Its Only Cricket

Good win for India : Leads in Points-table.

Filed under CB Tri-series 2008

Brad-Haddin-100208.jpg Two more twists still remain, before we know the finalists of CB Triseries 2008. Points system of annual trination cricket tournament in Australia has always popped up interesting permutations & I assure cricket fans around the world that this year's points table would be no different.

Triseries has just began..

Today in Match 4 (of 12 league games in total), at Melbourne, batsmen from both teams disappointed. Indian pacers overshadowed Aussie fast bowling attack and secured India's first win at MCG ground in after 22 years! Scorecard.

Story, as always, started with coin toss which rolled into Ricky Ponting's favour who elected the obvious - batting. There WAS a time when Adam Gilchrist & Mathew Hayden would open the innings for australia & dominate from first delivery. sometimes when they had to negotiate swing - they did.. but these days - no batsmen in Australian cricket team's lineup is ready to give due respect to fine fast bowling from young Indian pacers. It is new to watch Hayden not eat up enough deliveries (20 odd) before shifting gears. After early (and unlucky) dismissal of Gilchrist, Haydos should have consolidated but he didn't.

Its very unlike Ricky Ponting get frustrated from a 20 year old (Ishant Sharma). The Ponting who once was racing towards Sachin Tendulkar's phenomenal batting record - is now severely out-of-form. no wonder he's not setting enough examples for 10 other members.

Ishant-Sharma-melbourne-100208.jpg Michael Clarke played rash shot like a teenager (going across the line too early) while flaw in Andrew Symonds' defence (edging to keeper) was found once again by Ishant Sharma. No one noticed - but S Sreesanth too played this India vs Australia CB triseries match and bowled wonderfully. straight & accurate.

Harbhajan Singh was at his unplayable best. Once seamers get wickets, spinners always cause problems.. now Michael Hussey negotiated most of Bhajji after Brad Haddin was stumped down the leg side smartly by India's captain cum wicket keeper Dhoni. Onus was on Aussie tailenders to accompany Hussey but they too fail the project script & Australia were bowled out for just 159.. in 43.5 overs. only 10 times australia have not played even 45 overs while batting first, ever!

Indian chase had her hiccups but boat was stabilized once again by Captain Dhoni in association with 20 year old Mumbai right hander - Rohit Sharma.

Interesting & notable notes
**Australia, batting first, played 43.5 overs to score their total which Indian team chased down in 45.1 overs.. now this has happened for the first time for Indian cricket team that they successfully chased such smallish total after playing more overs than opposition had consumed!
**Ricky Ponting had delayed his third powerplay until they became mandatory = start of 45th over. this has also happened for the first time that a captain never took pp3 himself but they were themselves employed.. since rule of powerplay started 3 years ago..
**Sachin Tendulkar completed his 1000 runs in Australia (vs all countries) in one day Internationals. Sachin averages almost 34 while batting in an ODI in australia, but man with 41 ODI centuries so far - has not get scored one in Australia!
**Which Australian bowler had most wickets against India in onedayers? Brett Lee with 43 victims, joined hands with his former captain Steve Waugh!
**Before this CB series Match 4, India had beaten Australia at Melbourne in January 31st 1986 = over 22 years!




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