India’s Te(ndulka)rrible Australian tri-series ends

India made three changes to their playing eleven – Sourav Ganguly, Jacob Martin and Anil Kumble made way for Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Devang Gandhi and Sunil Joshi. Australia made three changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Andrew Symonds, Ian Harvey and Stuart MacGill made way for Damien Martyn, Shane Warne and Damien Fleming.

The match was attended by 26,116 people. On winning the toss, Tendulkar, India's skipper, chose to bat. He faced 21 balls, scoring just three. Thirty-five ballS(ach)into the match, Fleming broke the 11-run stand. The second-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. V V S Laxman, who faced 22 balls, scored just three. Fourteen balls later, he was caught by Warne off the bowling of Brett Lee.

India’s 50 came off 95 balls in 70 minutes. Kanitkar, whose 49-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 30. He and Rahul Dravid put on 50 off 61 balls in 44 minutes. Ninety-four balls later, he was caught by Ricky Ponting. Martyn broke the 81-run partnership. Gandhi, who never represented India again, scored 13. His 18-ball innings included a couple of boundaries. Twenty-nine balls later, he was caught by Martyn. Warne broke the 21-run stand.

India’s 100 came off 153 balls in 112 minutes. Dravid, whose 106-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, scored 65. Sixty-five balls later, he was caught by Mark Waugh. Shane Lee broke the 32-run stand. While India’s 150 came off 242 balls in 175 minutes, their 200 came off 283 balls in 209 balls.

Singh, whose 51-ball (Rob)innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 45. Fifty-six balls later, he was caught by Mark. McGrath broke the 73-run partnership. He and Sameer Dighe put on 50 off 46 balls in 34 minutes. Dighe, whose 38-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 36. He was unbeaten, as was Joshi, who faced three balls, scoring a couple.

Australia conceded 29 extras. India scored 226 for the loss of six wickets off 50 overs. Steve Waugh, Australia's skipper, bowled four wicketless overs, conceding 17. Martyn, who bowled five overs, conceded 19. He picked up a wicket. Brett, who bowled seven overs, conceded 22. He picked up a wicket.

Shane Lee and Fleming bowled eight overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 38, the latter, whose spell included a couple of maidens, scored 37. Warne and McGrath bowled nine overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 57, the latter, whose spell included three maidens, scored 22.

Adam Gilchrist, who faced a dozen balls, scored half-a-dozen. Forty-four balls into the chase, he was caught by Singh. Agarkar broke the 39-run stand. Mark, whose 63-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, scored 40. Fifty-four balls later, he was caught by Dighe. Joshi broke the 39-run stand.

While Australia’s 50 came off 63 balls in 45 minutes, their 100 came off 128 balls in 95 minutes. Ponting, whose 52-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 33. Eighty-three balls later, he was caught by Agarkar. Joshi broke the 58-run partnership.

The Tasmanian and Michael Bevan put on 50 off 63 balls in 35 minutes. The latter, whose 92-ball innings included nine boundaries, scored 71. His 50, which came off 74 balls in 70 minutes, included half-a-dozen boundaries. Seventy-one balls later, he was caught by Tendulkar. Singh broke the 54-run partnership.

A hundred and eighty-one balls into Australia’s innings, play was interrupted for 34 minutes due to rain. Australia’s 150 came off 201 balls in 140 minutes. Steve, whose 48-ball innings included a boundary, scored 19. He and Bevan put on 50 off 70 balls in 47 minutes. Seven balls later, Singh broke the 11-run stand. Australia’s 200 came off 244 balls in 186 minutes.

Martyn, whose 20-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 19. He was unbeaten. The sixth-wicket pair put on four. Lee, who faced eight balls, scored a couple. Ten balls later, Dravid ran him out. Warne, whose 10-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 16. He was unbeaten.

India conceded 24 extras. Australia, who scored 230 for the loss of six wickets off 49.3 overs, won by four wickets with three balls to spare. Venkatesh Prasad, who bowled 9.3 overs, conceded 59. He was wicketless, as was Javagal Srinath, who bowled 10 overs, conceding 55.

Agarkar bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 39, picking up a wicket. Singh and Joshi bowled 10 overs, including a maiden, each, picking up two scalps apiece. While the former conceded 37, the latter conceded 33.

Australia advanced.