Fast bowler Brett Lee took five wickets, including three in seven balls late in the innings, to help Australia beat India by 18 runs in a free-scoring tri-series limited-overs match on Sunday.
Led by captain Ricky Ponting's 124 runs, Australia scored 317-7 after winning the toss and batting first. India poured on the run chase at the end -- achieving the highest score by a team batting second in a one-day match at the Sydney Cricket Ground -- but couldn't overcome the Australian total thanks to Lee's late wicket burst, and were out for 299 in the last over.
"It was touch and go for a while, but a win's a win," said Lee, who finished with 5-58. India lost their last three wickets for nine runs.
Gautam Gambhir scored 113 for India and Robin Uthappa added 51. India play Sri Lanka today in Hobart, with an India win advancing them to the best-of-three finals against Australia beginning next Sunday, also at Sydney.
Ponting, ending a batting slump, picked up his 26th one-day century, with only Sachin Tendulkar (41) having registered more one-day international hundreds.
The 33-year-old skipper celebrated by raising his bat and exuberantly punching the air in the direction of the Australian changerooms.
In six innings this series before Sunday's match, Ponting had only scored 64 runs at 10.66, and scored only moderately in the preceding Test series.
Andrew Symonds scored 59 off 49 balls to end his lean form, and Matthew Hayden (54 off 62 balls) reached a half century before being run out, as the home side's batsmen clicked into gear.
Match referee Jeff Crowe earlier became involved in an incident featuring the catching gloves of Indian wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
The India captain used the gloves to collect a one-handed catch off an inside edge to dismiss fellow wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist for 16 early in the Australian innings. The ball lodged inside the webbing of Dhoni's gloves between his thumb and index finger.
Under the laws of cricket, webbing on wicketkeeper's gloves is not allowed to protrude ``beyond the straight line joining the top of the index finger to the top of the thumb.'' Dhoni's gloves appeared to be in violation of that rule.
Television commentator and former Australian test wicketkeeper Ian Healy raised concerns about the gloves on air. Crowe apparently approached Indian team officials about the matter and Dhoni changed his gloves during a break in the Australian innings.
Australian Associated Press said Crowe took one of the gloves away for further inspection.
TAIWANESE EXITS: Fellow Australian Christopher O’Connell joined Tristan Schoolkate as a winner following his 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Tseng Hsin-chun Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate on Monday dispatched rising Brazilian talent Joao Fonseca 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 at the ATP Toronto Masters, ensuring a breakthrough into the world top 100. The 24-year-old from Perth moved to 98th in the ongoing live rankings as he claimed his biggest career victory by knocking out the ATP NextGen champion from November last year. Schoolkate, son of a tennis coach, won his first match over a top-50 opponent on his sixth attempt as he ousted the world No. 49 teenager from Brazil. The qualifier played a quarter-final this month in Los Cabos and won through qualifying for his
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
RSS