Hussey drives Australia to 292
The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale
October 25, 2009
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50 overs Australia 292 for 8 (Ponting 74, Hussey 73, White 51, Paine 50, Ishant 3-50) v India
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Ricky Ponting clips it fine, India v Australia, 1st ODI, Vadodara, October 25, 2009
Ricky Ponting was in fine touch in posting a half-century © Getty Images
Related Links
Players/Officials: Tim Paine | Ricky Ponting
Matches: India v Australia at Vadodara
Series/Tournaments: Australia tour of India
Teams: Australia | India
Michael Hussey compiled an excellent one-day innings of 73 to build on Ricky Ponting's solid platform as Australia fought off an Indian revival to post 292 for 8 in Vadodara. Four Australians reached half-centuries and it was enough to set India a challenging target despite the batting Powerplay working to India's advantage late in the innings.
Ponting, Hussey, Cameron White and Tim Paine all posted half-centuries but India's bowlers ensured none of them went on to triple figures. Hussey's confidence was key in ensuring the good start was not wasted and in a typically anonymous, accumulating style he compiled his 73 from 54 balls.
Hussey pierced the field several times for boundaries in the final overs and, while he generally took few risks, an enormous straight six off Praveen Kumar in the penultimate over resulted in a lost ball. In the final over he sent a catch down deep midwicket's throat as Ishant Sharma delivered a brilliant 50th over that brought two wickets for one run and could yet prove a turning point.
Hussey ticked the score over with hard running but Australia were disappointed with a result of 3 for 33 from their batting Powerplay, which began in the 43rd over with Hussey and White well set. White had started to find the middle of the bat - a clean six over long-on from Suresh Raina's only over was his highlight - but skied the second ball of the Powerplay and was caught off Ashish Nehra for 51.
Adam Voges holed out to deep midwicket off Harbhajan Singh and James Hopes was run out in a horrible mix-up with Hussey, whose calling has been questionable in the past few months, to leave Australia slightly adrift of what could have been a bigger score. The Hussey-White partnership had been worth 76 and continued on the solid platform built by Ponting and Paine.
They combined for a 97-run second-wicket partnership that proved batting first was not a problem despite the early-morning start. Ponting was fierce against the fast men and his highlights included a crunching, aerial straight drive for four off Ishant and a top-edged six when he advanced at Praveen Kumar and hooked a bouncer.
Praveen felt the brunt of Ponting's form and was dispatched for consecutive boundaries through midwicket and then punched through cover. Ponting also enjoyed facing the spinners and launched Ravindra Jadeja over long-off for a six that was parried over the boundary by Nehra, who slightly misjudged the catch opportunity.
Jadeja eventually had his revenge when Ponting, on 74, played back to a delivery that straightened and was trapped in front of middle stump. For much of his innings Ponting had the assistance of Paine, who kept his position as opener despite the presence of Shaun Marsh in the squad.
Paine was particularly strong off his pads, flicking over and through the on-side field whenever the fast men bowled too straight. He was caught behind for 50 trying to cut a wide ball from Ishant, who along with Nehra in the early stages was particularly impressive and bowled full enough to allow the ball to swing.
Nehra had made the initial breakthrough in the second over, when there was some movement in the air, and he had Shane Watson adjudged lbw for 5. Watson was given out by umpire Shavir Tarapore, one of two Indian officials on the field after the English umpire Mark Benson missed the match due to illness.more crickinfo.com
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