Australia defeat India by four wickets, level series 2-2 Sports-cricket-lead Aus Win : Sports News

Mohali: Australia defeated India by four wickets in the fourth One-Day International (ODI) of the five-match series here at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium on Sunday. With the virtue of this win, Australia managed to tie the series at 2-2 with the final ODI will be played at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on March 13. With the help of Usman Khawaja''s 91, Peter Handscomb''s 117 and Ashton Turner''s unbeaten 84 runs knocks, the visitors chased down 359 runs target with 13 balls to spare.

This is Australia''s biggest ODI chase. India dropped so many chances, including some stumpings by Rishabh Pant. Chasing a huge total of 359 runs, the visitors got off to a bad start as Aaron Finch departed for a duck. Soon, Jasprit Bumrah clean bowled left-hander Shaun Marsh for 6 off 10 balls, reducing Australia to 12/2 in 3.3 overs. Then, Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb stitched together a partnership of 192 runs for the third wicket, helping Australia to get past 200 runs mark in less than 33 overs. Virat Kohli brought back Jasprit Bumrah in the 34th over and the pacer did not disappoint his captain as he removed left-handed Khawaja for 91 runs. Kuldeep Yadav took a tumbling catch in the deep.

Glenn Maxwell''s cameo came to an end in 36th over, as he was dismissed by Chinaman Yadav for 23 off 13 balls. Ashton Turner and Alex Carey added a crucial 86 runs off just 39 balls for the sixth wicket partnership, helping Australia to pull off a record ODI chase. Turner was adjudged Man of the Match for his unbeaten 84 runs knock. Jasprit Bumrah bagged three wickets in his 8.5 overs, giving 63 runs. Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma powered India to a mammoth total of 358/9 in their stipulated 50 overs. India got off to a flying start as Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan put on 193 runs off 186 balls for the opening stand. During their 193 runs stand, Sharma and Dhawan became the second highest scoring Indian duo as they surpassed Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar''s tally of 4,384 runs in the format.

However, Sharma-Dhawan still too far from the highest scoring duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, who had scored together 8,227 runs in the ODIs. However, Sharma missed on his hundred as he was dismissed for 95 runs (92 balls, 7 fours, 2 sixes). Peter Handscomb took his catch off Jhye Richardson at mid-wicket reason. But, Dhawan looked unfazed and kept hitting the ball out of the park, registering his best ODI score of 143 runs off 115 balls. The left-handed Dhawan hit 18 fours and three sixes. He was clean bowled by Pat Cummins. Skipper Virat Kohli dismissed cheaply for seven runs. Kohli followed a wide ball and wicket-keeper Alex Carey made no mistake. This was the fourth occasion when Richardson took Kohli''s wicket in ODI. Rishabh Pant got a good start but failed to convert it in the big score as he was departed for 36 runs. He got out in the form of the fifth wicket.

Towards the end of the inning, Vijay Shankar helped India to get past 350 runs mark, scoring a quickfire 26 off just 15 balls in which he hit one four and two sixes. Jasprit Bumrah played the last ball of the innings and hit it for a six. it was his first six for India. Pat Cummins bagged a five-wicket haul, giving 70 runs in his 10 overs quota, while Richarsdon got three wickets.