Indians reign supreme in warm-up match against Australia

Cricket Warm-up one-dayer :

Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey sparkled with half-centuries but rest of India’s batsmen put up a lacklustre performance before the bowlers came good to hand the team a 64-run win over a second string Western Australia XI in the warm-up one-day cricket match here on Saturday.

Having won the first practice Twenty20, the Indians once managed to hit the right notes in bowling after an erratic batting performance at the WACA. Batting first, the visitors managed 249 all out in 49.1 overs and then bundled their opponents out for 185 in 49.2 overs.

Electing to bat, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side did not have the best of starts, losing two quick wickets but Rohit Sharma (67) and Ajinkya Rahane (41) stitched an 88-run third-wicket partnership to help the visitors put up a respectable score.

Shikhar Dhawan (4) and Virat Kohli (7), who were top- scorers in the first warm-up T20 game on Friday, failed to get going as they fell to new-ball bowler Drew Porter, who bagged a five-wicket haul.

The WA bowlers kept pegging things back with regular wickets and Rahane’s departure once again spelt trouble for the Men in Blue.

Pandey then put his hand up to contribute with a well-made 58 and stake his claim for a place in the middle-order in the absence of Suresh Raina.

Pandey, who hit three fours in his 59-ball stay, managed a 60-run seventh-wicket partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (26) to pace up the innings.

But the tail failed to wag and Rishi Dhawan’s (0) run-out didn’t help matters and the visitors could not last their full quota of 50 overs.

Porter (5-37) made life difficult for the Indian batsmen on a fast and bouncy track while leg-spinner James Muirhead chipped in with two scalps. Pace spearhead David Moody and leg-spinner Liam O’Connor bagged a wicket apiece.

In reply, the William Bosisto-led side started on a cautious note against a disciplined Indian attack led by Umesh Yadav (1-29), but soon hit a rough patch after losing a couple of wickets.

Yadav drew first blood with the wicket of Bosisto (13) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2-32) soon sprung into action to send back D’Arcy Short (10).

Ravindra Jadeja (2-38) and Rishi Dhawan (2-28) also struck in quick succession as WA soon started losing their way. Jadeja trapped opener Jake Carder LBW for 45.

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel (2-29) got wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis for 17, while Ashwin struck again to get Porter (10) caught behind.

No 7 Jaron Morgan made a fighting 50, but his innings came too late in the day with the asking rate and the target beyond the home team’s reach.

Jadeja, Axar and Gurkeerat Singh then bagged a wicket each to wipe off the tail.
Both the teams were allowed to play all 14 members of their squad in the 50-over game with only 11 allowed to bat and field at a time.

The first of the five one-day internationals starts on January 12 at the same venue.

score board

INDIANS: Rohit Sharma c Short b Muirhead 67, Shikhar Dhawan c Muirhead b Porter 4, Virat Kohli lbw Porter 7, Ajinkya Rahane b Muirhead 41, Gurkeerat Singh c Inglis b Porter 6, Manish Pandey c Carder b Moody 58, MS Dhoni st Inglis b O'Connor 15, Ravindra Jadeja c Carder b Porter 26, Axar Patel (not out) 8, Rishi Dhawan (run out) 0, R Ashwin c †Inglis b Porter 4. Extras (LB-1, W-12) 13. Total (all out, 49.1 overs) 249.

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-19, 3-107, 4-125, 5-131, 6-171, 7-231, 8-243, 9-244.
Bowling: David Moody 6-1-24-1, Drew Porter 9.1-0-37-5, Mark Turner 5-0-33-0, Alex Bevilaqua 9-0-37-0, James Muirhead 10-0-55-2, Liam O'Connor 6-0-37-1, William Bosisto 4-0-25-0.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA XI: William Bosisto c Dhoni b Yadav 13, Jake Carder lbw Jadeja 45, D’Arcy Short b Ashwin 10, Nick Hobson c Dhoni b R Dhawan 4, JP Inglis b Axar 17, David Porter c Dhoni b Ashwin 10, Jaron Morgan c Rohit b R Dhawan 50, James Muirhead c Gurkeerat b Jadeja 11, David Moody c & b Axar 8, Mark Turner (not out) 2, Liam O'Connor c Yadav b Gurkeerat 0. Extras (LB-6, W-9)15. Total (all out, 49.2 overs) 185.

Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-61, 3-70, 4-96, 5-98, 6-127, 7-154, 8-182, 9-183.
Bowling: Umesh Yadav 7-0-29-1, Barinder Sran 7-1-22-0, Rishi Dhawan 7-1-28-2, Ravindra Jadeja 10-0-38-2, R Ashwin 10-1-32-2, Axar Patel 8-0-29-2, Gurkeerat Singh 0.2-0-1-1.