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Mitchell Johnson (L) and Ricky Ponting celebrate - Source: Reuters -
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World champions Australia kept their cool in the last over to
beat India by four runs in a thrilling one-dayer on Monday.
The home team, chasing a daunting target of 293, slid to 201 for
seven before a plucky eighth-wicket stand of 84 by Harbhajan Singh
(49) and Praveen Kumar (40 not out) gave them hope in the opening
game of the seven-match series.
India needed nine off the last over from Peter Siddle but the
paceman bowled accurately, conceding just four runs and clean
bowling Harbhajan.
"It was a pretty good performance until the last six or seven
overs of the game," said Australia captain Ricky Ponting at the
prize-giving ceremony.
"It was a terrific game of cricket in the end and we would have
been disappointed had we lost. They kept fighting till the last
ball and Harbhajan got them really close."
Earlier, Ponting (74), man of the match Michael Hussey (73), Tim
Paine (50) and Cameron White (51) excelled in Australia's innings
of 292 for eight after they chose to bat first.
Fast bowler Ashish Nehra provided India with an early breakthrough
when he had Shane Watson lbw for five.
Ponting hits out
Ponting cut loose though, putting on 97 for the second wicket with
opener Paine and 49 for the next with White before falling lbw to
left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.
Vice-captain Hussey stepped on the acclerator, sharing a stand of
76 with White and smashing his 73 off just 54 balls with eight
fours and a six.
Left-hander Gautam Gambhir then hit 68 to boost India after
Australia had removed Virender Sehwag (13) and Sachin Tendulkar
(14) cheaply.
Explosive batsman Yuvraj Singh missed the game with a finger
injury but Gambhir put on 64 with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34)
for the fourth wicket to keep India in the contest.
All-rounder Mitchell Johnson then trapped Gambhir lbw with a
yorker and caught and bowled Suresh Raina for nine.
Watson followed up by having Dhoni caught at mid-on before
Harbhajan and Praveen came together in a 57-ball stand that gave
Australia a mighty scare, especially after clubbing Watson for 20
runs in the penultimate over.
The second game is in Nagpur on Wednesday.
