Its Only Cricket

India win dead-rubber, to smile at the end.

Filed under India vs Australia

MuraliKarthikLovesMumbai.jpg How many times do you see 3 Australian batsman get out off the first ball they face, and champion team is under threat to being bowled out inside 33 overs? not too often I'm sure, but zip over each delivery Murali Karthik bowled today at Mumbai was something exceptional as well. He twice was on a hat-trick..

In fact, at one time, Captain Dhoni had to slow down the Australian batting (by calling the physio & get some treatment) so that India don't come out to chase their target with just 10 mins of break. I'll explain more in the notes part, but believe me - Australia had no clue how to negotiate left arm spin of Murali Karthik and were bowled out for merely 193.. their lowest first innings score since they were bowled out for 148 against Kiwis at the start of 2007.

Wayward bowling from Rudra Pratap (9 wides) and Ricky Ponting's 57 (highest score of the match) also deserves a mention when Indians bowled. When they came out to chase -- script changed even dramatically!

Ganguly & surprise no.3 (Dinesh Karthik, whose wife was their at the ground) went for a duck. Yuvraj Singh had his share of problems from Brett Lee's over 150 kmph bowling and Mitchell Johnson's swing - but even surprizingly - Sachin Tendulkar looked in fine touch. Mumbai is his home ground, and was the single batsman at ease on this tricky-reddish Wankhede Pitch.

Yuvraj Singh, Captain Dhoni and Irfan Pathan followed soon. India were 64 for 6 inside 20 overs & poeple started leaving the stadium - to catch an early local train back home. Wait!! said Harbhajan Singh.

Together with fast shining Robin Uthappa, Bhajji displayed nice batting defence for the first time in his 157 one dayer career. Uthappa looked for runs, wereas Bhajji for consolidation. After Uthappa perished, Zaheer Khan joined the show. and the, Murali Karthik was down again on the pitch, with a bat this time. 21 notout he scored, and India won the 7th ODI.

A dead rubber it was. Australia had won the 2nd, 3rd, 5th 6th ODI, whereas India managed only 4th ODI apart from this 7th. 1st ODI of the series was washed out.

The scorelines
Clarke 0, Gilchrist 19, Ponting 57,
Hodge 16, Symonds 0, Haddin 19,
Hopes 22, Hogg 0, Lee 0, Brackan 3,
Johnson 24*, extras 33 with 26 wides.
Australia : 193 all out in 41.3 overs.
India : 195 for 8 in 46 overs.
Ganguly 0, D Karthik 0, Tendulkar 21,
Yuvraj 15, Dhoni 5, Pathan 0,Uthappa 47,
Harbhajan 19, Zaheer 31 not out,
M Karthik 21, extras 36 with 20 wides.

Few notes to note
-ICC rules says that in case a team batting first in a one day International is bowled out before an hour & half of the scheduled start of second innings - the chase will start with only 10 mins of break, and dinner interval at its scheduled time later on.. Australia were in danger of being bowled out like that, 8 down for 162 in 32nd over, but little help from Dhoni's injury & James Hopes pertnership with Mitchell Johnson denied that possibility.

-This was Aleem Dar's 100th match as elite ODI umpire. He's 10th umpire to do so. On top of the list is Rudy Koertzen of South Africa with 182 ODIs as captain.

-Last time Murali Karthik played for India at Mumbai, it was also against Australia & he picked up 7 for 76 and won the man of the match award.. wonder if there's something among Karthik and Mumbai when Kangaroo Curry is in between!?!

-Murali Karthik's 6 for 27 in 10 overs is the best figures by a left arm spinner in one day Internationals. beating Sanath Jayasuriya's figures of 6 for 29 against England in 1992.

-Michael Clarke was dismissed off the first ball second consecutive time.

-Ricky Ponting scored his 63rd half century. it was his 50th 50 as captain, which is best record. second in list is Stephen Fleming of New Zealand with 45 half centuries.




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