Australia are D(hon)isappointed; India triumph

India made just one Cha(wla)nge to their playing (Pat)eleven – Munaf made way for Piyush. Australia made just one change to the eleven that playing the Indians – Stuart Clark made way for Mitchell Johnson.

On winning the toss, Ricky Ponting, Australia’s skipper, chose to bat. Although his run-a-ball innings included a boundary, Adam Gilchrist wasn’t in seventh heaven – 16 balls into the match, he was caught by Yuvraj Singh. Praveen Kumar broke the run-a-ball stand.

Ponting, who faced five balls, scored a run. Ten balls later, Kumar broke the three-run stand. Michael Clarke, who faced eight balls, scored a boundary. His runs came by way of a boundary. (Dho)Nine balls later, he was caught by Mahendra Singh, India’s skipper. Ishant Sharma broke the five-run stand.

The second Powerplay of Australia’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. They scored 50 off 11.5 overs (70 balls). India had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 48 balls. While Matthew Hayden’s contribution to the partnership was 37, Andrew Symonds’ contribution to it was 14. Extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

Hayden’s half-century – which included eight boundaries – came off 43 balls. Fifteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. Australia had conceded 83 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Hayden was batting on 53, Symonds was batting on 16.

The third Powerplay of Australia’s innings was between the 16^th and the 20^th over. They scored 100 off 17.1 overs (106 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 100 off 105 balls. While Hayden’s contribution to the partnership was 67, Symonds’ contribution to it was 31. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

Symonds, whose 44-ball innings included four boundaries, eventually scored 31. A hundred and four balls after Clarke’s dismissal, he was caught by Kumar. Harbhajan Singh broke the 100-run partnership.

Hayden, whose 88-ball innings included 10 boundaries, eventually scored 82. Twenty-six balls later, he was caught by Chawla. Harbhajan broke the 11-run stand.

Australia scored 150 off 33.1 overs (205 balls). India had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point. Thirty-six overs into the match, the second drinks break was taken. Australia had conceded 159 for the loss of five wickets at that point. While Michael Hussey was batting on 18, James Hopes was batting on 10.

Hopes, whose 37-ball innings included a boundary, eventually scored 15. Sixty-eight balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Yuvraj Singh broke the 38-run stand.

Australia scored 200 off 48.1 overs (278 balls). India had conceded eight extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

The seventh-wicket pair put on 39. Hussey, whose 67-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, eventually scored 45. Forty-nine balls later, Dhoni and Irfan Pathan ran him out.

Brad Hogg, who faced 31 balls, scored 23. He was unbeaten. Brett Lee, whose 10-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 17. A couple of overs after Hussey’s dismissal, he was caught by Rohit Sharma. Pathan broke the 19-run stand. Johnson, who faced three balls, scored half-a-dozen. He was unbeaten.

Australia scored 239 for the loss of eight wickets off 50 overs. Rohit, who bowled an over, conceded five. He was wicketless, as was Chawla, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 33.

Yuvraj, who bowled four overs, conceded 18. He picked up a wicket. Pathan, who bowled seven overs, conceded 63. He picked up a wicket. Ishant, who bowled eight overs, conceded 32. He picked up a wicket. Kumar bowled 10 overs, including a maiden. He conceded 49, picking up a couple of scalps.

The second Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. India’s openers put on 50 off 10.3 overs (67 balls). Australia had conceded five extras at that point. While Robin Uthappa’s contribution to the partnership was 17, the contribution of Sachin Tendulkar, the player of the match, to it was 28.

Uthappa, whose 33-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Eleven overs into the chase, he was caught by Hussey. Hopes broke the 50-run stand.

The second-wicket pair put on half-a-dozen. Gautam Gambhir, who faced four balls, scored three. Ten balls later, he was caught by Johnson and Hopes ran him out.

Fifteen overs into the chase, the first drinks break was taken. India had conceded 63 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Tendulkar was batting on 37, Yuvraj was batting on a run.

The third Powerplay of India’s innings was between the 15^th and the 20^th over. Tendulkar’s half-century – which included four boundaries – came off 56 balls. Yuvraj, whose 21-ball innings included a boundary, scored 10. Thirty-seven balls after Gambhir’s dismissal, Hogg broke the 31-run stand.

India scored 100 off 21.3 overs (135 balls). Australia had conceded seven extras at that point. The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 66 balls. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 22, Rohit’s contribution to it was 27. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

Thirty overs into the chase, the second drinks break was taken. India had conceded 138 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Tendulkar was batting on 73, Yuvraj was batting on 27.

India scored 150 off 31.5 overs (197 balls). Australia had conceded eight extras at that point. Rohit’s half-century – which included five boundaries – came off 70 balls.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 100 off 114 balls. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 43, Rohit’s contribution to it was 53. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was five.

India scored 200 off 39.4 overs (244 balls). Australia had conceded a dozen extras at that point. Tendulkar’s ton – which included eight boundaries – came off 106 balls. Rohit, whose 87-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, eventually scored 66. A hundred and thirty-six balls after Yuvraj’s dismissal, Hopes broke the 123-run partnership.

Tendulkar, whose 120-ball innings included 10 boundaries, eventually scored 117. He was unbeaten, as was Dhoni, who scored 15. His 12-ball innings included three boundaries. Australia eventually scored 14 extras. India, who scored 242 for the loss of four wickets off 45.5 overs, won by half-a-dozen wickets with 25 balls to spare.

Clarke bowled three wicketless overs, conceding 11. Nathan Bracken bowled eight wicketless overs, conceding 42. Lee bowled nine wicketless overs, conceding 33. Johnson bowled 10 wicketless overs, conceding 70.

Hogg, who bowled seven overs, conceded 38. He picked up a wicket. Hopes, who bowled 8.5 overs, conceded 42. He picked up two scalps.

India led the best-of-three finals 1-0.