<p>India started their limited-overs tour of Australia on a positive note, comprehensively beating a second-string Western Australia XI by 74 runs in a Twenty20 warm-up game here on Friday with Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan striking fluent half-centuries.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Batting first, India scored a healthy 192 for four in 20 overs with Dhawan and Kohli contributing 74 runs each.<br /><br />The duo added 149 runs for the second wicket after Rohit Sharma (6) missed out on a run feast on a bouncy WACA wicket.<br /><br />Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 4, also hit a quickfire 22 off 14 balls.<br /><br />In reply, Western Australia XI could only manage 118/6 as rookie left-arm speedster Barinder Sran bowled impressively to notch up figures of 2/24 from 4 overs.<br /><br />More importantly, Sran hit the right length, hurried the batsmen with short balls and also showed his skills of being able to swing the white kookaburra at a lively pace.<br /><br />He got opener Darcy Short (5) with a delivery that kicked up as the batsman was hurried into playing a shot and an easy catch was taken at mid-wicket by Ravichandran Ashwin.<br /><br />Sran also got rival skipper Will Bosisto (1) with a delivery that was just short of three-quarter but Bosisto, trying to hit over long-on provided an easy skier for Ashwin.<br />Western Australia were never in the match save for former Australia opener Travis Birt, who scored an unbeaten 74 off 60 balls.<br /><br />Among other bowlers, left-arm spinners Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja had identical figures of 2/13 from three overs. In all, Dhoni used six bowlers resting Ishant Sharma for Saturday’s warm-up one day match.<br /><br />Earlier, Test captain Kohli came back from a well-deserved break and warmed up nicely with a 44-ball 74 that had seven boundaries and three sixes.<br /><br />Dhawan, whose form has been patchy of late, also looked in good touch as he played 46 balls hitting eight boundaries and an equal number of sixes.<br /><br />The Delhi duo was helped by the fact that the ball came onto the bat nicely and they were able to play their strokes in a free-flowing manner.<br /><br />Dhawan hooked fast bowler Matthew Kelly for a couple of sixes and also punished leg-spinner James Muirhead with a slog-swept six over deep mid-wicket.<br /><br />Kohli, on his part, looked more solid as he hit medium pacer David Moody for two sixes including one that was pulled in front of square.<br /><br />He also flicked Kelly for his third six.</p>
<p>India started their limited-overs tour of Australia on a positive note, comprehensively beating a second-string Western Australia XI by 74 runs in a Twenty20 warm-up game here on Friday with Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan striking fluent half-centuries.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Batting first, India scored a healthy 192 for four in 20 overs with Dhawan and Kohli contributing 74 runs each.<br /><br />The duo added 149 runs for the second wicket after Rohit Sharma (6) missed out on a run feast on a bouncy WACA wicket.<br /><br />Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 4, also hit a quickfire 22 off 14 balls.<br /><br />In reply, Western Australia XI could only manage 118/6 as rookie left-arm speedster Barinder Sran bowled impressively to notch up figures of 2/24 from 4 overs.<br /><br />More importantly, Sran hit the right length, hurried the batsmen with short balls and also showed his skills of being able to swing the white kookaburra at a lively pace.<br /><br />He got opener Darcy Short (5) with a delivery that kicked up as the batsman was hurried into playing a shot and an easy catch was taken at mid-wicket by Ravichandran Ashwin.<br /><br />Sran also got rival skipper Will Bosisto (1) with a delivery that was just short of three-quarter but Bosisto, trying to hit over long-on provided an easy skier for Ashwin.<br />Western Australia were never in the match save for former Australia opener Travis Birt, who scored an unbeaten 74 off 60 balls.<br /><br />Among other bowlers, left-arm spinners Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja had identical figures of 2/13 from three overs. In all, Dhoni used six bowlers resting Ishant Sharma for Saturday’s warm-up one day match.<br /><br />Earlier, Test captain Kohli came back from a well-deserved break and warmed up nicely with a 44-ball 74 that had seven boundaries and three sixes.<br /><br />Dhawan, whose form has been patchy of late, also looked in good touch as he played 46 balls hitting eight boundaries and an equal number of sixes.<br /><br />The Delhi duo was helped by the fact that the ball came onto the bat nicely and they were able to play their strokes in a free-flowing manner.<br /><br />Dhawan hooked fast bowler Matthew Kelly for a couple of sixes and also punished leg-spinner James Muirhead with a slog-swept six over deep mid-wicket.<br /><br />Kohli, on his part, looked more solid as he hit medium pacer David Moody for two sixes including one that was pulled in front of square.<br /><br />He also flicked Kelly for his third six.</p>