Dhoni's late cut while 'keeping

Rohit Sharma was on 49 in the 23rd over of the Indian innings when he tried to push and take a single that wasn't. Australia sensed some edginess, and a wide slip came in. Gully moved in closer. Rohit blocked the next ball. The next ball he opened the face to, and found gully. Australian fielders kept moving in closer to see if they could make something of what looked like Rohit's anxiety to get to 50. To the fourth ball of this over, Rohit danced down and swung James Faulkner clean over mid-on for a six 15 rows into the crowd. As you were, gentlemen.

Later in the over, Rohit pushed a ball straight to mid-off, wandered down a little to see if there could be a single, and then went back into the crease knowing there wasn't any. David Warner still threw at the striker's end as is the fashion nowadays. Rohit planted his bat in the crease and stood. The ball passed him by, but Brad Haddin had moved a bit far from the ball, presumably because his view was obstructed. Haddin couldn't collect it, and India took the overthrow because it appeared that the ball hadn't touched Rohit at all. Not that they are obliged to not take it even if the throw had touched Rohit. At any rate, much indignation from Australia ensued. Cue angry posturing and finger wagging. Umpires had to come in. What a yawn this is, between these two teams.

In the ninth over of the chase, India placed Suresh Raina at short cover. On cue Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled short and wide. Aaron Finch cut it hard straight at Raina, who managed to get a hand to it and take the sting out of the shot. Even as he was coming up after the dive, though, he had Akshar Patel from behind him whizzing a throw past his ear. First put him in the firing line, and then go after him from behind too. With friends like these…

It was a quiet little run-out appeal that the third umpire didn't even need a second look of, but it was also MS Dhoni at his innovative best. In the 24th over of the chase, Steven Smith looked for a sharp single to get off the mark. The return from short fine leg was a half-volley and was going to miss the stumps. Dhoni had the stumps behind him, and he knew where the stumps were. He knew it was not going to hit. He got behind the half-volley, opened the face of his hand, and deflected it onto the stumps.