Indian bowlers hold their nerve in narrow win

Chandigarh: India's bowlers clinched an eight-run thrilling win as Australia ran out of steam in the dying overs of the fourth One Day International, thus keeping alive the seven-match series here on Monday.

After India posted a formidable 291-4 batting first, Australia got off to a terrific start to their run chase, holding the upper hand during the major part of the game, but breakthroughs at crucial intervals condemned the world champions to their first limited overs defeat in 15 matches. Australia finished on 283-7 with James Hopes remaining not out on 23.

Zaheer Khan bowled the final over of the game in which Australia required 16 runs, but could only manage seven at the Sector-16 stadium here, to register India's first win against the Australians after 11 matches. India had last beaten Australia in January 2004.

India now trail the Australians 1-2 in the seven-match series, the opening tie of which had to be abandoned due to rain in Bangalore.

Recalled spinner Murali Kartik took the crucial wicket of Matthew Hayden and played the perfect partner to Harbhajan Singh as they shared three scalps, finishing with 1-48 and 2-43 respectively, and not allowing Australia to run away with the game.

Earlier, useful partnerships centred around Sachin Tendulkar's 79, and uncharacteristically wayward bowling from the Australian bowlers helped India post a challenging total.

Tendulkar ambled his way to 79 from 119 balls before Dhoni flayed an unbeaten 50 from 35 balls after the Indian captain had won the toss and elected to bat. The Indian skipper was declared the man of the match for his ruthless knock as well as some smart work behind the stumps.

In reply, Australia were off to a blinding start to their run chase with Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden taking the attack to Zaheer Khan and RP Singh with two sixes inside five overs, but the wicketkeeper-batsman was out immediately after as he holed out on a pull shot for 18, leaving the Aussies on 37-1.

Hayden then tore into the Indian bowlers as Australia raced to 75 from their first 10 overs with skipper Ricky Ponting at the other end. Hayden hit a flurry of fours and two towering sixes to reach his third half-century of the series, coming off a mere 39 balls.

Hayden looked ominous when his partner Ponting was out stumped off the bowling of Irfan Pathan in the 19th over to give a welcome respite for the Indians as the Aussies lost their second wicket for 122. India kept their hopes alive with the dismissal of Michael Clarke 10 runs later.

Hayden and Andrew Symonds struck together a 58-run fourth wicket partnership while Hayden approached his century, but the batsman tried to repeat a four hit off Murali Kartik the next ball only to be caught in the deep by Zaheer Khan for 92.

Symonds, in superb form since the start of the tournament, kept the Australian charge on course with his third successive half-century following his knocks in Kochi and Hyderabad.

But RP Singh castled Symonds for 75 and ran out Brad Hogg on the next delivery to keep India in the hunt as Australia fell to 268-7, leaving James Hopes and Brett Lee to get the remaining 24 runs.

Openers Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar got India off to a sedate start but kept wickets intact in a 91-run stand, before Tendulkar was involved in 83-run stand with Yuvraj Singh, who scored 39.

The Australian bowlers were guilty of spraying as many as 39 extras, including the second most number of wides conceded by the reigning world champions. Australia also conceded 90 runs in the last 10 overs, while premier bowlers Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson were not bowled out their full quota.

Playing to a sparse crowd, India reverted to the long trusted opening pair of Ganguly and Tendulkar, but were off to their best start in the series. Tendulkar was off to a patchy start with his first four runs coming off 24 balls.

Ganguly, however, kept the runs coming after he was off the mark with a boundary on his return from injury. Tendulkar, having scored his first boundary in the 15th over, was credited with yet another record, becoming the highest One-Day run-getter against Australia, eclipsing Desmond Haynes' long standing feat.

Ganguly's 91-minute long stay at the crease came to an end as he edged in to the hands of Gilchrist off James Hopes for 41 to make way or local hero Yuvraj Singh, who was promoted to No. 3.

Tendulkar reached his fifty in the 32nd over, his 84th half-century coming off 91 balls. Soon after, the batting maestro completed 1000 runs in ODIs in the year running, the second Indian after Ganguly to do so.

India stepped up the gas in the 40th over to raise the 200 when Tendulkar and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni took three boundaries in the over off James Hopes, which was followed by a heated argument between Andyew Symonds and the batting duo. They, however, replied with three more boundaries in the following over off Mitchell Johnson.

Tendulkar was run out by a direct hit from Brett Lee for a long stay in the middle after scoring 79 from a labourious 119 balls.

India, trailing 0-2 in the seven-match series, were boosted their spin attack by including left-arm spinner Murali Kartik in place of Rohit Sharma while Sourav Ganguly returned to the side for the injured Gautam Gambhir. Left-arm pacer RP Singh also returned to the side to replace S Sreesanth.

Australia included left-arm pacer Nathan Bracken in their side replacing Stuart Clark.

Teams:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Yuvraj Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Robin Uthappa, Rahul Dravid, Irfan Pathan, Murali Kartik, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (C), Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hodge, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, James Hopes, Brad Hogg.