India stranded

The Indian batting, which shone bright in the previous three matches, failed when faced with a relatively easier task at hand. Needing to score 251 on a pitch that concealed no demons, the hosts were bowled out in the face of some disciplined bowling that helped the Aussies level the series at 2-2.

The failure to get partnerships going proved to be the undoing for the Indians, who had lost the first match gallantly before winning the next two matches with something to spare. With a highest score of 40 and a highest partnership of as much, the Indians had only themselves to blame for not making it 3-1 in the seven-match series.

Openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag failed to prolong their innings and strengthen India’s chances in the absence of Gautam Gambhir and the Aussies seem to take inspiration from each wicket that fell subsequently.

Sehwag struck a brisk 30 off 19 balls before being caught by Shane Watson off left-arm seamer Doug Bollinger, who was to also dismiss an unimpressive Virat Kohli and scalp the in-form MS Dhoni in the first over of a new spell later in the innings.

Tendulkar, drifted closer to the 17,000-run mark in ODIs, but was adjudged lbw off spinner Nathan Hauritz when just seven runs short. His 40 came in a vigil of 68 balls and his fall marked the pegging back of the Indians. Hauritz too came back to strike in a new spell later when he dismissed Suresh Raina during a dimming Indian chase.

A 21-ball cameo of 31 from Harbhajan and some robust stroke-play from Praveen Kumar gave glimpses of their heroics that had brought the team from nowhere to within striking distance of a win at Vadodara, but proved too little too late. Shane Watson, who had struck 49 earlier in the day, bagged some late wickets to finish with a three-for and win the ‘man of the match’ award.

Earlier, Australia failed to pile up an intimidating score despite four of their batsmen batting themselves in. There were definitely more runs in the pitch than their total of 250, but the batsmen needed to get used to the pitch as the ball held on just a wee bit. In a departure from recent matches, India’s fielding chipped in to restrict the opposition, two of those set batsmen among four run outs.

After the dismissal of a struggling Shaun Marsh, the first of Nehra’s three dismissals to a sharp incoming delivery, the visiting side had a useful 64-run stand between opener Watson and skipper Ricky Ponting. But just when the association was looking threatening, Harbhajan Singh struck with his first ball to remove Watson, caught behind on the brink of a half-century.

Ponting, who had set off with a first-ball pulled four off Nehra and was particularly severe on Ishant Sharma whom he once heaved over long on for a six, was run out after making the cardinal sin of running the first one too slowly and still going for the second. He had looked the most dangerous of the batsmen on view but Ravinder Jadeja’s throw from the square leg region ended his knock just after he had reached his 73rd ODI fifty.

Mike Hussey played one pull too many, the shot that got him the bulk of the 40 runs, signalling his end off Yuvraj Singh as he was caught by Ishant at mid-wicket. Cameroon White, who had carried on determinedly and top-scored with 62 off 71 balls, was run out to a surprisingly alert Nehra off his own bowling.

The thrust never came from Australia, much like in the previous match at Delhi. They could garner only 27 in the batting power play taken from the 45th to 49th overs, which saw them falling from 221 for five to 248 for nine.