Kohli-powered India prevail in battle of willow
It was a clash that saw the end of run-drought by two powerful performers —Yuvraj Singh and Michael Clarke. While Clarke (111 n.o) was the chief architect in Australia’s total of 289/3, Yuvraj scored a crucial 58 in India’s five-wicket win at the Dr Y. Rajasekhar Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Wedneday night.
The encounter was turned on its head by the performance of three supremely-skilled stars —- Cameron White (89 not out off 49 balls), Virat Kohli (118 off 121 balls) and Suresh Raina (71 not out off 47 balls).
Kohli added 137 for the third wicket with Yuvraj in the first half of Indian innings, before setting up a 84-run stand with Raina for the fourth wicket later to all but seal the win.
Chasing a stiff 290 to win, India got off to a poor start with Clint McKay removing debutant Shikhar Dhawan (0) and Murali Vijay (15) to leave India at 35/2.
Yuvraj and Kohli then got together to give the Indian dressing room something to cheer after Australia’s assault. Kohli was the dominant partner, fetching boundaries at regular intervals to keep India in the hunt.
The centurion did suffer from cramps during the course of the innings but managed to keep the momentum, thanks to Dhawan who ran for him. With Yuvraj, Kohli, skipper Dhoni (0) back in the hut, the hosts, at 257/5, faced some anxious moments before Raina and debutant Saurabh Tiwary (12 n.o.) chased down the total with seven balls to spare.
Earlier, Clarke helped his side recover from a precarious 16/2 in the eighth over to post a formidable 289/3.
Clarke first added 144 for the third wicket with Michael Hussey (69) and then in the company of No. 5 White (89 n.o.) accrued 129 in the last 13.3 overs of the innings. The visitors opened with Shaun Marsh (0) and Tim Paine (9) but with both falling early, it was the turn of Clarke and Hussey to do the repair act.
The duo set the platform with an enterprising stand. Hussey was the more adventurous of the two, employing the reverse-sweeps to good effect and Clarke was happy playing second fiddle.
R. Ashwin finally broke through when he trapped Hussey. With Australia at 160/3 in the 37th over, it was the ideal platform for White to use the long handle to good use and he unleashed a series of strokes that gave Dhoni’s men the blues.
White used the cross-batted shots and the straight ones with ridiculous ease, smashing 70 runs off the last 24 deliveries he faced. While the bowling figures of the Indian bowlers took a beating, it also severely exposed the inexperienced attack of the hosts.
Meanwhile Clarke, who has had a forgettable series thus far, was looking to make amends with his determined innings. He was not particularly fluent to start with, but the right-hander was ready to put up a fight.
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