Spinners ensure Team India win the One-Day tour match: If the batsmen helped Team India win the T20 game against Western Australia, yesterday, the spinners ensured that the winning streak continued in the 50-over format also against the same opposition, today (9th Jan, 2016).
Winning the toss and opting to have a go with the bat, Dhoni’s men started off shakily losing Shikhar Dhawan (4) with just 4 runs on the board in the fifth delivery of the second over.
Kohli (7) also followed suit leaving the team at 19/2 in the sixth over. Team India’s ‘Mr Dependable’ Ajinkya Rahane then walked into the middle to give company to Rohit Sharma.
The duo put on 88 runs in 16.3 overs for the third wicket, the best partnership for any wicket in the match. At 107/3 Rahane departed being bowled by Muirhead but not before contributing 41 runs off 53 deliveries that consisted of 3 hits to the boundary.
Gurkeerat Singh Mann had a good opportunity to showcase his batting acumen, but fell cheaply for 6 runs. Soon Rohit Sharma departed after scoring 67 runs off 82 deliveries with 6 fours and 3 sixes.
However, the other youngster, Manish Pandey made good use of the opportunity and went on to score a well-made half century (58 runs off 59 deliveries) and in the process established a 40-run partnership in 10 overs for the sixth wicket alongwith the skipper, MS Dhoni.
A 60-run partnership in 8.5 overs between Manish Pandey and Ravindra Jadeja (25) for the seventh wicket enabled India to complete their innings with 249 runs in 49.1 overs.
Drew Porter was the most successful bowler for Western Australia picking up 5 wickets, giving away 37 runs in his spell of 9.1 overs, while James Muirhead returned with the figure of 10-0-55-2.
Chasing 250 for a win, Western Australia struggled to build up partnerships. After a 39-run partnership in 9.5 overs for the first wicket between the skipper William Bosisto (13) and Jake Garder (45), they could not make much headway.
Umesh Yadav struck early removing Basisto. Thereafter the spinners, Jadeja, Ashwin, and Axar Patel took over and kept the pressure on. The spin trio picked up 2 wickets each giving away 38, 32 and 29 runs respectively.
The young all-rounder, Rishi Dhawan, also had his say with the ball. He also claimed 2 wickets, giving away 28 runs in his 7 overs. He accounted for Nick Hobsin (4) who was stumped by Dhoni and had Jaron Morgan, who had scored a good 50 runs and was holding on to one end, caught by Rohit Sharma.
The Punjab youngster Gurkeerat Singh Mann also used his off-breaks to account for Liam O’Connor (0). He was brought on to bowl the 50th over. He bowled just 2 deliveries and picked up a wicket.
Western Australia’s innings got over with 185 runs in 49.2 overs giving India a victory by 64 runs.
These two victories should hold the Indian dressing room in good stead and a positive mindset, going into the real action from 12th Jan, 2016.
