Rohit's century again in vain as Australia goes 2-0 up in series

01/15/2016

76 off 58 from George Bailey and an 84-ball 71 from Shaun Marsh were enough as Australia registered a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the second ODI against India at the Gabba on Friday to go 2-0 up in the five-match ODI series.

Brief Scores : India 308/8 off 50 overs (Rohit 124(127), Rahane 89(80), Kohli 59(67), Faulkner 2/64) lost to Australia 309/3 in overs (Bailey 76 (58), Shaun Marsh 71(84), Finch 71(81), Jadeja 1/50) by seven wickets.

It was once again a day, where the Indian captain and the fans thought, “twenty – thirty runs more and we could have won it.” Alas, Bailey and Maxwell ensured that Australia strolled to another victory. India’s inability to cash in on the last ten overs with wickets in hand gave them another defeat which could have turned their way with some luck. India’s slow run rate in the middle overs and the end overs would haunt them after going 2-0 down in the series.

Catches win matches. At the Gabba on Friday, the Men in Blue gave Shaun Marsh at least four lives before dismissing him finally for 71. A sitter from Ishant Sharma, when Marsh was on 19 started India’s problems with catches. Difficult chances also came the way of Rahane, Sran and Manish Pandey with the ball refusing to stick to their palms.

His opening partner Aaron Finch also made his way to 71 in the match where India waited for almost 25 overs before plucking Australia’s first wicket. When Steven Smith and George Bailey joined hands for the fourth wicket, the baggy greens still needed 143 off 121 balls. A similar story to Perth unfolded in the next 11 overs as the duo added 78 runs to take their team close. Umesh Yadav stopped Smith from getting another fifty against India by removing him for 46, but the Aussies still had Bailey and Maxwell at the crease needing 65 off 55 balls.

Bailey and Maxwell ensured an easy finish in the end in 49 overs with the Indians bowling full tosses and wide deliveries.

In the morning, India made one change to their XI and brought in Ishant Sharma for Bhuvneshwar Kumar. On the other hand, Australia made three changes to their team, with Shaun Marsh, John Hastings and Kane Richardson coming in for David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Josh Hazlewood.

India’s innings followed the same script as the one at Perth in the first ODI. Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat, Dhawan departed early on a flat pitch, Rohit Sharma and Kohli had a big partnership, Kohli made a fifty and the Mumbaikar again showed his love for the Aussies with a hundred. Rohit started from where he had left at Perth as he easily dispatched the Australian bowlers to every part of the ground on the way to his century.

"With the change in rules (five fielders outside the circle in the last 10) it is easier for the set batsman than the new batsman to come and play his shots. It's important that he carries on as long as possible because that is how you can stretch your target and get to a competitive score. That's how I have always looked at it. Once you get past 100, it is a good opportunity to challenge yourself," Rohit had said about his secret of getting big hundreds after WACA.

His innings at Gabba also came in the exact same way as the 28-year old described.

However, his opening partner Shikhar Dhawan again faltered cheaply by edging a wide ball outside the off-stump to grant Joel Paris his first International wicket.

The Rohit-Kohli combo, who had a 207-run partnership in the first one-dayer, made it look easy after the left-hander’s departure by forming another century partnership among them. Kohli’s well-known problems outside the off-stump showed up early as he edged two balls, but luckily they fell short of the fielders. With Rohit going all guns blazing at the other end, Kohli chipped in with 59 off 67 balls before an unwarranted second run ended the Delhi lad’s innings with Kane Richardson’s rocket throw beating him to the stumps.

Fellow Mumbaikar Ajinkya Rahane joined Rohit in the middle, and the duo set off from the first ball by forming a quick fire hundred-run partnership. A possible DRS controversy also repeated like the first ODI with a nick from Rohit escaping the umpire’s eyes with the batsman stranded on 89.

Rohit’s dreams of a mammoth century ended at 124 as a straight drive from Rahane brushed Faulkner’s hands to beat an unlucky Rohit to the stumps.

Rahane took over to script a calculated assault on the Aussie bowling to take India closer to the three hundred mark. Rahane fell for 89 off 80 balls and wickets fell one after another before India finished their innings for 308/8.

Rohit's century again in vain as Australia goes 2-0 up in series

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