Ind Aus ODI 5 Half Time: Australia Raise Highest Total In India!

The Indian bowlers were simply blown away by the young guns of Australia as the visitors raised a mammoth 340 for four in their innings to throw a stiff challenge to the Indians at Hyderabad in the fifth ODI of the seven match India Australia ODI series.
Despite the incredible number of injuries, Australia have been able to keep their sanity in the field to the extent that they been very hard to shake off as far as team India is concerned.
While the pitch was expected to be a batting paradise, the bowling efforts from India would have perhaps been better disciplined in line and length. Having said that, credit should go to Australia for taking the initiative, taking the assault to the opposition and backing their skills to cross the line with a formidable total to fall back on.
While all the focus prior to the match had been on Sachin Tendulkar’s seven run distance from the magical 17000 ODI run mark, what was really the need of the hour was for the Indian bowlers to show more life than they have. While Gautam Gambhir came in back to send Virat Kohli to the bench again, Ishant Sharma gets a breather as do desperate Indian fans. Munaf Patel was instead put in.
For Australia, there were three changes, Moises Henriques replaced by Adam Voges, Mitchell Johnson making way for Clint McKay and Peter Siddle’s injury calling Ben Hilfenhaus back.
But it was Shaun Marsh and Shane Watson that first showed India the door. It was Watson’s belligerence and Marsh’s determination that ensured that Australia moved from a sedate start to scoring 100 runs around the fifteenth over mark.
The unbreaking of that partnership was literally the undoing of the Indians who had to contend with the assault that showed no sign of cessation. Watson’s ninety-three from eighty-nine balls was a whirlwind innings that had the Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, looking to Yuvraj Singh, having exhausted his frontline options.

Marsh was not about to let go of the opportunity either. After the 145 run opening partnership was broken, Marsh took over the senior role, having established himself and his maiden ODI century was simply a reward he was richly deserving of.
The Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, could not have been more delighted by the turn of events, especially when all he has had to watch is injury after injury change his personnel.
His own personal contribution of 45 only added to India’s headaches as the second wicket partnership cost them ninety-one runs, but for Australia, it was the perfect follow through to a great start. Australia rarely thrown away a good position and on this occasion, they had Michael Hussey (again!) and Cameron White who together put up an eighty run partnership that proved the mighty flourish to a great innings. Nobody apart from Harbhajan Singh could return with figures to hold one’s head high. Such was the brutal assault, and dangerous still if it has impacted the psyche of the Indian dressing room.
White’s fifty-seven was a blockbuster cameo and Hussey not far behind on thirty-one as Australia have dared India to chase down 350 if they want to push the scorecard in their favour.

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