Kohli’s wicket left the door open for Australians and nobody knows better than them how to pounce on such opportunities. India’s next nine batsmen added 46 runs and India finished losers once again in the frustrating series.