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ADELAIDE - Australia's out of sorts batsmen were again spared blushes by a tight effort in the field last night as India were rolled for 153 in pursuit of a mediocre 203 in the one-day match at Adelaide Oval.
There were further signs that a summer of distractions
was taking a toll on the home side when they batted poorly, but India's gamble on fielding five bowlers in the absence of Virender Sehwag (back strain) left them short of run makers in a chase that petered out in 41.2 overs.
None of the visitors passed 50, and all struggled to assert themselves on a slowing pitch against immaculate bowling by pacey Mitchell Johnson (3-42), cagey Nathan Bracken (2-21) and miserly James Hopes (2-16), meaning Brett Lee was allowed to rest in comfort.
Earlier sliding to 5-73 in the 24th over, the Australians had appeared a team with their minds elsewhere - the contentious tour of strife-torn Pakistan and stalled contract negotiations for the lucrative Indian Twenty20 Premier League both cause for player concern.
By innings end they had been bailed out by Michael Clarke's thoughtful 79 (108 balls, six fours).
Left-armer Irfan Pathan (4-41) had the best Indian figures, but Ishant Sharma (2-32), Munaf Patel (1-31) and Harbhajan Singh (1-40) also helped.
Having won the toss, the Australians were keen to break out of a lean recent run on a pitch that seemed ripe for run making.
Sharma though had other ideas and he straightened one on a good length to disturb Adam Gilchrist's stumps via an inside edge for 15.
One smart pull shot offered hope of a big day for Ricky Ponting, but on 10 he tried to force Patel off the back foot and sliced a catch to backward point.
Two runs later Matthew Hayden feathered an attempt to cut Pathan and Andrew Symonds also stayed in the doldrums by dabbing Sharma straight to gully, reducing the home side to a sorrowful 4-50.
Mike Hussey drove at the excellent Pathan and snicked to the 'keeper, and the rest of the innings was only partially salvaged by Clarke's presence of mind and Brad Hogg's (32) grit.
India's pursuit began hesitantly, Sachin Tendulkar edging Bracken neatly between 'keeper and first slip and then exiting lbw two balls later to a Bracken delivery that straightened adequately but might have been passing over the top of the stumps.
Promoted to No.3, Pathan briefly suggested permanence with Gautam Gambhir, but both perished to catches in the gully region, and Rohit Sharma's tense push at Hopes made it a decidedly wobbly 4-59.
Yuvraj Singh's ordinary tour was briefly suspended as he unfurled one regal cover drive, but on 26 and with India just beginning to claim the momentum he needlessly flat-batted Brad Hogg to long on.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (37) poured every ounce of his concentration into an innings interrupted by being struck on the hand by a Yuvraj drive, and then an apparent leg complaint that required a runner.
As so often happens, he was then run out, Hayden throwing the stumps down to send both batsman and runner to the pavilion.
The tail fell away, although not before the Australians appeared to exchange words with unpopular spinner Harbhajan Singh on his departure.
Gilchrist put an appropriate exclamation point on his final Adelaide appearance by leaping for a fine catch to dismiss last man Patel.
- AAP
