India v Australia, CB Series, 1st ODI: Familiar script for the visitors

Not learning from mistakes: Suresh Raina was out once again trying to play the pull shot.

See if the script is familiar: After inviting the hosts to bat, India first allowed Australia to pile up a mammoth total of 216/5 from 49/3 and in the pursuit of a demanding total, wickets kept tumbling before India lost all of them and ended up 65 runs short.

The Indian batsmen were victims of poor shot selection/execution. Sachin Tendulkar reached out to Starc to one that was pitched wide and found Ponting at point. Celebrations followed as the big man fell as the fielders ran in to embrace the veteran. Gambhir, yet again, nicked Starc to the keeper as he fished outside the off-stump.

Virat Kohli was the only Indian batsman who looked in control. He pulled, cut and drove at will but picked Ponting at point while trying to play a fierce cut. He was dismissed for 21 as India’s hopes of winning the game slowly ebbed away.

Rohit Sharma looked tentative right from the beginning even as the runs kept coming at a faster pace when he joined Kohli. He, like Gambhir, was out as he fended the one that moved away after pitching. McKay had taken two of his four wickets in his first over.

Suresh Raina was always going to have trouble against the short-ball and today was not the day when he refuted the prognosis. He was out to a bouncer while trying to pull against Christian and the visitors were reduced to 77 for 5.

Dhoni and Jadeja’s stand only delayed Australia’s victory celebrations as their scoring rate was nowhere up against the asking rate. Jadeja and Dhoni were out trying to clear the boundary as the asking rate threatened to go out of control.

Praveen Kumar was the last man to go. His slog found Ryan Harris in the deep and the misery was complete. Harris made up for his drop catch in the previous over by affecting a blinder.

Earlier, the hosts were two down for 25 before rain interrupted for about 3 hours and the game reduced to 32 overs each.

After being put into bat by M S Dhoni, Australia’s Mathew Wade compiled an impressive half-century and stilled the nerves. Mike Hussey was simply flitting as he walked in and the form he showed in the test series continued. He used the sweep stroke to effect against Ashwin and Jadeja and made a brisk 45 off 32 balls before passing the baton to his kindred clan to dictate terms.

David Hussey took charge and kept dealing in boundaries, exploiting India’s vulnerability in the death and remained 61 not out. When Tendulkar and Gambhir walked out to bat, the asking rate was almost seven an over.

Vinay Kumar was the pick of the bowlers, though the wickets he picked weren’t from the best of his deliveries. David Warner tried a big heave over mid-wicket out of frustration and lost the ball completely. Ricky Ponting drove on the up before he realized he was too early onto it and ended up finding Suresh Raina at cover. Mike Hussey tried to pull one that was pitched too short, only to find Kohli at deep square leg.

“Once they came back after the break, they went after our bowling,” Dhoni said in the presentation.

The gloom that enveloped India’s performance overseas seems to have gone nowhere. The visitors were again guilty of letting the game drift away after being in control.