India fall short in Sydney

India crumple at the pressure of chase of 253 and face elimination from tri-series after 87-run loss against Australia.

Sachin Tendulkar
undefined
Frustration for Tendulkar as he is run out by Warner bringing to a premature end his hunt for that elusive ton [GETTY]

David Warner scored 68 runs and Sachin Tendulkar failed again in his quest for 100 international centuries as Australia easily restricted India’s run chase to win by 87 runs in a limited-overs tri-series match on Sunday in Sydney.

Warner led Australia to 252-9 after stand-in captain Shane Watson won the toss and decided to bat. India were all out for 165, with Watson taking two wickets for nine runs in five overs after scoring just one run with the bat after an injury layoff.

The win gave Australia 19 points and first place in the tri-series, leading Sri Lanka by four points. India must now take a bonus-point win over Sri Lanka in Hobart on Tuesday, and hope Sri Lanka lose to Australia on Friday, to have any hope of making the best-of-three finals.

Frustrated

Tendulkar’s near year-long quest for his 100th international century continued after he was run out for 14.

Tendulkar threw his arms up in frustration after he was blocked during a run by bowler Brett Lee. But there was no avenue for appeal as Lee did not appear to intentionally block India’s star batsman.

Scorecard

Australia innings

D Warner c Raina b Jadeja 68
S Watson c Yadav b Kumar 1
P Forrest b Kumar 7
M Hussey run out 10
D Hussey c Dhoni b Yadav 54
M Wade c Dhoni b Yadav 56
D Christian c Jadeja b Sehwag 24
C McKay st Dhoni b Sehwag 1
B Lee c Kohli b Sehwag 4
X Doherty not out 13
Extras 14
Total (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 252
Fall of wickets: 1-5 2-26 3-57 4-107 5-201 6-212 7-217 8-232 9-252

India innings

V Sehwag c & b Hilfenhaus 5
S Tendulkar run out 14
G Gambhir b McKay 23
V Kohli c Christian b Watson 21
S Raina c Wade b Watson 8
M Dhoni lbw Hilfenhaus 14
R Jadeja c Watson b Christian 8
R Ashwin c M. Hussey b Lee 26
I Pathan c Watson b Doherty 22
P Kumar b Doherty 1
U Yadav not out 0
Extras 23
Total (all out; 39.3 overs) 165
Fall of wickets: 1-7 2-35 3-79 4-83 5-89 6-104 7-126 8-156 9-16

Tendulkar’s last century was his 111 in a one-day international against South Africa on March 12 at Nagpur, India, his 48th ODI ton. He has 51 Test centuries, his last a score of 146 against South Africa at Newlands in Cape Town on January 4, 2011.

Mitchell Wade added 56 and David Hussey a controversial 54 in Australia’s total. Watson was making his first appearance as captain after regular skipper Michael Clarke could not start because of back soreness.

Virender Sehwag took 3-43 for India while Praveen Kumar and Umesh Yadav chipped in with two wickets each.

Warner was caught by Suresh Raina between deep fine and square leg, but not before Raina and Irfan Pathan collided when neither player called the other off.

They were not seriously hurt in the collision.

Controversy

Wade and Hussey combined for a 94-run partnership that included controversy when Hussey was on 17.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni appealed for Hussey’s wicket, saying the batsman obstructed his fielders after the Australian put out his hand to stop the ball from hitting him.

But television umpire Simon Fry disagreed, despite Dhoni’s subsequent vehement complaints to on-field officials Simon Taufel and Billy Bowden.

Moments later, an Indian player on the boundary had a spectator ejected by security for throwing something in his direction.

Clarke suffered from back soreness after the Hobart loss to Sri Lanka on Friday and Cricket Australia said “with the short turnaround between games we have taken the precaution of him (Clarke) not playing in today’s game.”

Out for three months due to hamstring and calf injuries, Watson became Australia’s third captain in three games after Ricky Ponting stood in for Clarke in Brisbane and Clarke returned for Friday’s loss to Sri Lanka.

Tendulkar was made an honorary member of the Sydney Cricket Ground before the match, an honour that did not help him on the pitch.

Source: AP