Aus v Ind 2nd ODI Review: Compact death bowling, stable batting aid Australia to make it 2-0

If we go by the common cricketing logic we have heard and believed for years, the Indian team hasn’t been doing anything wrong. The skipper has won the toss, opted to bat first, the batsmen have betted well, someone has stayed on and anchored the innings, there has been a big hundred, a couple of good fifties and they have posted 300+ totals. But that has certainly not been enough. Though the pitch at both the venues was flat and had little for the bowlers, there can be little defense against a bowling attack that twice conceded the game after having enough runs to bowl with. This series certainly reminds one of the ODI series India hosted in 2013 and won 4-1; those were the games when Australia posted 300s and 350s but weren’t able to stop the Indians from chasing it.

Heading into the second match, India made just one change in the squad as fit again Ishant Sharma replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar who was little effective in the outing he was awarded at the WACA. They stuck to the 3-2 attack despite the fact that both the spinners had absolutely nothing to offer in the first game. The Aussies not only rested Mitchell Marsh but also decided to give Josh Hazlewood an off day as Kane Richardson and John Hastings got a game. Shaun Marsh also walked in for David Warner who is off on a paternal leave.

If Shikhar Dhawan’s wicket is to be considered of price, India once again had to bear it early on as he chased an away delivery from Joel Paris and as Matthew Wade pouched it Paris celebrated an ODI wicket for the first time. It looked a reflection of the first ODI; Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were once again at the centre of happenings. Rohit looked more certain and confident than the previous knock and played with an even authoritative approach and penalized whenever a bowler erred and also when he simply wished to.

Both the batsmen got to their fifties and the partnership gave India hopes and direction towards yet another 300+ total. If Kohli was selfless in trying to escalate the run-rate in the last match and losing his wicket in the nineties, he once again tried to push for the extra run but was well short of the return crease when Wade dislodged the timber. Apart from that call he had a magnificent stay, driving the ball as smoothly as we’ve seen him do; Kohli also got to his 36th ODI fifty, which is just his second 50+ total in Australia against them. His knock was worth 59 from 67 balls.

Though he lost his partner after a 125-run partnership Rohit continued undeterred and built another hundred plus partnership (121) with Ajinkya Rahane. Though he had a few anxious moments in the 90s got there comfortably and with that became only the third batsman to score back-to-back centuries against Australia in ODIs, his 124 is also the best score by an Indian opener at the Gabba.

While the eyes were on Rohit and his strokeful knock, Rahane silently got to his fifty and looked good for more, but as the partnership threatened to take India to an above par mid-300s total, Rohit Sharma was run-out by James Faulkner who managed to deflect a straightish shot from Rahane to the wickets.

There was nothing worth watching and talking about after the centurion departed, India lost 4 wickets for 10 runs and could find just four boundaries and a six in the last 10 overs and, as a result, the innings folded for just 308, which was once again in the chasable range and even sub-par with the bowling attack they possess.

If statistics, facts and records boost a team’s morale the Indian bowlers still had something to be charged with, as before this ODI only twice a team had lost after posting a target of 300 and more at Brisbane. For India things happened like they had in the previous match, but the Aussies with a changed opening pair had one of the best starts. Though the Indian bowlers didn’t pick a wicket in the first 10 overs, they conceded just 64 runs today which is the least they have been hit for in the last 11 ODIs.

Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh who dwelled 145 runs together registered the 6^th best opening stand for Australia v India in ODIs. Finch finally departed on 71 and gave India an opening, but it wasn’t wide enough for the Indian bowlers to have a crack as skipper Steve Smith who has been a nemesis for them with an average of 94.76 against India before the ODI in international cricket, he has 9 hundreds and 3 fifties in 16 innings. Smith looked good once again for his 46 with 4 fours before being bowled by Umesh Yadav who had an expensive match till then, trying to hit an arrogant shot.

With George Bailey, continuing fine form from his hundred at Perth 309 was never going to be enough. India had the second success when Marsh topedged an Ishant Sharma delivery on 71 but things were well in order for his team and the chase was just about formality. Though the Indian bowlers got their lines right towards the later part of the innings and extracted some movement as well; it was too easy as Bailey and Glenn Maxwell who completed things with their 65 runs partnership in 8.1 overs. In the end, the Aussies made it 2-0 winning the match by 7 wickets and an over in hand.

Brief Scores:

India – 308/8 in 50 overs (RG Sharma 124, A Rahane 89; J Faulkner 2/64)

Australia – 309/3 in 49 overs (A Finch 71, S Marsh 71; R Jadeja 1/50)

Man of the Match: Rohit Sharma (India)