in a low-scoring match, Yuvraj Singh (78) and MS Dhoni (71 n.o.) carved out sparkling half-centuries to steer India home in style — a convincing six-wicket victory over Australia. Going into the Mohali ODI on Monday, India leads the seven-game ODI series by 2-1.

Though there was not much to choose between the two teams, the 148-run alliance between the Indian captain and his deputy proved to be the difference in the end. The target of 230 proved too little for the two batsmen who were in majestic form. Yuvraj deservingly walked away with the man-of-the-match award for his well-constructed innings.

He may have been away from cricket for sometime but Yuvraj didn’t let go of his scintillating form during the time spent away from cricket. He came up with a special 96-ball knock of 78 when India needed it the most. And the captain courageous once again led his team from the front, with a wonderfully paced 71 not out.

Earlier, Tendulkar started off well by first, square-cutting and then flicking Johnson for two boundaries in the first over. But the visitors stuck to their plan of bowling an outside the off-stump line to the master batsman and were quite successful in keeping him quiet. The low-keeping Kotla wicket saved Tendulkar once, as one nicked by the master batsman fell just short of White, standing at first slip.


Yuvraj and Dhoni script 148-run partnership to take India home by 6 wicket. © AFP

On the other end, Sehwag’s desperation was building up, as the Aussies cramped him for runs. The pressure built on the Indian batsmen, especially Sehwag, who likes to get on with the scoring rate, right from the word go.

Peter Siddle was relentless with his accuracy and pace and proved to be a perfect replacement of Brett Lee. He spit fire in the middle as he sent down deliveries paced 145kph and above, one of which hit Sehwag on his boots and he had to be attended by the physio.

What followed the break was drama! The first ball that Sehwag faced from Johnson, he thrashed it away to the backward-point boundary, got deceived by a slower one and then was cleaned up by the left-armer off a middle line delivery.

When the runs were hard to come by, Tendulkar and Gambhir ran hard between the wickets. Tendulkar, especially, looked like a man with the intent of seeing his team through but a direct hit by Mitchell Johnson ended the match for the Master Blaster. He went for 32 of 47 balls.

Now, India had two new batsmen at the crease in Gambhir and Yuvraj with 52-2 on the board. One more wicket in this situation could have India in a spot of bother, and that’s exactly what Nathan Hauritz had in his mind when Ponting introduced him into the attack in the 16th over. The off-spinner produced a gem of a delivery to get the man who was most likely to take the game away from them. He pitched one straight and in the good length area which went between the bat and the pad to disturb the off-stump of Gambhir. India were now struggling at 53-3, still needing 176 from 34.4 overs.

Ponting seized the opportunity and went to an attacking mode, bringing his fielders in. The need of the hour for India was a big partnership from Dhoni and Yuvraj. The duo successfully put up a significant partnership of 50 and both the batsmen celebrated their half-century alliance by helping themselves to a boundary each, off Hauritz’s two half volleys in the 26th over. The sensible batting by the Indian skipper and his deputy restored sanity to the once falling-apart Indian innings.

But the world knows Yuvraj cannot be kept quiet for long, especially once he gets his eyes in. The elegant left-hander opened up the floodgates and there was a deluge of runs. He mixed superb timing with awesome power as he set the Kotla on fire. While he sent one sailing over the long-on boundary with an effortless flick, he also plundered one with disdain over the same region.

Dhoni, at the other end was happy to be a spectator to Yuvraj’s heroics. The Indian captain did a highly remarkable job in the way he altered his game and mindset to play a run-accumulator after performing the role a destroyer at Nagpur.

The captain and the vice-captain had now taken India to a touching distance of victory as the hosts required 45 from the last 10 overs with seven men standing. They set up a stand of 148 in 172 balls, easily the highest in the match. Australia succeeded in breaking the partnership when Henriques had Yuvraj lbw in the 44th over. But by then it was too late.

Dhoni took over from Yuvraj and scored some fine boundaries to see India home by six wickets and with 10 balls to spare.

As far as the Aussie batting goes, it was Hussey all the way yet again! The incredibly consistent South Australian once again proved to be a major thorn in India’s flesh, as he played a fabulous knock of 81 from 82 balls to steer Australia to a fighting total of 229 for five.

Ricky Ponting decided to take up the opening challenge along with Shane Watson in the absence of Tim Paine. Both openers hung in patiently batted exactly the way the pitch demanded them to — with dead straight bat. They realized the importance of singles on this wicket and handled pressure well by rotating the strike. Even the boundaries came off some exquisitely timed cricket shots with gentle caresses and no brute force.

Seeing the turn extracted by Jadeja in the early overs, Dhoni at once went for an all-spin attack, inducting Yuvraj and Harbhajan into the action and it paid off instantly.

Watson, who had failed to produce anything special in the first two matches stuck around with his skipper and played a mature knock of 41. But hefailed to capitalise on a good start, as Yuvraj Singh deceived him with a flighted delivery outside the off-stump, while Dhoni’s quick hands dislodged the bails in a flash.

The onus was back on Ponting and Hussey and they went about the task beautifully, nudging and pushing the ball against the Indian spinners.

Ponting once again showed his class as he held the inexperienced Aussie batting line-up together with his crafty and risk-free half century. Hussey yet again proved to be the perfect ally.

Just when the going got smooth for Australia, young Ravindra Jadeja, who got Ponting wrapped in front of his pads in the first ODI, once again got the better of the great batsman as he slipped in a quicker one that turned out to be too good for Ponting, who was well set on 59. Jadeja continued his imposing performance in the series as he bowled his nine overs beautifully for 2/41.

Australia suffered a double blow as in the very next over, part-timer Suresh Raina accounted for Cameron White, who was given out caught behind after a ball-juggling show from Dhoni.

The Indian spinners — regular and part-timers alike — stole the show from the strike bowlers with their tight bowling display. The visitors were denied a boundary for an overwhelming 21.4 overs when the slow bowlers were in command.

The dry period finally came to an end with a paddle-sweep from Adam Voges off Raina and Hussey soon followed the suit with a couple of hits to the boundary.

Hussey, with his third consecutive half century of the series, perfectly lived up to his Mr. Cricket sobriquet. One of the best players of the reverse-sweep, Hussey played the shot adroitly to good effect. But in the end, it didn’t prove enough to steer his team to victory.

Finally, here’s one for the records. Going into this match, India had never lost an ODI in which the Yuvraj-Dhoni duo had put together hundred or more runs. And after the Delhi clash, it stays that way.