Seamer Mitchell Johnson claimed his first five-wicket haul in one-day internationals to lead Australia to a thumping nine-wicket victory over India in the fifth match of the series.
The 25-year-old took five for 26 in a display of remarkable swing bowling to bundle out the hosts for 148 in 39.4 overs. Johnson’s haul earned him the man-of-the-match award.
Adam Gilchrist hit a magnificent 79 not out, including seven fours and four sixes, as Australia reached 149 for one in 25.5 overs to take a 3-1 lead in the seven-match series.
Apart from his batting fireworks, Gilchrist made the match memorable for himself by pouching a record-equalling six catches, the fifth time he has performed the feat.
Except for winning the toss, nothing went right for the Indians, who never really recovered from the disastrous start which saw Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid returning to the pavilion in the very first over.
The hosts 43 for 5 in 10 overs, recovered to 92 through a 49-run stand between Tendulkar and Pathan (26) and then reached 148 in only 39.4 overs after the last-wicket pair of Zaheer Khan and RP Singh (12) put on 41 runs to pull the team forward from 107 for nine.
It was Johnson who played a stellar role in the Australian victory with four of his victims, Yuvraj Singh, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan and Murali Kartik, being caught by Gilchrist, who had an amazing match behind the stumps.
Johnson’s other victim was Robin Uthappa, who fell leg before. Fellow speedster Brett Lee took two wickets, including Rahul Dravid for a first-ball duck, while Chinaman bowler Brad Hogg and left-arm pacer Nathan Bracken secured a wicket each to put the Indians on the mat.
The home team had a terrible start with Ganguly being run out off the fourth ball and Dravid lbw on the fifth in Lee’s first over. The final total they posted was not only totally inadequate but also the lowest at this venue, below the West Indies’ 181 against India in January.
The visitors were never troubled in the run chase, though India started with the unusual combination of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and pacer Zaheer to open the bowling.
The spinner got the ball to turn and bounce, but Zaheer was carted around by Hayden, who batted as imposingly as ever despite a groin strain suffered while running between the wickets. The opening pair of Hayden and Gilchrist put on 54 runs to put the visitors on the victory path.
After Hayden, who batted with a runner, fell dragging a ball from RP Singh on to his stumps, Gilchrist took over the attacking reins and smashed left-arm spinner Kartik, who bowled impressively on his comeback after 20 months in the previous tie, for three sixes in an over.
The Aussie wicketkeeper had mustered only 59 runs in the first four ties but looked a different batsman today. He added 95 runs for the unbroken second wicket in 13 overs with skipper Ponting to steer the visitors home with plenty to spare.
In the morning, Tendulkar played a lone ranger in his record-equalling tie and made 47 but the other batsmen surrendered tamely, much to the disappointment of the capacity crowd of 20,000 which thronged the venue expecting a repeat of the stirring display at Chandigarh which fetched the hosts an eight-run win.
Tendulkar batted cautiously but was prompt to punish the loose balls as he struck nine fours in his 73-ball knock after a stay of 128 minutes during which he saw a procession of batsmen making their way back.
Tendulkar, too, departed halfway through the allotted overs in Lee’s first over of his second spell. The bowler induced an edge by bringing forward the Mumbai batsman with a well-directed outswinger.
Johnson then got the wickets of Pathan, who struck a six off Brad Hogg and two fours in his 66-ball knock, and Kartik, leaving India gasping at 107 for nine in the 30th over.
There was some defiance from the last-wicket pair of Zaheer, who struck Bracken and Hogg for a six each on the leg side, and RP Singh before the innings ended when the former was caught behind off Bracken.