Australia crush India with ruthless performance by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Kensington Oval, Bridgetown
Scorecard:	Australia v India
Player:	RG Sharma, DA Warner, SR Watson
Event:	ICC World Twenty20 2010

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DateLine: 7th May 2010

 

The Australian side put up a clinical performance as they simply brushed aside the Indian team with some stunning batting and ruthless performance with the bat. The Australian team powered by some big hitting from Watson and Warner scored a mammoth 184 in their quota of 20 overs. India in reply scored just 135 in 17.4 overs as Australia won the match by 49 runs.

 

Dhoni won the toss and elected to field first believing that his spinners would play a huge part in restricting the Australian side. The spin heavy Indian bowling was simply torn to shreds as Watson (54, 32b, 6x6, 1x4) and Warner (72, 42b, 7x6, 2x4) and the limitations were exposed early. The opening overs were quiet but that was the calm before the storm. Jadeja leaked 19 runs in the third over of the innings and that set the tone for the rest of the innings. The openers at no stage let their foot off the gas as Indians stood dazed.

 

Watson and Warner made a mockery of the boundary ropes as they cleared the boundary ropes with ridiculous ease. Finally Pathan cleaned up Watson who was well set for a century. David Hussey (35, 22b, 2x6, 3x4) continued the assault as the Indian bowling was reduced to a rubble. Australia at the end of their 20 overs scored 184 for the loss of 5 wickets.

 

India in reply never started their ignition as wickets tumbled in a heap. Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes employed the short pitched deliveries with ruthless efficiancy as the Indian batsmen had no answer to the well directed missiles. Murali Vijay (2, 7b) was softened up before he misread the direction of the ball while Gambhir (9, 10b, 2x4) and Raina (5, 5b, 1x4) played the pull shot out of desperation rather than as an attacking option. Yuvraj Singh (1, 2b) recieved a perfect yorker and Dhoni (2, 8b) tried to launch Smith into the stand but found the fielder. The Indian innings was in tatters at 37 for 5 and with the fall of Jadeja and Pathan.

 

Rohit Sharma shone like a lone beacon as he lend some respectability to the score. The talented right-hander went on the attack in the latter half of the innings as he helped India cross the hundred figure mark that was looking extremely difficult. India were finally dismissed for 135 in 17.4 overs.