Teenage fast bowler Ishant Sharma reinforced his status as one of the most exciting young talents in world cricket with a man-of-the-match performance to inspire his side to victory in their tri-series match against Australia at the MCG yesterday.
Set just 160 to win after Sharma rocked the Australians with four wickets, there were plenty of anxious moments for the young Indians with the bat when they lost 3-13 to slump to 102 for five against tight bowling from the Australian seamers.
India had looked in control at 89 for two, but when Sachin Tendulkar's innings ended on 44 and Yuvraj Singh's woeful summer continued when he departed for three, the Australians had the scent of victory.
PHOTO: AFP
However, youngster Rohit Sharma (39 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (17 not out) weathered the storm with determined and composed batting that yielded an unbroken 58-run stand.
The result breathed new life into the tri-series and was just India's second one-day win against the home side in 18 matches in Australia since 1986.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Australians made their second-lowest total ever batting first with only 159 in 43.1 overs.
Sharma overcame problems with his run-up and early punishment from opener Matthew Hayden to wreak havoc on the Australian top order claiming 4-38.
He should have had five wickets, with wicketkeeper Dhoni grassing a chance from tailender Nathan Bracken late in the Australian innings, and was well supported by Shanth Sreesanth (3-31) and Irfan Pathan (2-26).
The 19-year-old Sharma's second over was a nightmare, conceding 18 runs as Hayden belted four boundaries, he bowled two no-balls and lost his run-up.
But in a sign of his impressive composure under pressure, he bounced back to have a leaden-footed Hayden caught behind from the second ball of his next over.
Hayden (25 from 21 balls) did not move his feet at all as he attempted a lusty cover drive and only got a thick edge through to Dhoni.
Sharma then produced a superb rising delivery as Ricky Ponting's form slump continued when he was caught at first slip by Tendulkar for just nine.
Ponting, who also struggled in the Test series against India apart from grafting out a century on a flat wicket in Adelaide, has just 18 runs in three innings in the tri-series at 6.00.
Sharma's third victim was Andrew Symonds, the dangerous right-hander well caught for 14 off the outside edge by the diving Dhoni as he attempted to defend another rising delivery.
Australia had lost 4-38 and were in all sorts of trouble at 75 for five.
A brilliant piece of work by Dhoni then removed the recalled Brad Haddin, stumped down the leg side off a Harbhajan Singh wide for five, from 31 balls, as India turned the screws and Australia slumped to 92 for six.
Only Mike Hussey held the Australian innings together with an unbeaten 65, his 53-run stand with Brett Lee for the seventh wicket adding much-needed respectability to the total.
Sharma wrapped up the innings when Dhoni completed his fifth dismissal of the innings to remove Stuart Clark.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and