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20 overs India 140 for 7 (Pathan 31, Watson 3-34) v Australia
Irfan Pathan top scored for India © ICC/Getty
On an evening when Virender Sehwag was left on the sidelines by the selectors, India's batting line-up struggled for firepower and stammered to 140 for 7 after MS Dhoni chose to bat. It was certainly a competitive score on a pitch unlikely to become any easier for the batsman as the night wore on, but the Australians would have been pleased with the way they restricted India, who managed only two sixes in an innings punctuated by regular wickets.
Pat Cummins was especially difficult for the batsmen to score from and his pace and accuracy brought him 2 for 16 from his four overs, while Shane Watson continued his wicket-taking form and finished with 3 for 34. A few late boundaries from R Ashwin and Suresh Raina helped India push their total into respectable territory, but at no point did the batsmen really dominate.
The decision to leave Sehwag out in order to accommodate five bowlers - including three spinners -was a bold one, and his replacement as opener, Irfan Pathan top scored with 31 from 30 balls. Gautam Gambhir picked up a few early boundaries before he was run out for 17 from 12 deliveries, the victim of a fine piece of footwork from the bowler Cummins, who soccered the ball onto the stumps at the striker's end in his follow through.
Pathan and Virat Kohli added 35 for the second wicket before Kohli top-edged Cummins and was caught for 15, and Yuvraj Singh (8) also succumbed to a top-edge when he was taken at deep midwicket off Watson's bowling. Watson struck again in the same over when Pathan chipped to midwicket and things didn't get better for India any time soon.
Rohit Sharma was done in by the angle from around the wicket of the left-armer Mitchell Starc, who bowled him for 1, and at 74 for 5 India were in trouble. Dhoni and Raina steadied with a 30-run partnership but neither man really went on the attack and a build-up of pressure from the Australians eventually brought the end for Dhoni, who drove Cummins to cover for 15.
Ashwin clubbed Starc over midwicket for six and Raina found the boundary twice in the last over from Watson before he holed out to long-off. They did enough to give India's bowlers something to defend, but much would depend on how quickly Australia's top order got out of the blocks.
Irfan Pathan top scored for India © ICC/Getty
On an evening when Virender Sehwag was left on the sidelines by the selectors, India's batting line-up struggled for firepower and stammered to 140 for 7 after MS Dhoni chose to bat. It was certainly a competitive score on a pitch unlikely to become any easier for the batsman as the night wore on, but the Australians would have been pleased with the way they restricted India, who managed only two sixes in an innings punctuated by regular wickets.
Pat Cummins was especially difficult for the batsmen to score from and his pace and accuracy brought him 2 for 16 from his four overs, while Shane Watson continued his wicket-taking form and finished with 3 for 34. A few late boundaries from R Ashwin and Suresh Raina helped India push their total into respectable territory, but at no point did the batsmen really dominate.
The decision to leave Sehwag out in order to accommodate five bowlers - including three spinners -was a bold one, and his replacement as opener, Irfan Pathan top scored with 31 from 30 balls. Gautam Gambhir picked up a few early boundaries before he was run out for 17 from 12 deliveries, the victim of a fine piece of footwork from the bowler Cummins, who soccered the ball onto the stumps at the striker's end in his follow through.
Pathan and Virat Kohli added 35 for the second wicket before Kohli top-edged Cummins and was caught for 15, and Yuvraj Singh (8) also succumbed to a top-edge when he was taken at deep midwicket off Watson's bowling. Watson struck again in the same over when Pathan chipped to midwicket and things didn't get better for India any time soon.
Rohit Sharma was done in by the angle from around the wicket of the left-armer Mitchell Starc, who bowled him for 1, and at 74 for 5 India were in trouble. Dhoni and Raina steadied with a 30-run partnership but neither man really went on the attack and a build-up of pressure from the Australians eventually brought the end for Dhoni, who drove Cummins to cover for 15.
Ashwin clubbed Starc over midwicket for six and Raina found the boundary twice in the last over from Watson before he holed out to long-off. They did enough to give India's bowlers something to defend, but much would depend on how quickly Australia's top order got out of the blocks.