India take series despite Faulkner heroics

Nov 02, 2013

Put in to bat, India started brightly, as Shikhar Dhawan blasted nine fours, racing to 60 off just 57 balls•BCCI

Dhawan departed in the 19th over, and five balls later, a confusion between Rohit and Virat Kohli resulted in the latter becoming run-out•BCCI

Rohit grew more aggressive as the innings wore on, and reached his second hundred of the series, in the 38th over•BCCI

Clint McKay topped the list of an expensive bunch of bowlers, going for 89 from his 10 overs•BCCI

Australia were 74 for 4 at one stage, but then came the fightback, first through Glenn Maxwell, who hammered 60 off just 22 deliveries•BCCI

Faulkner went on to score his first century, and the fastest for an Australia batsman, off 57 deliveries. •BCCI

He was well-supported on the other end by Rohit Sharma, who played the more patient foil, as the pair added 112 •BCCI

Having clawed their way back into the game, Australia were dealt a big blow when Shane Watson left the field with a hamstring injury•BCCI

And it didn't bode well for Australia that it was MS Dhoni at the other end. The captain added a late surge by smashing a 38-ball 62, including a lethal hit that sent the ball out of the stadium•BCCI

Aaron Finch was trapped lbw by Mohammed Shami early•BCCI

Then the injured Shane Watson came out to bat and flogged the bowling, hitting six sixes in his 22-ball 49•BCCI

Shikhar Dhawan completed the catch to dismiss James Faulkner and India won the series 3-2•BCCI

India took full advantage, as Rohit and Suresh Raina added 72 for the third wicket, but once again, Yuvraj Singh failed to get going•BCCI

But it was to be Rohit's day, as the opener blasted 16 sixes - the most in an ODI innings- and in the process, became only the third player to score an ODI double-hundred to take India to a mammoth 383 for 5•BCCI

George Bailey, Australia's best batsman in the series, let his frustration out on getting run-out for 4•BCCI

And just when India thought they had the game, James Faulkner launched a blistering attack and nibbled away at the target•BCCI