Manish Pandey, Rohit guide India to consolation win

Brief Scores:Australia 330/7 in 50 overs (Warner 122 (113), Marsh 102 (84), Bumrah 2/40) lost to India 331/4 in 49.4 overs (Pandey 104* (81), Rohit 99 (108), Dhawan 78 (56), Dhoni 34 (42), Hastings 3/61) by six wickets.

Finally, India won. After missing golden opportunities in the first four matches of the series, India finally managed a consolation victory against Australia. Similar to the last four matches, bowling once again failed for the away side with the World Champions mounting another 300+ score. But this time around, the Men in Blue took the game home with match-winning performances from Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey along with some big hitting from 'Captain Cool'.

Chasing 331, India made a very good start to the innings with Shikhar Dhawan continuing his good form from last match. The opening duo took the attack to the Aussie bowlers dispatching them to all parts of the ground. Dhawan took a special liking to Boland and Mitchell Marsh, and added 26 runs in two overs by sending the duo over the ropes. With Dhawan going great guns, with a strike rate of 130, India looked on course for an easy victory. Just like the last game, John Hastings turned the match around for the Aussies by sending back Dhawan for 78 off 56 balls. Dhawan went for a shot outside off-stump and Shaun Marsh leapt through the air to take a splendid catch at deep point.

Kohli walked in next and the Australians barraged him with a flurry of short deliveries to push him back into the back foot. Kohli’s problems with balls outside off-stump once again came into light, when he edged a full delivery on off-stump to Matthew Wade. With India at 134/2, Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey did a rebuilding job for the next ten overs, with ones and twos, to move the innings forward.

Rohit upped his striking rate after the 30th over and went after the Aussie bowlers to keep the run rate under control. Shaun Marsh also gave the batsman a reprieve by dropping him for 92 near mid-off. The Mumbai cricketer’s dream of a third hundred in the series looked on the course before John Hastings produced an edge off the batsman to remove him for 99. Rohit seemed upset with the umpire’s decision, but with no DRS, the batsman walked back to the dressing room disappointed.

Dhoni and Pandey kept India near the required run rate with some lusty blows and quick singles. With the Aussies dropping a host of catches, India made it to the final over needing 13 off it. After a wide, Captain cool muscled Mitchell Marsh above the long-off boundary to make it six off five balls, before perishing at the deep, while attempting another maximum. With six needed off four, Pandey calmly guided a wide yorker past Wade to take India closer to the victory, and to his maiden ODI hundred. He finally finished the match with a two over the infield, to register India’s first win of the series.

Unlike the first four ODIs, India kept the required run rate under control by keeping the scoring rate near six. With the required rate under control and wickets in hand, India produced a classic chase to go past Australia’s target. On the other hand, Australia went through a minor collapse in the middle overs and their dip in the run rate caused them twenty to thirty runs, which could have been handy. (Read: India vs Australia – Fifth ODI: How India finally won a match against Australia)

Earlier, Dhoni won the toss and opted to field first. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ajinkya Rahane struggling from injuries, India made two changes and brought in Manish Pandey and debutant Jasprit Bumrah into the lineup.

Australia also made two changes to their starting XI by bringing in Shaun Marsh and Scott Boland, with Glenn Maxwell and last match’s hero Kane Richardson nursing hamstring injuries.

The Men in Blue had a great start to the match with Ishant Sharma trapping Aaron Finch before the wicket in the first over. David Warner and Steve Smith steadied the Aussie innings and looked on set for another big partnership, before debutant Bumrah struck to remove the Aussie captain.

A short delivery on off-stump by the Gujarat lad grew big on the Smith, and his badly executed pull went straight into the hands of Rohit Sharma at midwicket. Bumrah set the batsman up by bowling the first four balls full, and outside the off-stump and made Smith come on the front foot before bowling the short delivery.

The hosts were three down shortly with Rishi Dhawan registering his maiden international wicket, after George Bailey’s leading edge found the hands of Ishant Sharma at mid-on. A freak run out in 22nd over increased Australia’s misery as they went four down with only 116 runs on the board. Warner’s call for a second run found Shaun Marsh struggling to reach the non-striker’s end and the throw from the deep hit Gurkeerat’s knee and crashed into the stumps to find Marsh short.

As one Marsh exited, another arrived. This time, Mitchell Marsh. With David Warner looking solid at the other end, Marsh joined him to take the Aussie innings forward. The pair looked for ones and twos against the spinners before taking a liking to Umesh Yadav’s pace to push the scoring rate up. The pair took the Indian pacer to the cleaners by dispatching him for 30 runs in two overs. The century also arrived shortly for the left-hander with a two to third-man and his trademark leaping celebration marked the fifth ODI ton.

Ishant Sharma removed Warner shortly after his hundred to get India back into the match with the Aussies set for another 300+ score. Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade started from where Warner had stopped and went after the Indian bowling in the slog overs. The duo added 85 runs between them for the sixth wicket. Marsh also brought up a well deserved maiden ODI hundred, off 81 balls, in the last over before finishing the Australian innings at 330/7.

For India, débutante Jasprit Bumrah had an impressive outing taking two wickets for 40 runs, while Ishant Sharma also chipped in by taking two wickets.

(Read: India v Australia - Records and statistical highlights after the 5th ODI)