Australia drew first blood in the triangular one-day series with a bonus-point 65-run victory over India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Debutant Matthew Wade clubbed 67 in a man-of-the-match performance and David Hussey chipped in with a brisk unbeaten 61 as Australia reached 216 for five off a rain-reduced 32 overs.
Australia had the tourists on the back foot after left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc dismissed Sachin Tendulkar (2) and Gautam Gambhir (5) inside the opening four overs.
Photo: AFP
India were dismissed for 151 off 29.4 overs for their sixth loss on their Australian tour.
Wicketkeeper Wade followed up his big-hitting 72 in the Twenty20 series with a belligerent 67 off 69 balls, including two sixes and four fours, to push the home side to a competitive total after afternoon rain reduced the game from its scheduled 50 overs.
David Hussey followed up with a sprightly 61 off 30 balls, including two sixes in the final over off Ravindra Jadeja to have the Australia scoring at 6.75 runs an over.
Australia were 35 for two after 11 overs when rain swept in on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but the hosts came out blazing after the weather interruption, adding 181 in 21 overs. Mike Hussey clipped a breezy 45 off 32 balls.
Paceman Ranganath Vinay Kumar was the best of India’s bowlers with three for 21 off seven overs, while the spinners were clobbered.
Ravi Ashwin went wicketless for 48 from his five overs, leg-spinner Rahul Sharma had one for 44 off 6.2 overs and Jadeja had 41 taken off 16 balls.
India had some early joy, removing the dangerous David Warner for 8, going for a slog only to be bowled by Vinay Kumar, while Ricky Ponting went for 2 after hitting straight to Suresh Raina at short extra-cover off Kumar.
Starc also removed Gambhir off an outside-edge to wicketkeeper Wade, leaving India a shaky 13 for two.
Virat Kohli batted resiliently for 31 off 34 balls, before he fell to McKay in the 12th over, brilliantly caught by Ponting at backward-point after cutting a wide delivery.
Rohit Sharma was out two balls later, fending McKay to Wade for 21 off 21 balls, and India’s last hope, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, holed out to left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty to long-off for 29 off 38 balls, with just one four.
McKay finished Australia’s best bowler with four for 20 off 4.4 overs, while Starc and Doherty each took two wickets.
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