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India beat Australia in thriller to enter World T20 semis

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Virat Kohli

Mohali: Virat Kohli led the way with a sublime half-century as India defeated Australia by six wickets at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium here on Sunday to enter the World Twenty20 semi-finals.

The in-form Delhi lad remained unbeaten on 82 runs off 51 balls as the Indians survived a few early setbacks to overhaul a difficult target of 161 with five deliveries to spare.

Sunday’s match, the last in Group 2, was a virtual quarter-final as the winners qualified the semi-finals. India finished their group engagements with three wins in four matches. Australia will go home with two wins and an equal number of defeats.

New Zealand had earlier qualified for the semi-finals from Group 2, while England and West Indies have gone through to the last-four stage from Group 1.

Shane Watson put in a superb all-round effort for Australia, finishing with figures of 2/23 in his four overs. Nathan Coulter-Nile (1/33) and James Faulkner (1/35) bagged a wicket each.

The Indians were off to a shaky start with openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma going back to the dugout without too many runs on the board. Watson snared Suresh Raina with a well-directed short-pitched delivery in the eighth over to leave the hosts in trouble at 49/3.

Kohli and Yuvraj Singh tried to script an Indian comeback, adding 45 runs between them in 38 balls. Yuvraj picked up a niggle in his left leg while attempting to glance a Coulter-Nile delivery to fine leg.

The experienced left-hander was clearly in some discomfort as he was hobbling while running between the wickets. But he battled bravely to post 21 runs off 18 balls with one boundary and a powerfully six off Adam Zampa.

But just as it seemed that Kohli and Yuvraj could take India to a safe position, the latter was undone by an excellent piece of fielding from Watson when he mistimed a slower one from Faulkner.

Yuvraj’s dismissal seemed to prod Kohli into action as he unleashed the big shots. The 27-year-old right-hander hit the hapless Faulkner for two boundaries and a six off successive balls in the 18th over to bring the target within India’s reach.

He then smashed four consecutive boundaries off Coulter-Nile in the next over to virtually wrap up the issue. With four runs needed in the final over, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni dispatched Faulkner’s low full toss to the long-on fence to complete a thrilling win for India.

Earlier, Australia posted a competitive total of 160/6 in their 20 overs.

Opener Aaron Finch was the highest scorer for Australia with 43 runs off 34 deliveries, hitting three boundaries and a couple sixes during his innings. Glenn Maxwell contributed 31 off 28 balls.

For India, all-rounder Hardik Pandya (2/36) copped some initial punishment before bagging a couple of crucial wickets while Yuvraj Singh (1/19), Ashish Nehra (1/20), Ravichandran Ashwin (1/31) and Jasprit Bumrah (1/32) also bagged a wicket each.

The Indians did not help their cause by conceeding as many as 14 extras.

Electing to bat first, Australia were off to an explosive start with openers Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch producing a 54-run partnership in just 26 balls. Bumrah copped a lot of punishment in his first over with Khawaja hitting him for four boundaries.

But Nehra gave India the breakthrough when Khawaja went after an outgoing delivery only to see the ball nick the top edge on the way to Dhoni behind the stumps.

The dangerous David Warner perished when he came down the track to Ashwin. The left-hander could not connect as the ball spun away from him and Dhoni pulled off an easy stumping.

Australia captain Steven Smith lasted for just six balls before Yuvraj had him caught behind with his very first ball. That saw the Australian run rate fall slightly with Finch and Maxwell struggled on a pitch which was offering a fair bit of turn.

Finch was deprived of what would have been a well-deserved half-century when he perished while trying to prop up the run rate. He tried to pull a slightly short-pitched delivery from Pandya into the stands, but did not connect properly as the ball looped up for a fairly simple catch to Shikhar Dhawan at deep midwicket.

Maxwell was looking set for a big score. But he virtually gifted away his wicket to Bumrah when he went for a cross-batted heave only to be out-foxed by a slower delivery.

Peter Nevill and Watson hit a couple of fours and a six off Pandya in the last over to give Australia a strong finish.

(IANS)

Australia win by 21 runs to throw Pakistan out of WT20

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Pak-Australia

Mohali: Australia beat Pakistan by 21 runs in a World Twenty20 Super 10 stage match in Mohali on Friday to stay on course for the semi-finals and eliminate their opponents from the tournament.

Australia captain Steven Smith hit an unbeaten 63 off 43 balls to steer his side to 193-4, before James Faulkner took five wickets, including two off consecutive deliveries in the final over, to help his team seal the win.

For Pakistan, Khalid Latif made 46 off 41 balls while Shoaib Malik remained unbeaten on a 20-ball 40. Umar Akmal 32 and Sharjeel Khan 30 also contributed to the team total. Skipper Shahid Afridi however could only manage to score 14 off 7 balls in most likely his last cricket match for Pakistan.

Earlier, Australian skipper Steven Smith played a captain’s innings on Friday, contributing an unbeaten half-century to set Pakistan a formidable 194-run target in the crucial World Twenty20 Super 10 stage match.

Smith, who won the toss and opted to bat on a green-tinged pitch at Mohali, struck an unbeaten 61 off 43 balls after Australia lost three wickets in quick succession.

Fit-again paceman Wahab Riaz did the initial damage, bowling in-form Usman Khawaja for 21 and castling David Warner on nine.

Aaron Finch, brought in at the top of the order for his first game of the tournament, went next, bowled by left-arm spinner Imad Wasim for 15 to leave Australia struggling on 57-3.Smith, however, steadied the ship aided first by Glenn Maxwell (30 off 24 deliveries) and then by the big-hitting Shane Watson.

Watson struck four fours and three sixes to race to an unbeaten 44 off 21 deliveries as Australia took 66 runs off the last five overs.

Imad Wasim picked up 2 wickets for 31 runs, while paceman Wahab Riaz, who replaced Mohammad Irfan for the game, took 2 for 35.

Australia, bidding for a first World Twenty20 title, made two changes to the team that beat Bangladesh in their last match, bringing in the big-hitting Aaron Finch in place of Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood for John Hastings.

Australia were fourth in Group Two behind New Zealand, who are already through to the semi-finals, with Pakistan and India.

Pakistan, who lost to India and New Zealand but also beat Bangladesh, needed a victory to keep their hopes of making it to the semi-finals alive.

Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi made one change to the team that lost to New Zealand with paceman Mohammad Irfan, who conceded 46 runs in his allotted four overs, being replaced by Wahab Riaz.

(Geo)

World T20: Australia beats Bangladesh by 3 wickets

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Australia-Bangladesh

Bengaluru: Australia beat Bangladesh in the third match of the World Twenty20’s Super 10 stage on Monday at the Chinnaswami Stadium, chasing down a 157 run target with three wickets and nine balls to spare.

Opening the chase for Australia, Usman Khwaja played a phenomenal innings of 58 runs off 45 balls with seven fours and a sixer.

Though Australia only lost its first wicket until the eight over, wickets started falling regularly after the 11th over.

Glenn Maxwell however chipped in with 26 runs in 15 balls with two four and two sixes, while other batsmens who helped the team sail through safely included Shane Watson (21), David Warner (17) and Steve Smith (14).

Shakib Al Hassan emerged the most successful bowler for Bangladesh claiming 3/27 in four overs while Mustafizur Rahman clocked 2/30.

Winning the toss, Australian captain Steve Smith chose to field but failed to contain Bangladesh to a low total.

Mahmudullah top scored with a quickfire 49 runs off 29 balls smashing seven fours and a six.

Autralia’s Adam Zampa claimed three wickets in four overs conceding 23 runs and was declared the player of the match for his bowling effort.

With two points, Australia reached the third position in Group 2 while Bangladesh touched the bottom with the loss.

Brief Scores:

Australia 157/7 in 18.3 overs (Usman Khwaja 58, Glenn Maxwell 26; Shakib Al Hasan 3/27, Mustafizur Rahman 2/30) beat Bangladesh 156/5 in 20 overs (Mahmudullah 49, Shakib Al Hasan 33; Adam Zampa 3/23, Shane Watson 2/31).

(IANS)

Australia: Great Barrier Reef coral dies from bleaching

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Extreme weather conditions cause mass “die-off” on iconic reef, prompting adoption of highest emergency response level.

More than $3bn is generated each year from the reef's tourism industry [Courtesy: XL Catlin Seaview Survey]

More than $3bn is generated each year from the reef’s tourism industry [Courtesy: XL Catlin Seaview Survey]

by Al Jazeera

Extreme bleaching has caused the death of large amounts of coral on Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef, prompting the government to implement its highest response level to help tackle the crisis.

New diver surveys conducted off Cape York, Australia’s remote far northeastern tip, found up to 50 percent coral mortality because of coral bleaching, caused by rising sea temperatures, the government announced on Sunday.

“The corals in the remote far north of the reef experienced extremely hot and still conditions this summer, and were effectively bathed in warm water for months, creating heat stress that they could no longer cope with,” said Russell Reichelt, the chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

He said a level three response meant stepped-up surveys to better understand and tackle threats to the reef.

Reichelt said, however, that the “extent and severity of bleaching varies greatly across the reef” and weather conditions “have so far spared most sections of the 344,400 square kilometre marine park from coral die-off”.

The Great Barrier Reef, comprising nearly 3,000 reefs and 900 islands, stretching 2,000km along Australia’s northeast coast and is considered the world’s largest living structure.

More than $3bn is generated each year from the Reef’s tourism industry.

The WWF, the wildlife protection group, said on Monday that while it welcomed the government’s action, higher-level policy decisions needed to be taken to address the root cause of the problem.

“This is the worst coral bleaching event ever to hit this most pristine part of the Great Barrier Reef,” said WWF spokesman Richard Leck.

“We can turn this around. The reef can recover but we must speed up the shift to clean, renewable energy and we must build reef resilience by reducing runoff pollution from farms and land clearing.

“Australia must speed up the transition to clean energy – like solar and wind – by setting a target of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2035.”

New Zealand beat Australia to win second straight World T20 match

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New Zealand

Dharamsala: New Zealand won their second consecutive match of the World Twenty20 after beating Australia by eight runs in a group phase clash here on Friday.

New Zealand sored 142/8 after winning the toss and taking first strike and then restricted their opponents to 134/9 at the HPCA Stadium. The Kiwis beat hosts India in their opening game by 47 runs.

Fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan was the star of their neat bowling performance, taking 3/17 and derailed Australia’s innings.

New Zealand picked up wickets regularly to restrict Australia from gaining enough momentum.

They needed 19 runs from the last over, bowled by Corey Anderson and then 12 from the last three balls but came up short.

Earlier, Australia recovered from a Martin Guptill (39) blitz to restrict New Zealand to 142/8.

Guptill belted 39 runs as the Kiwis powered to 58 in six overs.

But a collapse, losing three wickets for 15 runs, jolted their charge.

Guptill, skipper Kane Williamson (24) and Corey Anderson (3) all were caught in the deep while attempting big shots.

Glenn Maxwell (2/18) claimed two wickets in the slump. All-rounder James Faulkner also contributed with identical bowling figures.

The wickets kept tumbling, including two run-outs in the final over, as New Zealand’s run-rate continued to drop.

Colin Munro steadied in his own style, switch-hitting throughout a knock of 23.

But Munro also handed over his wicket meekly.

Veteran batsman Ross Taylor managed only 11.

Brief scores: New Zealand 142/8 (Martin Guptill 39, Glenn Maxwell 2/18);

Australia 134/9 (Usman Khawaja 38, Mitchell McClenaghan 3/17)

(IANS)

Australia considers strict screening of Muslim refugees

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Controversial leaked document proposes new assessments for 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees to stop “extremism”.

Australia said last year that it would accept 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq, in addition to its regular intake [Bilal Hussein/AP]

Australia said last year that it would accept 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq, in addition to its regular intake [Bilal Hussein/AP]

by Al Jazeera

A leaked government document calling for enhanced screening of Australia’s humanitarian refugee intake from Syria and Iraq has attracted widespread criticism from opposition parties and members of the Lebanese community, who were singled out as being prone to “extremism”.

The sensitive Cabinet document, which was leaked to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday, recommends that the government applies “additional screening criteria” to 12,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees who are set to resettle in Australia as part of the country’s response to the refugee crisis in the Middle East.

“It is expected that some refugees from this conflict will bring with them issues, beliefs or associations that lead them to advocate or engage in politically motivated or communal violence,” the leaked document said, explaining why additional screening was required.

“This new framework will introduce … an enforceable integration framework to assess migrants’ suitability for life in Australia, a revamped citizenship test and citizenship pledge to strengthen [refugees’] accountability … and enhanced access, use and protection of sensitive information to strengthen intelligence-led risk-based decision-making [when assessing refugees],” the document said.

Prepared by the Department of Immigration, the draft document also recommended that enhanced screening processes should be extended to other areas of the humanitarian resettlement programme, on a “risk basis”.

Australia announced in September that it would accept 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq, in addition to its 2015 humanitarian intake of 13,750 refugees.

So far, only 20 Syrian refugees have been resettled under the programme.

Both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said on Friday they have not read the leaked document.

“I can just say that we will continue as a government to ensure that we do everything we can to keep Australians safe at home … and we will do everything we can to ensure that we maintain control of our borders,” Turnbull told Adelaide’s 5AA radio station.

The opposition Labor Party’s immigration spokesman Richard Marles said the proposals were an “enormously regressive step”.

“This verges dangerously down the path of putting in place a discriminatory immigration policy,” he told the ABC. “If this is where the government wants to take us, we are returning to a very dark past indeed.”

The smaller opposition Greens party went further, with Senator Sarah Hanson-Young saying the leaked document was a “direct attack on people seeking asylum and … designed to stop them from permanently resettling in Australia”.

While not the focus of the new recommendations, the document also riled members of Australia’s large Lebanese community, who were singled out as evidence of why the government should adopt tougher screening standards.

“The most prominent ethnic group among Australian Sunni extremists are the Lebanese,” the document said.

“The majority of this cohort can be linked to the wave of humanitarian migration to Australia as a result of the Lebanese civil war.”

Australia’s Lebanese Muslim Association issued a statement on Friday rejecting the accusations, saying the leaked document “further isolates and vilifies the Muslim community”.

“These accusations do nothing more than fuel division within communities and create obstacles to community cohesion,” said Samier Dandan, the association’s president.

India beat Australia in second T20I to seal series

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dhoni

Melbourne: India dominated with both bat and ball to beat Australia by 27 runs in the second Twenty20 International at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Friday.

India rode on half-centuries from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to post 184/3 in their 20 overs. In reply, the Australians could only manage 157/8 despite being given a superb start by Aaron Finch.

The Indians have thus clinched the three-match series with an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2/32) and young pacer Jasprit Bumrah (2/37) were the most successful among the Indian bowlers. Yuvraj Singh (1/7), Hardik Pandya (1/17) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/27) also bagged a wicket each.

Chasing a challenging target, the hosts were off to a flying start with Finch going great guns. The Australian captain smashed 74 runs off 48 deliveries with eight boundaries and a couple of sixes. Shaun Marsh was going steady at the other end, scoring a run-a-ball 23.

The Australians were cruising comfortably along at 10 runs an over, but the fall of Marsh’s wicket in the 10th triggered a collapse.

Chris Lynn (2) and the dangerous Glenn Maxwell (1) were sent back by Hardik Pandya and Yuvraj Singh respectively as the Australians lost three wickets in as many overs which pegged back their momentum.

Finch and Shane Watson tried to re-build the innings, but Ravindra Jadeja sent back Watson in the 15th over with a stunning return catch off his own bowling.

Finch, who was struggling with a cramped hamstring, was run out in the next over as the Indians tightened their grip on the match.

Earlier, put in to bat by the hosts, India were provided a steady start by Rohit and Dhawan. The duo were a bit cautious in the first three overs before going after the Australian bowlers.

Rohit continued his superb form during the ongoing tour, scoring 60 runs off 47 balls with five boundaries and a six. He added 97 runs for the opening partnership along with Shikhar Dhawan (42).

Kohli walked in at the fall of Dhawan’s wicket and proceeded to build on the solid foundation provided by the openers by belting 59 runs in his 33-ball innings which included seven boundaries and a six.

Dhawan was also in excellent form, hitting three fours and two sixes during his 32-ball stay in the middle. He missed out on his maiden half-century in T20Is when a reverse sweep off Glenn Maxwell found Lynn at point.

For Australia, Maxwell had figures of 1/17 while debutant medium-pacer Andrew Tye captured the prized wicket of India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to return 1/28 in his four overs.

Rohit and Dhawan reserved special treatment for James Faulkner. Rohit hit the left-arm pacer for three boundaries in his very first over after replacing Shane Watson in the Australian attack. Dhawan then smashed a four and a six off consecutive balls in his very next over.

Dhawan’s departure did not affect the run rate as Kohli and Rohit continued to find the gaps at regular intervals. However, an unfortunate bit of mis-communication saw Rohit being run out while attempting to go for a second run.

Dhoni then gave Kohli good support from the other end with 14 runs off nine balls as the Delhi batsman signed off the Indian innings on a strong note.

(Agencies)

Bumrah, Kohli help India win 1st T20I against Australia

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viratkohli

Adelaide: A strong bowling performance, coupled with a quickfire half-century by Virat Kohli helped India to a 37-run victory over Australia in the first Twenty20 International (T20I) at the Adelaide Oval here on Tuesday.

Chasing 189, Australia started strongly before losing wickets at regular intervals to slump to 151 all out in 19.3 overs. young pacer Jasprit Bumrah had a memorable T20I debut, returning figures of 3-23 in 3.3 overs.

Ravindra Jadeja (2-21), Ravichandran Ashwin (2-28) and another debutant, Hardik Pandya (2-37) also bagged a couple of wickets each as India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Ashish Nehra (1-28) gave away a lot of runs in his first spell before clinching a wicket towards the end.

Earlier, Kohli stiched together a 134-run stand with Suresh Raina which brought the Indian innings back on track after the visitors had suffered a couple of early blows.

The Delhi batsman remeained unbeaten on 90 runs, smashing nine fours and two sixes during his 55-ball stint. Raina batted excellently at the other end, scoring 41 runs off 34 deliveries with three hits to the fence and a six. The duo helped India post 188/3 in their 20 overs. Kohli was adjudged the man of the match.

Captain Aaron Finch was Australia’s highest scorer with 44. He had four boundaries and a coule of sixes in his 33-ball innings.

Put in to bat by Australia, India were off to a flying start with Rohit Sharma producing the early fireworks. The Mumbai right-hander took a special liking to Shaun Tait’s bowling, hitting the pacer for a six and a four in the first over and then another couple of boundaries in the third.

With opening pacers Tait and Kane Richardson unable to control the Indian batsmen, Australia captain Aaron Finch was forced to make a bowling change, bringing James Faulkner and Shane Watson into the attack.

Faulkner was unlucky to miss out on a wicket in his opening over as a loose shot from Rohit saw the ball come off the top edge of the bat and fly towards third man where Cameron Boyce dropped a sitter.

But the disappointed home fans did not have to wait too long to celebrate as Watson struck twice in the next over. The right-armer sent back the dangerous Rohit with his very first ball as the opener drove an off-cutter straight to Faulkner at mid-on.

Watson dismissed Shikhar Dhawan just four balls later with a slower one as the Delhi batsman’s mistimed shot offered an edge to Matthew Wade behind the stumps.

That saw Kohli and Raina come together and they handled the Australian bowling with ease and by the time the partnership cam to an end in the final over, they had alrady guided the visitors to a big score.

Raina was unlucky to miss out on a half-century, and was dismissed while moving across the stumps and attempting to steer a Faulkner on the off-stump to the on-side. But the left-hander mistimed the shot as the ball went on to his the stumps.

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni strode to the middle and brought the crowd to their feet by hitting his first two balls for a six and a four to end the Indian innings on a high note.

The Australians had strong start to their chase with openers Aaron Finch and David Warner going great guns. Although Warner departed in the sixth over after miscuing an attempted pull of Bumrah, Finch and Steven Smith found the gaps at frequent intervals to maintain a high scoring rate.

They scored 42 runs between them in just 23 deliveries before Jadeja and Ashwin struck in bac to back overs to peg back the Australians. Debutant Travis Head never looked comfortable during his five-ball stay in the middle before being trapped leg before by Jadeja.

Watson did not last long before offering skier to Nehra at short fine leg while trying to sweep an Ashwin delivery. Pandya then sent back Cris Lynn and Matthew Wade in consecutive overs to plunge Australia into deep trouble.

(IANS)

India collapse to defeat despite Kohli, Dhawan tons

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Aaron Finch and David Warner stitched together a 187-run opening partnership for Australia. (Source: AP)

Aaron Finch and David Warner stitched together a 187-run opening partnership for Australia. (Source: AP)

Canberra: India capitulated shamelessly losing the last 9 wickets for 46 runs to give Australia a 25-run victory in the fourth ODI, here today after outstanding centuries by Shikhar Dhawan (126) and Virat Kohli (106).

Chasing a substantial 349 for their first win in the series, the visitors were given a great start by Rohit Sharma, who hit a breezy 41 off 25 balls before Dhawan and Kohli set up a rollicking partnership of 212 runs for the second wicket off 177 balls to take the team to 277 without any further loss when Dhawan fell to mark a long procession of Indian batsman returning to the pavilion.

Kohli hit 106 off only 92 balls for his second successive century in the series before a soft dismissal and then Dhoni (0) lasted only three balls to dash India’s hopes with another frontline batsman Ajinkya Rahane injured although he did come into bat making only 2 runs.

India’s fourth successive defeat in the five-match series came a day after Team Director Ravi Shastri had said that “there is absolutely no shame in the way they have played despite recent results,” but after the match Dhoni took responsibility of the loss.

(Agencies)

Australia beat India in 2nd ODI

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Australia

Brisbane: Australia rode on a strong batting performance to thrash an insipid India by seven wickets in the second One-Day International (ODI) at the Gabba here on Friday.

This was Australia’s second consecutive win and the hosts have taken a 2-0 lead in the five-ODI series.

Chasing India’s total of 308/8, the hosts rode on excellent displays by George Bailey (76 not out), Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh (both 71) to overhaul the target with an over to spare.

The Indian bowlers made the task easier for the hosts with an indisciplined performance, conceding as many as 12 extra runs (11 wides and a no-ball).

Indian opener Rohit Sharma took the Man of the Match award thanks to his second consecutive century of the series which helped the visitors post a big total. The Mumbai right-hander scored 127 off 124 deliveries with 11 boundaries and three sixes.

Ajinkya Rahane (89) and Virat Kohli (59) also made merry on a pitch which did not offer much assistance for the bowlers.

But the good performance by the Indian batsmen was cancelled out by the bowling attack which lacked any kind of sting.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (1/50), Ishant Sharma (1/60) and Umesh Yadav (1/74) picked up a wicket each, but the visitors seemed unable to prevent the Australians from scoring at a healthy rate.

Finch started off the Australian knock by hitting Sran for a couple of boundaries in the very first over. Ishant was no better at the other end, conceding back to back wides down the leg stump in his opening over.

Opening pacers Ishant Sharma and Barinder Sran were not able to make much of an impression on Australian openers Finch and Marsh, who played them quite comfortably.

The introduction of spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin also had no effect on the run rate as Finch and Marsh continued to score at a healthy rate. The visitors did themselves no favour by some shoddy fielding with Ajinkya Rahane and Sran dropping catches in the slips.

Finch and Marsh put together a 145-run stand for the opening wicket before Ajinkya Rahane pulled off a blinder at long-off off Jadeja’s bowling to send the former on his way.

Marsh also did not last long after that. He was felled when he was surprised by the extra bounce of an Ishant delivery that took the top edge and Kohli took an easy skier at short cover.

Steve Smith looked set for a well-deserved half-century before being undone by some poor shot selection. The right-hander probably misread an incoming delivery from Yadav and did not connect with an attempted cut as the ball nicked his off-stump.

That saw Glenn Maxwell (26 not out) join George Bailey in the middle and the duo pulled the hosts over the line.

Earlier, Rohit slammed his second consecutive ton to guide India to a challenging total. This was his 10th ODI century and the fourth in Australia against the hosts. The Mumbai batsman had scored an unbeaten 171 in the first ODI.

En route to his 124-run knock, Rohit entered his name in the record books by becoming the third batsman to score back-to-back tons against Australia in Australia after England’s Graeme Hick and India’s V.V.S. Laxman. It is also the top score by an Indian opener at the Gabba, going past Sachin Tendulkar’s 91 in March 2008.

James Faulkner (2/64), Joel Paris (1/40), John Hastings (1/46) and Scott Boland (1/64) were the pick of the bowlers for Australia.

Opting to bat first on a flat track where there was nothing much for the quicks, the visitors got off to a disappointing start as opener Shikhar Dhawan got himself out in a shameful fashion while trying to hit a delivery which was outside off stump, only to be caught by wicket-keeper Matthew Wade off the bowling of Joel Paris.

From there on, Kohli and Rohit took on the bowlers and posted a 125-run stand for the second wicket.

Both batsmen were looking good for yet another big score after striking half-centuries. But Kohli paid dearly for trying to sneak two runs in the last ball of the 24th over. A sharp throw rocketed back to Wade by Kane Richardson caught Kohli inches away from the crease to leave India at 134/2 in 23.5 overs.

Rahane then gave good company to Rohit as the duo notched up a 121-run partnership for the third wicket to help India cross the 250-run mark.

But Rohit’s innings came to an end in the 43rd over in an unlucky manner. Rahane drove a slower delivery back at bowler Faulkner who manage to get a bit of his hand on it, to deflect the ball onto the stumps.

Thereafter, Rahane, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (11), Manish Pandey (6), Ravichandran Ashwin (1) and Ravindra Jadeja (5) all threw their wickets away while looking to step up the scoring rate.

(IANS)

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