Australia 269/6 defeats India 267/8 with six balls remaining
It got closer than Australia would have liked but in the end India was 30 runs short of a competitive total.
Rohit Sharma batted beautifully for 138 and he had some nice backup by Suresh Raina. And after 35 overs they were 185 runs for four. But the Indian tail has done what it’s done all summer - nothin’. And too many wickets fell for too few runs.
Then Aaron Finch scored 95, Steve Smith effortlessly whacked his way to 48, and Shane Watson pulled off a typically pretty 20-something. Then they got out and Australia wobbled. Glenn Maxwell, who doesn’t comfort anyone that he’s not much more than a T20 whacker, hit a huge six and dollied a catch. George Bailey nicked one. And India began to believe.
And well they might’ve.
But Brad Haddin and James “The Closer” Faulkner eventually whacked their team home with typically lusty blows.
So, a fair old game of ODI cricket in the end, after it might’ve petered out. Well done, India. Well done, Australia. Well done, umpires and ball-boys.
I’m Matt Cleary. Until next time, good night.
49th over: Australia 269-6 (Haddin 13, Faulkner 9)
Okay. Kumar. Second last over. Australia needs 15 runs. Two overs to go. Sorry for dissing this game, Cricket Gods. All is forgiven.
Kumar to Haddin ... dot ball? No! They scamper through for one. Kumar just mis-fielded.
Kumar to Faulkner.
14 off 11.
FAULKNER SMASHES IT FOR FOUR! ON ONE LEG HE HEAVES IT FOR FOUR BEHIND SQUARE. HOW DID he do that, he’d have worn it in the face it was like a sweep or a slog. Regardless it is: four runs.
10 from 10.
OH! Single! Haddin had given it up but Dhawan couldn’t hit ‘em.
9 off 9.
Wide! Down leg side.
8 off 9.
Haddin should have hit that for seven.
But he hits the next one for four through the covers, four runs, great shot, middle of the bat, he gave himself room and blasted it for four.
4 from 8.
Bang, driven down the ground.
3 from 7.
Last ball of Kumar’s over. Faulkner will swing like the gate here. He does. Four runs. He is The Closer.
That’s the match! Australia wins by 4 wickets with six balls remaining.
48th over: Australia 253-6 (Haddin 7, Faulkner 0)
Okay.
20 off 18.
Haddin facing Patel who’s got 1/41.
Dot ball. 20 off 17. Crowd enjoys it. India crowd. Happy people.
Dhoni out to talk to his bowler. “Don’t bowl a full toss on leg stump.” “Okay, boss.”
Haddin faces Patel ... and ... gives himself room and whacks it through extra cover. Great chase by the India fieldsman Rohit Sharma who saves a run. They’ve run three. And that’s all they get.
17 off 16.
Faulkner. Big whacker. They call him: The Closer. Big reputation. Big man.
He faces Patel - big shout! LBW? No. Down legside. And leg-bye.
16 off 15.
Haddin gets a single.
Faulkner. Massive whacker. OH! ANOTHER SHOUT FOR LBW! HE HAS A MASSIVE LONG LOOK AT IT... BUT says no. Oh my, it’s close.
Two dots finish it.
Australia needs 15 off 12 balls.
Ha.
47th over: Australia 248-6 (Haddin 3, Faulkner 0)
Kumar to The Closer - James Faulkner.
20 off 20.
Dot ball. Each one the pro-India crowd are cock-a-hoop. Still don’t think I’m running to Goulburn. But there is another dot ball. And that, friends, is a wicket-maiden in the 47th over, with a team needing 20 to win.
Wicket! Glenn Maxwell c-and-b Kumar
Okay, our man Shami, a slower ball to Maxwell who never looked comfortable, and there’s a caught-and-bowled spooned back to the bowler.
Earlier in that over this happened:
Here’s our man Shami. To Maxwell. Who advances, and misses by quite a bit.
20 off 23.
Shami hobbling. Shaminator. The physio is out. He’s on the deck. Knee? Hambone? Maybe he just doesn’t want to play any more? That could happen. Not in this case. He’s going off. Bummer.
But it could happen. And I’d like to see it, one day, a cricketer or pro sportsman, say, Look, this week, I just couldn’t be arsed.
Replacement bowler is Harold And Kumar. He beats Maxwell who tries a back foot slash.
20 off 22.
And he’s out. I’ll do the wicket thing.
47th over: Australia 248-6 (Haddin 3)
46th over: Australia 248-5 (Haddin 3, Maxwell 19)
Five overs to go. Thirty balls. Twenty-six runs to win. Five wickets in hand. As the great man Greigy used to say, this is the equation.
Here’s Axar Patel. Left arm arrows man. Haddin cuts for one. 25 off 28.
Dot ball.
Single. No, two through mid-wicket. 23 off 26.
Maxwell goes high ... over cover! Just over cover. And there’s another two. More room in the air, Maxy!
21 off 25. Single. Six off the over.
20 to win off 24 balls.
45th over: Australia 242-5 (Haddin 5, Maxwell 15)
27 from 36 balls. Home boys back on top. Yadav into him. Haddin cuts, bottom edge.
George Bailey caught behind, says the Third Umpire who does a few things, it seems.
Yadav to Maxwell. Top yorker. It bends Maxwell’s bat and almost knocks him over. Bit of Irish from the big man from Umeshkumar Tilak Yadav born a day after me but some several years afterwards in Nagpur, Maharashtra, the city of oranges.
Went there once. Didn’t see any oranges.
44th over: Australia 241-4 (Haddin 1, Maxwell 15)
Ashwin. They’ve just been chipping him. Why go big? No real reason. Just go the run a ball. Maxy might find one anyway. And Brad Haddin... yes, there goes Maxwell - bang - he advances and smashes a six down the ground in his funny flat-bat whacking way. He goes again, gets bat on it - four runs. Now that is an over of one-day cricket.
More!
Wicket! George Bailey 5 c Dhoni b Ashwin
Bailey is out twice - caught behind and stumped. He can pick which one he’d prefer. He got an inside edge. And he was stumped. He was given out by the square leg umpire. And TV showed he nicked it. So ... there’s no DRS. So he’s probably stumped, given the bowler’s end umpire didn’t give him. Or did he? It’s all so exciting. And here’s Brad Haddin. 38 runs from 40 balls.
43rd over: Australia 229-4 (Bailey 5, Maxwell 3)
Okay 42 off 46. Run a ball. Six wickets in hand. Years ago this would have been quite exciting. Now, not so much. Particularly with Yadav bowling a wide.
41 off 45. Dot ball, a block by Beatle Bailey.
Then an edge off the inside gets a single. 40 off 44. Again, exciting in 1990. Today, if they don’t get ‘em ... sack them all.
Maxwell runs a nice ramp shot off the face of his bat over slip. Just the one, there’s a sweeper.
Over. Three off.
42nd over: Australia 226-4 (Bailey 3, Maxwell 4)
Ravi “The Power” Ashwin and his darts from on-high. Bailey and Maxwell chip him for ones. Three of them. Maxy rips off his patented reverse sweep, the one he plays like a normal shot even in Test cricket when he’s batting three and Australia is a couple down for not many. Good luck to him. But he’s not playing Test cricket again with that attitude, don’t care how care-free and funky you are. Can’t believe he really did in the first place, bat three in Test cricket for Australia.
But there you go.
41st over: Australia 223-4 (Bailey 2, Maxwell 2)
Oh good grief. Maxwell gets a short one that he ducks or sort of bends to evade, but leaves his bat in the air like a periscope and the ball runs off the full face of his bat, safe into the gully.
46 off 55 balls. And Yadav bowls a quick one but it’s so far over Bailey’s head he’d have need to be sitting on Mitch Starc’s shoulders to hit it. So it is called a wide.
Wicket! Aaron Finch 96 c Dhoni b Yadav
Double action! Yadav beats Finch for pace, bowls a short one that was probably a little too close to cut ... no it wasn’t, it was perfectly cut-able, but just too quick. Bowled, Yadav. Batted Finch.
40th over: Australia 217-2 (Finch 96, Maxwell 1)
Okay. Ten overs to go. Not many runs to win. Glen Maxwell is in now so there might be something interesting happens. Something funky and/or funny. But it would want to be really funny. Like funnier than Billy Connolly.
Billy Connolly:
Wicket! Steve Smith 47 c Ashwin b Shami
Well. There you. Old mate Shami. The Shaminator. Has dished up a half-track slower ball that Smith has swotted overhead style, like Rafa Nadal whacking a monkey on the head, and Ravi Ashwin’s taken a simple catch at mid-wicket.
Oh - and here’s Maxy.
40th over: Australia 215-3 (Finch 94)
Updated
39th over: Australia 215-2 (Finch 94, Smith 47)
Hundred partnership is up. Great batting. Belting India now.
Belting them like Richie Richardson in ‘91.
38th over: Australia 208-2 (Finch 92, Smith 42)
Four dots. Two singles. This could kill a herd of Peruvian llama.
So: Here’s Merv Hughes saying rude words to Gordon Greenidge.
37th over: Australia 206-2 (Finch 91, Smith 41)
Patel, again. Australia cruising like a ... shark, say. Or a cruise missile. Or Tom Cruise cruising. Something. Six off.
36th over: Australia 200-2 (Finch 89, Smith 38)
Okay. Power Play. Australia needs 72 from 90 balls. Eight wickets in hand. Here comes Mohammed Shami. If Australia lose this I will run to Goulburn*.
* In a car. Like if you were saying I’ll just go for a run in the car.
Australia is 200/2. 68 off 85 balls. Drinks. This game is over. I want to watch the Vikings.
Instead, here’s AB talking to Billy McDermott.
35th over: Australia 196-2 (Finch 84, Smith 37)
Yadav. Straight. Fast. Like Merv Hughes bowling to Richie Richardson. Here he is bowling to Viv. Love this like a brother:
34th over: Australia 191-2 (Finch 83, Smith 34)
Yes, the Guardian OBO guy’s selection as secret weapon for India is launched for six over his head. Big hit by Finch he’s on 82.
Smith, now, cuts for four. It’s over, baby.
Meanwhile, these funny types run a gambling* website.
* Children, gamble responsibly.
Updated
33rd over: Australia 177-2 (Finch 77, Smith 29)
Yadav. Oh yes. Like him in Test cricket. In this format ... not so much. Not enough tricks, for mine. Bowls fast straight ones. But anyone can face a fast straight one. That’s all a young Merv Hughes bowled, and Richie Richardson hit him for more sixes over backward square than anyone in the world.
Here at the MCG and Smith has hard-glanced the ball to the fine-leg fence. Shot. Flourish. Yadav drifted onto leg and it was whisked away.
Wish I could watch Vikings.
32nd over: Australia 170-2 (Finch 73, Smith 25)
Yes, good move. Suresh Raina, another spinner. He’s dished up a wide. But the India seamers can’t stop the runs here, or really get these guys out.
And yes, good call Guardian Man, good move, Raina’s been smashed for six by Finch flat over long-on.
Then they take two with good running. Then Raina bowls a dart. Then bowls a really, really slow one. And that’s 170-2. Put a fork in this fixture, Sports God.
31st over: Australia 160-2 (Finch 60, Smith 24)
Snick! Off the fat edge of Finch’s bat and into Dhoni’s upper arm given Kumar’s bowling 130km/h and Dhoni’s keeping up to the stumps.
What’s doing on the Twitter.
Oh dear lord:
Updated
30th over: Australia 155-2 (Finch 60, Smith 24)
Ashwin, again. Smith guides a thick edge for four. Then a single, using his feet. This is ... well. Wish I could watch Vikings that I taped on SBS. I will later. See if I don’t.
29th over: Australia 145-2 (Finch 59, Smith 15)
Kumar is back into it. TV vision of India’s blue cricket kit that’s made out of 33 plastic bottles. Gideon Haigh wrote a funny yarn about it the other day. I’d tip you onto it but Rupert’s hidden it behind a Paywall, the silly old moo.
Steve Smith, batting beautifully. Australia cruising. Smith ... he’s just un-get-out-able.
28th over: Australia 139-2 (Finch 57, Smith 12)
Ashwin, again. India’s only hope of holding up an end. The big man needs a mate who can take a wicket. As it is he leaks five. India needs. They need.
27th over: Australia 134-2 (Finch 54, Smith 11)
Bang. Smith drives down the ground, straight down the ground, four runs. He’s going over his stumps and trusting his eye and hands and great thumping bat.
Shami follows up with a super yorker, an in-swinger.
Then he whips off his toes for two, with a theatrical, sort of, flourish on the follow-through. Then a pull shot, super shot, but for one.
Seven off. The Oz cruising against the pacemen.
26th over: Australia 127-2 (Finch 54, Smith 4)
Ravi Ashwin.
Ravi Ashwin.
As boring an over as there’s ever been.
Updated
25th over: Australia 124-1 (Finch 53, Smith 2)
Mohammed Shami is back. And Steve Smith carves him nonchalantly through cover. India need five more Ravi Ashwin’s, bowling darts from on high.
There’s Finchy’s fifty. There’ll be a few more than that, one would warrant. Doing it quite easily.
24th over: Australia 116-1 (Finch 48, Smith 1)
True, dis, from Diz:
Updated
23rd over: Australia 116-1 (Finch 48, Smith 1)
Bowled, Axel. Three runs, a wicket. And MS Dhoni has dried the runs and drawn the mistake.
But here’s Steve Smith. They haven’t got him out since 1983.
Wicket! Shane Watson 41 b Patel
Well another beautiful-looking Shane Watson 41 comes to an end as the blonde buccaneer backs away to cut but misses, and he’s bowled by the new boy. And Our Shane is livid, knowing another 80 or so is now out of reach. And as Shane knows, the haters gonna hate hate hate.
22nd over: Australia 112-1 (Finch 44, Watson 41)
Ashwin, doing a job for his captain and country here. Bowling darts from on high. John Emburey-like, or that other one. Phil Someone. Bald man. Had a hot wife who was in the papers for doing something or other.
Finch - cuts hard front of point. Ashwin dragged it down a little, Finch tricked him into it. Four runs.
Seven off.
Updated
21st over: Australia 105-1 (Finch 35, Watson 39)
Axel. Three off. Tidy. Boring. Australian batters setting themselves to Just Bat. And do their thing. And wait for the seamers who’ve they’ve much enjoyed belting.
20th over: Australia 102-1 (Finch 35, Watson 39)
Ashwin. Tidy. Boring. But tidy. Bowling darts.
19th over: Australia 100-1 (Finch 34, Watson 38)
Axel, two singles off. And there’s a hundred for Australia.
18th over: Australia 98-1 (Finch 34, Watson 39)
Ravi Ashwin, fair cricketer. A tall man. Reminds of John Emburey, or that other Pommy who had a wife used to be in the papers a bit.
Regardless, Watto launches him downtown. Is tonight The Night for Our Shane?
Probably not. But he’s great to watch while you think it might be. He’s on 37 from 29.
Updated
16th over: Australia 85-1 (Finch 31, Watson 26)
Yadav steams in again, enthusiastic, fast. And he beats Watson who cuts lustily and misses. But then he doesn’t. And that is four runs, cut hard and square, you can’t hit the cut shot harder. He’s on 23. If you want someone to score you 23 in good style, Watto is your man.
Good batting from Watto. Another two, and a single. He’s 26 off 22.
Finch, now. Faces Yadav. Dot ball. Seven off.
15th over: Australia 78-1 (Finch 31, Watson 19)
Axar Foley is getting another go. Left-arm orthodox. He tosses them up. Big shout.... LBW? Finch swept. Rapped on the pad low down. Good shout. Fine shout. Maybe just missing off stump with the spin.
Bang, Finch drives square, top shot, four.
Replays perhaps indicate the LBW appeal was very close, indeed hitting middle-and-off halfway up.
But that, as the say and will always, hopefully, say, is cricket.
Big stride did it. But you’ve seen ‘em given.
Six off.
14th over: Australia 72-1 (Finch 26, Watson 18)
Yadav, again, and he beats Watson. Pitch could be a bit up-and-down. Regardless, Watson launches a beautiful off-drive, cover-drive, whatever, he lofts mightily and it’s four runs. Strong stuff from the Thunder Man of Ipswich. And: bang. Four more. Cut shot, high and wide, and he’s pasted Yadav over point, four runs.
Ten off.
13th over: Australia 62-1 (Finch 25, Watson 9)
Spin! It’s the rookie, Axar Patel ... first ball ... and he’s cut hard by Shane Watson for four, the ball slicing backward of point. Next one Watto tries to whack him, they’re going after the rookie. Dhoni moves the slip. Thanks for the confidence, Skip. Warner cuts again for one. Dhoni’s field has a mid-on and a long-on.
Five off.
Updated
12th over: Australia 57-1 (Finch 25, Watson 4)
Yadav, beats Finch with one that bounced off length. The batter went to drive, he might’ve cut it. And then, bang, he’s beaten by one that keeps low. Oh, MCG, don’t go changin’.
That’s a maiden by Yadav, well bowled.
11th over: Australia 57-1 (Finch 25, Watson 4)
At the start of this day’s cricket coverage, about six hours ago, we asked what should this Tri-Series be called, vis-a-vie Border-Gavasker, Chappell-Hadlee, etc.
Someone’s just got back to us on this hot-button issue:
Make of it what you will.
10th over: Australia 56-1 (Finch 24, Watson 4)
Watson tonks one over mid-wicket, that fine and balanced shot of his off the pads. And a wicket-over also has five runs off it.
Wicket! David Warner 24 c Raina b Yadav
Warner advances on a good length ball and goes through with the shot, whatever it was, and a thick top edge soars high straight into the air where Suresh Raina gives people a little heart palpitation but eventually pouches the catch quite well. Big wicket. They all are. But D.Warner, he can ruin a man.
9th over: Australia 51-0 (Finch 23, Warner 24)
Kumar, again. Three dots, a win against this pair of Big Whackers. Another dot. No, a one, cut hard by Finch. Raina fields well, flings at the pegs. Good cricket.
Missed an email from Vikrant Patwardhan who wrote, talking of the non-selection of R.Aswhin in the first Test: “Dunno, Matt. One can but guess on the mullings in the minds of these mighty men. Robert Wilson around here has probably seen more summers than the rest of us.. Perhaps he could enlighten us.”
8th over: Australia 49-0 (Finch 22, Warner 23)
Boom - Finch goes over extra cover with a front-foot drive ... well, money for jam for Aaron Finch. Wide and not a half-volley but the next best thing. And A.Finch has launched it.
And he’s launched another one, bang, another Greenidge-esque whack-flick off his hip. Powerful. Great timing. Top batting.
And Australia are away. India needs about six quick wickets.
7th over: Australia 38-0 (Finch 17, Warner 17)
Quick single! Oh! They’ve hit the stumps! But Warner, he reckons he’s home. But Rohit Sharma from side-on has hit them and we’ve gone upstairs. But Warner’s home by quite a stretch.
Thanks, Disco: “Six wickets to Starc not a Michelle. Disco.”
6th over: Australia 33-0 (Finch 15, Warner 15)
Warner, short ball, pulled, one bounce, to the fieldsman put there for that very shot.
The rest of the over progresses in staid, even stately fashion, how cricket was played in village greens in England as if by sloths who cared not for such perverse things as winning. I suggest with nothing to back it up.
Regardless, Gangesh Vadakeyil one assumes from India but the People of India are everywhere, says: “Thanks for ur delightful commentary... I hold India have not made enough runs to challenge the might of the Aussie batting...Warner and Co. will have easy time chasing it unless the Indian spinners come into the party and make run-making difficult for the batters who are used to having a bit of pace on the ball to smite it for runs..lack of pace can only slow down the progress of the Aussie batters..one hopes Aswin and A Patel have a field day and restrict Maxwell and Finch...nothing can be ruled out given the vast experience both teams possess. Regards, Gangesh”
5th over: Australia 32-0 (Finch 14, Warner 14)
Finch, quick single. Shy at the stumps just misses. He’d have had him, Dhawan, had he hit. But as it is Finch takes extra from an overthrow.
Here’s England versus Gordon Greenidge. Top country, England. But Gordon Greenidge, my ... what a batter.
Updated
4th over: Australia 29-0 (Finch 11, Warner 14)
Yadav is hoicked straight out of the attack after 12 off ... and Shami is welcomed in with a hook shot by Warner that goes fine for four. Then there’s a wide. Then Warner whacks him off one leg over square leg, great shot. TV men talking Gordon Greenidge. Spot on. I’ll dig up some GG Youtube shortly.
For now, Shami’s gone for nine.
Meanwhile, Shannon Campbell is right when he or (less likely but still possible she) says: “Hi Matt. Perhaps you mean Chris Harris? They took up a large part of my formative years dropping the ball at irritatimg lengths, a tactic we employed in many epic backyard duels. Fast bowling would be at the back fence for four before you could get your togs in a twist.”
3rd over: Australia 20-0 (Finch 11, Warner 6)
Oh - lovely fielding from Virat Kohli. Back foot punch by Finch and Kohli launched himself and took the ball one handed, and then threw at the non-striker’s end. His mates come from all over to say: good one, Virat. You didn’t get any runs today but my, that was a slick piece of fielding. Yes, you are here to get some runs. But yes, that was quite good.
2nd over: Australia 18-0 (Finch 9, Warner 6)
Warner, fat edge through gully but there isn’t one. Yadav, now, in to Aaron Finch who slashes a short wide piece of stupid over third slip. You swing hard at at that stuff, you are going to get a result most times. Yadav follows up with a wide. Then:
Shot. Cover drive, freed the arms and bang, smoked across the turf, hard. He stood tall and delivered. Boo-ya.
And after two overs, with India defending Not Enough it’s 2 overs for 18.
1st over: Australia 5-0 (Finch 1, Warner 3)
Kumar to open. And he bowls a wide. And Finch guides him to third man. And here cometh David Warner. Who ...
... backfoot defends. Dot ball. A victory against D.Warner.
Next ball: He punches a cover drive for three. A defensive sort of punch but he’s a strong man, Warner, and the Big Whackers run three.
India after 50 overs reached 267-8.
Okay. Top batting from Rohit Sharma who scored 138 and Suresh Raina who agriculturally belted his way to 51, and India have a fair score on the board. Reckon they could have had 300 but they don’t really have all-rounders or tail-enders who can bat.
Mitchell Starc took six wickets, he was superb again with his fast left-armers.
We’ll be back in half-hour or so.
Bye for now.
50th over: India 267-6 (Ashwin 14, Shami 2)
Okay. Last one. Jimmy “The Closer” Faulkner to Mohammed “What Am I Doing Here, Really?” Shami.
Faulkner bowling his slower balls, back-of-the-handers ... it’s what he does, he’s a Devious Exponent of these Arts.
Mind you he’s 1/62.
Two to go. Ashwin hits him to mid-wicket. And here is the last ball. Don’t be a wicket it would ruin my rhythm. Ha. Nearly. Ashwin tries a lap shot, Rawiller. The batters sneak a bye. And that’s the India innings, done and done. Reckon they’re 20 short of Competitive.
49th over: India 262-6 (Ashwin 12, Shami 0)
Yes, another double-wicket over from Starc. He has five wickets. Easily Australia’s best.
Wicket! Kumar 0 b Starc
Goneski! David Goneski! Full toss that the new man, first ball, tries to smash, misses, bowled him.
Wicket! Rohit Sharma 138 c Maxwell b Starc
And so, Starc, penultimate over. Bowls a full toss and that’s the end of a magnificent innings by Sharma. Gone. Earlier he’d been Dropped! In the deep. Ashwin went big. Put down by Cummins in the deep. Tough chance, a slider. Into the sun.
48th over: India 252-6 (Sharma 136, Ashwin 6)
Pat Cummins? In the 48th over? Let’s see how we go here, George Bailey, captain of Australia instead of Steve Smith the Test captain, a Thing that is.
India slogging away. Shadows of Stumps which used to be 6pm but now is.
LBW? No. It was. But it wasn’t.
Jim Lee of Oregan, meanwhile, asks in cryptic fashion for those who didn’t read my Twitter exchange with Rory McIlroy the other day: “Would you walk 900 miles to play the Nullabor links with Rory?”
No, Jim. I would not. Not in one go, anyway.
47th over: India 252-6 (Sharma 136, Ashwin 6)
Faulkner. They call him The Closer. With bat or ball, if you need a Closer, call in THE Closer, James Faulkner. Heap of slower thingos. Good pace he bowls a “heavy” ball when required. And Rohit Sharma charges him. And Faulkner, he’s just bowling back of a length, like that really, really annoying Kiwi used to do. Remember him? Captain Dibble-dobble. Not Gavin Larsen, the other one, who could bat.
Six! Rohit Sharma can bat. He’s launched Faulkner over cow-corner for six of the very best.
Over. Sorry, just realised the wickets in the score thing.
46th over: India 243-4 (Sharma 129, Ashwin 4)
Sandhu, again, bowling to Sharma on 127, a lot. Replays showing the LBW decision would have missed leg by a bit . But those ones, they look Out ... give ‘em. that’s not a howler. It just is.
Little brace of wickets has put the brakes on India here. And now Sandhu is bowling good lines, and smartly. Cramping the India Men who are giving themselves rooms. Ravi Ashwin, top cricketer, smart, he’s doing his bit here.
45th over: India 237-4 (Sharma 127, Ashwin 0)
Yeah, pretty good over from Starc. Double-wicket maiden.
Wicket! Akshar Patel 0 LBW Starc
Goneski! Starc spears in a swinging full one that hits Patel on the back leg and, well, it looked Massively Out on first look, and our umpire thought: Oh yes, you are David Gonski. Two wickets in the over.
Wicket! MS Dhoni 19 b Starc
Bowled him! Mahendra Singh cuts and chops one on to his wickets, and that’s the end of his contribution to Team India’s Total.
And the equation, as they once said, is:
44th over: India 237-4 (Sharma 127)
43rd over: India 237-4 (Sharma 127, Dhoni 19)
Gurinder the New Bloke again. Five fielders out. Four in. Seven overs to go. These things used to finish at 6pm. It’s 5:44 now. What’s doing, Administrators? Hello? Big Three? You run the game. What is this malarkey? They can’t give us 50 overs between 2:2o and 6pm? Hm?
Boom - Sharma slogs Sandhu, four runs, over mid-wicket. Fifty partership. Only been together 20 minutes. Sandhu’s gone from five an over to six pretty quickly.
43rd over: India 227-4 (Sharma 119, Dhoni 17)
Oh - Starc’s first ball is wider than the Straits of Hormuz. His next one is less wide but still squirted for four through the gully and then third man region. Sharma seeing it like the Earth ball now.
Starc slinging them in, he’s been probably Australia’s best. George Bailey has given many men a go, but Starc is the strike man. Him and Mitchell Johnson will be Dangerous People.
That’s over. Eight off. And onwards India roll to the magical Number, whatever it’s going to be.
Things you can do with an Earth ball include:
42nd over: India 219-4 (Sharma 113, Dhoni 14)
Okay, the new man, Gurinder Sandhu. One wicket, 35 runs, seven overs. Not the worst economy since ... oh, and as I type he’s hurled one down legside, three-run wide. Sharma gave himself room and Gurinder chased him, and down legside for three runs it went.
Tidy enough over otherwise. Slow ones, tricky ones. And yet: there is 8 off.
Updated
41st over: India 211-4 (Sharma 111, Dhoni 13)
Faulkner, again, ripping in his funny little leg-spinner back-of-the-hand slower-faster balls. Wins a dot ball, though. So good luck him. Then he beats the bloke on 109 with one that goes 131km. Thinking bowler, Jimmy Faulkner. Not bad for a man hasn’t reached 25. Good nous.
But it’s a pretty good launchpad for India. They should score about ... 280-ish, from here. Wouldn’t you say, The People?
40th over: India 206-4 (Sharma 107, Dhoni 12)
Cummins. Short to Sharma who noodles him off the hip. India have 200. They’ll want ten an over to get 300 from here on in. Who’s next? Anybody?
Doesn’t matter, because Rohit Sharma pulls Cummins hard and strong in front of square leg and that, The People, is four runs. Cracking shot. He’s on 107. Been a fair old knock.
39th over: India 199-4 (Sharma 101, Dhoni 11)
Boom - our man MS Dhoni goes big and spanks Jimmy Faulkner for four behind fine-leg. Slower ball. Picked it. And whacked it.
38th over: India 195-4 (Sharma 101, Dhoni 6)
Pat Cummins 0/38 off not many, they’ve enjoyed him today, India. He’s hurling them in at 140-odd. But not as straight as required.
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37th over: India 191-4 (Sharma 100, Dhoni 5)
And we get it - Sharma squirts a forward defensive through gully region and gets a single. There’s his hundred. Well done, son.
Starc continues to tear in. But India roll onwards towards the brutal last ten overs. Or what Mahendra Singh calls Saturday.
Vikrant Patwardhan says: “I think we well & truly hexed them Indiawaale there. Poor Raina. R. Ashwin didn’t play the 1st test for the same reason that Ashton Agar played THAT first test in England.”
Um. Yeah I dunno why they picked Ashton that Test. Or how those things tie in. Tell me, Vikrant. What’s the go?
36th over: India 190-4 (Sharma 99, Dhoni 4)
Here cometh MS Dhoni. And he hits a four. And we wait for Sharma’s ton.
Wicket! Suresh Raina 51 c Maxwell b Starc
Okay. Raina tries to launch Starc out the ground but mis-times and hits catch to Maxwell at mid-on. It’s Power play time, and Starc versus two India Men approaching milestones. Raina got his 50 with a little chip forward of square. Then got out going big.
33rd over: India 180-3 (Sharma 95, Raina 49)
Faulkner. He draws a French cut from Sharma, but it’s four runs instead of an Out. And Rohit goes to 94.
Vikrant Patwardhan from the Internet, meanwhile, asks: “Hi Matt. Are you on something borderline-illegal..? Actually, don’t answer that, doubt many’ll believe you. India’s test discards / near-discards making the game here.. What thoughts?”
I can’t keep up with who India’s discards and near-discards are. Why didn’t R.Ashwin play in the first Test?
These guys are going pretty well, though, aren’t they. So. Good luck to them.
As to illegal drugs. Currently enjoying a schooner of Coopers Pale Ale. If they make it illegal I will resign from Australa.
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32nd over: India 167-3 (Sharma 85, Raina 47)
Boom - Sharma goes to 85 with a fine pull shot. Gurinder Sandhu cops a bit of the treatment. And India rolls on.
31st over: India 159-3 (Sharma 80, Raina 44)
Indian batsmen desperate for Maxwell to run them out, it’s the only explanation for their stuttering between the wickets that is asking Maxwell to have a ping.
It’s not the only explanation. They’re probably just thinking of a century and half-century between them. Understandable. Even human. Their partnership is 98. And now it is 100. Good batting, India Men.
30th over: India 153-3 (Sharma 77, Raina 43)
Gurinder, the new man comes in and ... poor bowling, short and down legside that’ll be pasted for four every day of every week if Suresh Raina is on 39 and looking pretty good in the 30th over. And was. Is. Whatever tense you’re reading this in your head.
Run out? Rohit sends Suresh back. Maxwell hits the stumps... and we look up to the God Umpire in the sky who says ... Lucky, but you’re not out, Suresh. Fine dive, slightly tubby man.
But India poised here to launch Armageddon.
Maybe not Armageddon.
29th over: India 148-3 (Sharma 76, Raina 39)
Maxy again. Right-arm over, a batsman who bowls. Tossing them up. Being pasted. Sharma’s on 76 and Raina 39. Tasty partnership. As Charlie Sheen would say they are #winning.
But then he carries on like a drug-crazed goose. The silly moo.
28th over: India 139-3 (Sharma 73, Raina 33)
Gurinder Sindhu has played for Australia, Australia Under-19s, New South Wales, New South Wales Under-23s, Prime Minister’s XI and Sydney Thunder and has been walloped for several that over, indeed it was 10.
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27th over: India 129-3 (Sharma 69, Raina 28)
Okay, Glen Maxwell, a latter-day Greg Matthews if you will and I do, he ... yes, he’s launched for four over cover by Sharma, he’s batting quite well.
Looking forward to MS Dhoni getting out here, he can whack like Donger’s bionic gut.
Donger:
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26th over: India 124-3 (Sharma 62, Raina 28)
Batters getting a drink or a rub or something. New helmet? New helmet. You need them if your old one is buggered.
New man Gurinder is back again. A tall man, from Blacktown. He has a wicket, it will please him. Doesn’t get one this over, however, despite big appeal for LBW, it looked pretty good first go ... on subsequent replays ... just a tad high. And then Steve Smith just misses running Raina out. Shaved the poles with the chubby man well out of his ground. It’s not all happening, but quite a lot is.
25th over: India 120-3 (Sharma 62, Raina 25)
Jimmy Faulkner, the poor man’s left-handed Ian Botham if you will, and I do, he dishes up a normal length ball that Sharma tries to scoop-sweep, I think.
Faulkner throwing in those funny ones like leg-spinners. They go okay without being more frightening than Amityville Horror my but I pooped as a bairn I’ll give you the tip.
24th over: India 117-3 (Sharma 59, Raina 25)
Bit of what could be called “by play” there in the last over. David Warner pinged the ball at the wickets, it went near Raina, and then there was some arguing about the etiquette. And now Watson’s into it. What is it with these teams? They’re chippy, baby. Chippy. Maxwell tries to calm Raina. There is gesticulation. And then we play cricket again.
Watto continues with the slow bouncer tactic. They don’t go great.
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23rd over: India 112-3 (Sharma 58, Raina 23)
Boom! Rohit Sharma gets his fifty with a mighty heave over mid-wicket, he takes James Faulkner down-town with a mighty belt into the bleachers, whatever that means, something to do with the white bleach paint they put on seats in the sun in baseball games. Eight off.
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22nd over: India 104-3 (Sharma 49, Raina 23)
Bang - Raina whacks Watson through mid-wicket off the front foot, an agricultural sort of shot but worth no less runs than the purest dab of a late-cut by Mark Waugh.
I’ve never done this, and before today Rory McIlroy never had either:
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21st over: India 96-3 (Sharma 48, Raina 16)
Cummins, again, he’s pulled well by Sharma behind square. Bit all over the shop today, Patrick Cummins the Wild Colonial Boy. And Sharma goes to nearly-fifty.
20th over: India 89-3 (Sharma 43, Raina 14)
Boom - Watto is pasted high over his head, lovely on-drive by Raina who appears to have found the centre of his bat. Four runs, one bounce, into the fence.
Then he invites Glen Maxwell to run out his partner at the non-striker’s end, and Maxwell isn’t quick enough. No-one would be, in truth. But it was a funny little stammer by the non-striker, who made it home despite Maxwell hitting the pegs.
Slow bouncer! Watto! Slow bouncer! He only bowls at 125 clicks and he’s dishing up slow bouncers. Oh Watto, don’t go changin. Remember Steve Waugh bouncing Viv Richards and Ian Botham. This was nothing like that.
19th over: India 84-3 (Sharma 43, Raina 9)
Pat Cummins again, shades of the Irish, the Wild Irish, the Wild Colonial Boy about him. He’s pulled hard in front of square by Raina, confidence-building shot by Suresh who’s lacked it. Top shot, front of square, strong. He’s gone to 8. Cummins bounces him. Ball goes over leg-stump. It’s a wide, though. Then he’s cut hard to third man. Good batting, Raina ... the human strainer.
Here’s Dr Hook singing about the Wild Colonial Boy, Jack Doolan was his name:
18th over: India 77-3 (Sharma 42, Raina 4)
Watto beats Raina. Expels breath out his mouth. Raina’s been poking about early, tentative like a gardener fossicking about in someone’s else’s garden, wondering what plants are these?
Six off, however, and India rolls on in a consolidation-ary fashion.
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17th over: India 71-3 (Sharma 39, Raina 2)
Six! Sharma launches a short one by Starc over backward square leg, mighty six.
Then Starc bowls a wide. And so do the sands fall through the hourglass. Sharma slays one through backward square for one (1).
16th over: India 64-3 (Sharma 32, Raina 2)
Watto. Stunning near-maiden. Simply stunning. My but that was a grand and gob-dangling gorgeous near-maiden over.
Yep - not a mighty big whack of a lot going on the last couple of overs.
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15th over: India 62-3 (Sharma 31, Raina 1)
Mitchell Starc is the relief and pounds the ball into the pitch like he hates it.
Maiden.
14th over: India 62-3 (Sharma 31, Raina 1)
Nothing much in that over. But I am joined by my mate Heber from next door who played cricket in the same club as Kevin O’Brien of Ireland who once did this:
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13th over: India 59-3 (Sharma 29, Raina 0)
Successful over by James Faulkner with three runs off. Big wicket, old Virat, a man at the peak of his considerable powers.
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Wicket! Virat Kohli 9 c Someone b Faulkner
Well, there you go. Not the shortest straight one Jimmy Faulkner will bowl but Virat thought it short enough to pull for four, but instead got a fat top edge that spooned over Faulkner’s head to George Bailey who took a catch simpler than George W. Bush doing a quick crossword with most of the words already filled in.
12th over: India 56-2 (Sharma 27, Kohli 8)
Here’s our Shane, the great Watto, the great golden bollocks of Australian cricket, the man who I’m informed by men who know has a body built for cricketing sin. Him, our Shane, with whom I kicked penalty goals with at the home ground of the Burleigh Bears for a $20 bet. He concedes a couple.
Meanwhile, Krishnan Patel from the UK asserts: “The fundamental thing I don’t like about India is their preferential treatment of certain ‘icons’. If Kohli goes on to score big here, Rahane’s contribution in wearing the shine off the new ball will totally be forgotten and Kohli will be lauded with superlatives. Rahane is being made the Dravid of this generation. Btw, is it just me or does Sandhu remind anyone of McGrath with his line and action?”
You could make a case, Krishnan. And have.
11th over: India 53-2 (Sharma 25, Kohli 7)
Run out? No. Kohli was in by about nine hundred miles and I would walk nine hundred more just to be the man who’d fall down dead upon your door. And yet Brad Haddin convinced umpire man to have a look on the big screen which said, Brad Haddin? Stop wasting everybody’d time. That’s what it said in giant bold letters, or should have if there was any fairness in this big old world run by the Big Three.
So - James Faulkner gets a go, and concedes eight runs.
10th over: India 45-2 (Sharma 24, Kohli 1)
Yeah. Nothing happened in that over worth even these meagre key-strokes.
So here’s David Hookes bashing the fastest first-class century of all time:
David Hookes whacking away.
9th over: India 41-2 (Sharma 21, Kohli 1)
Pat Cummins again, and ... bang - beautiful shot from Sharma, a cover-drive right out the screws. Cummins dished up a wide and inviting half-volley and Sharma needed no further invitation. Boom - all the way, four runs. Top shot.
Tridiv Mazumder, coolest name on the internet, says of the Alan Donald not out caught behind Geoff Marsh movie below: “Nehera takes 6 wickets in that world cup match.”
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8th over: India 35-2 (Sharma 15, Kohli 1)
First ODI wicket for the new man, Gurinder Sandhu of Blacktown. First ball at Virat Kohli. And now first wide. Bowls at 135. It’s fast enough if you’re accurate, and the tall loper looks like he is. Twenty-one years old, he’s a prospect.
“How old are you and what do you look like?” asks Amy from the internet, probably a 46 year old man from Poland.
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Wicket! Ajinkya Rahane 12 c Haddin b Sandhu
Well. There you go. The new man has his first ODI wicket with probably his poorest ball of the lot, a short wide-ish one that Rahane cut but fat-edged to Haddin.
Robert Wilson from the internet asks: “Have you ever used a fire extinguisher on a mound of lava? Did it end the way you hoped it would?”
No. But it’d be pretty steamy, one would warrant.
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7th over: India 32-1 (Sharma 14, Rahane 12)
Pat Cummins is getting another go from a different end. He wouldn’t have been bashed back over his head very often, fast bowlers don’t tend to get that, nor like it. For mine he’s a bit like Alan Donald. Don’t know if that’s just me. If one of the TV people thought so they could run one of those montage things where they put two run-ups on the screen together. But he’s quick, young Patty, and he zaps it past the bat. Old White Lightning -and good day to you, sir, if you’re reading - my, but he could bowl couldn’t he. His first ball in Australia he had Geoff Marsh caught behind. I’ll dig up the footage. Ha. How was this not out?
6th over: India 30-1 (Sharma 13, Rahane 12)
Here he is, the debutant, Gurinder Sandhu, a tall 21-year-old loper from Blacktown in Sydney’s golden west. Angled run in, gets close to the wickets, tries to bowl stump-to-stump. Mostly does. And there’s just the one off his maiden One Day International over.
5th over: India 29-1 (Sharma 12, Rahane 12)
Rahane slashes at a Starc half-volley wide, takes two. Is all that happens, really.
Here’s that banana & cricket photo, except readable.
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4th over: India 26-1 (Sharma 12, Rahane 10)
Well. The Indians are launching into Pat Cummins. Sharma smashes him for six down the ground, beautiful lofted off-drive. Then they run four after a beautifully timed drive off his pads through mid-wicket by Sharma. Top batting. And India is away.
3rd over: India 16-1 (Sharma 2, Rahane 10)
Oh - lucky break there for the Rahane Man, who French Cuts Starc to the fine-leg fence. Just misses his poles. Aussies all up in the particular anguish known to the fielding side: OOOooh, my but that was close.
Then - shot. Starc drops it in short outside off stump and Rahane Man accepts with alacrity, cutting past the diving point man Steve Smith, who flies like a startled lizard, but can’t pouch the hot one.
My but I love cricket. I mean, I know we all do. But for me it goes much deeper than that.
2nd over: India 6-1 (Sharma 1, Rahane 2)
Pat Cummins, tidy first over. Beats Rahane, has him fending. But the India first-drop is in the super-hot form and sees the young firebrand off like a fire extinguisher on a mound of lava, something like it. Three off.
1st over: India 3-1 (Sharma 1, Rahane 0)
Well, there you go. Super-eventful first over from in-form left-armed pace ace Mitchell Starc who drew a huge LBW appeal, nicked out Dhawan, and bowled with pace and movement on a bone-white MCG wicket. Here’s a younger, right-armed version next up, Pat Cummins.
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Wicket! Dhawan 2 c Finch b Starc
Well, fifth ball of an eventful over proves more eventful as Mitchell Starc draws Dhawan into a drive to an outswinger and there’s a perfect fat edge to Finch at second slip, who pouched the regulation take right in front of his eyes.
The rest of the over, which isn’t over yet ... went thus:
First ball, Rohit’s away with a guide off the hip. White hot surface here, it’s glowing like a runway from the future, or Battlestar Galactica, whatever comes first. White old strip though, and looks like there’s mucho runs in it. Dhawan squirts two through gully to prove the point, sort of. Shout for LB by Starc who got two Poms thus in the first match. No bat in it. Hits our man low down. But... well, probably spearing down leg. Looked like it on first look, and the Umpire Man adjudicates Doubt, as he must. Starc follows up with a Jaffa away. And then gets this man! Wicket, fifth ball of the game. Dhawan is David Goneski.
Batters are out, The People. And Mitchell Starc will bowl the first shiny white rock to Rohit Sharma.
Greetings, The People, and welcome to the mighty monolith that is the Melbourne Cricket Ground for Game Two of this ... whatever they’re calling the tri-series between Australia, England and India, the Big Three of World Cricket who will rule the world of cricket as they see fit given they earn all the money. Be nice if they spread the love and grew the game around the world but, you know, self-interest is a tough one to crack given you know it’s always having a red hot go.
For now we’ll have a crack at what you, The People, reckon we could call this triangular pre-World Cup tune-up series. The Big Three Tri-Series? The Veletta-Srikkanth-Tufnell series? Let’s hear it, The People, fire in suggestions to matt.cleary@theguardian.com or Tweet @journomatcleary.
The news? India has won the toss and will ... well, what do you think? They will bat, baby. They bat. And lo we will see the first ball at wonder-whackers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan at 14:20 local time, 03:20 in the UK and anywhere on Greenwhich Mean Time, and 08:50 in the mega-city of Mumbai. Went there once, Mumbai, in ‘94. Never heard humans make more noise than when Anil Kumble got Jason Gillespie to win the fourth Test on that interesting Wankhede wicket. Good times.
More to follow.
Matt Cleary is the man charged with being your ears and eyes today. He’ll be along shortly, but in the meantime, why not have a read of his recent Big Day Out at the SCG, where Australia met today’s opponents India in the final Test.
The crowd is appreciative of the opening pair’s stroke play. Yet it’s muted, almost genteel, here in the Members among people who have to wear collared shirts and a certain sort of pants. Regardless a message on the big screen advises people that they can report anti-social behaviour by text messaging a certain number. Walshy takes out his phone and texts: “You can fuck off”. He chooses not to send it. Authorities have no sense of humour in these frightened, alert-heightened times.
It didn’t use to be like this. Indeed some years ago on the old Hill region, Walshy was escorted out of the ground by two policeman, high-kicking in can-can style, and roared on by 10,000 “beery, cheery mates”, according to the caption underneath a photo of him on page 3 of The Daily Mirror. People will laugh about it at his wake.
Read the full story here.
