Press Trust of India
Sydney, Jan 23: Young Manish Pandey (104, 81b, 8×4, 1×6) played a brilliant knock as India thwarted Australia’s push for a clean-sweep with a record run chase to notch up a thrilling six-wicket victory in the fifth and final cricket ODI here Saturday at the SCG. However, the series belonged to Australia who had won the first four games.
Chasing a steep target of 331, India’s batting rode on Pandey’s maiden ODI ton and a superb opening stand of 123 between Rohit Sharma (99, 108b, 9×4, 1×6)) and Shikhar Dhawan (78, 56b, 7×4, 3×6) to overhaul the score with just two balls to spare, setting up the record for the highest run chase against the home team on Australian soil. This was the 13th time that a total of 300-plus was chased at SCG and only the first time, it was overhauled.
After having bungled a similar chase in the previous match, the Indians made sure that they did not suffer any catastrophic collapse with Pandey being the glue that held one end.
The visitors, after cruising along nicely at one stage, were left to pick 13 of the last over which was bowled by Mitchell Marsh. His first legitimate delivery was hit for a six by India skipper MS Dhoni (34, 42b, 1×4, 1×6). But in the next, Dhoni holed out to David Warner at long-off.
Pandey who had crossed over during the catch deftly guided the next ball to fine third man to bring down the equation to two off three balls and off the next hit a boundary to the extra-cover fence to signal India’s first win.
The cricket caravan now moves to Adelaide, where the first T20 International will be played on Republic Day.
Earlier, David Warner (122, 113 b, 9×4, 3×6) hit his fifth ODI ton, while Mitchell Marsh finished with an unbeaten 102 (84b, 9×4, 2×6), his maiden ODI hundred as Australia finished at 330 for the loss of seven wickets.
The bowler to impress for India was Jasprit Bumrah (2/40). The left-arm pacer bowled with a lot of zest and never allowed the batsman any room to free their arms. It was his spell along with another economical spell bowled by Ravindra Jadeja (0/46 off 10) that helped India keep the hosts below the 350-run mark.
Ishant Sharma (2/60), who gave India an early breakthrough, by dismissing Aaron Finch bowled well in patches. However, Umesh Yadav (1/82) and Rishi Dhawan (1/73) again proved expensive. It is high time Yadav gets control over his line and length as pace alone in international cricket will not be of any use to him.
Australia were reduced to 117 for four but recovered through a fifth wicket stand of 118 runs between Warner and Mitch Marsh. It was followed up by an 85-run stand for the sixth wicket between Mitch and Mathew Wade (36, 27b, 2×4, 1×6). While Pandey was adjudged man of the match, Rohit, who has been in sublime form throughout the series was fittingly awarded man of the series for his 441 runs in five matches with a staggering average of 110.25 that included two hundreds, which could have easily been three as he missed it by a whisker by getting dismissed for 99 here.
