India win; Australia are D(hon)isheartened

India (Shar)made just one change to their playing eleven – Ishant made way for Sreesanth. Australia made just one change to the eleven that last played the Indians – Brad Hogg, who had retired following Australia’s defeat in the first final, made way for Stuart Clark.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat. The second Powerplay of their innings was between the 11^th and the 15^th over. India’s openers scored 50 off 12.3 overs (79 balls). Australia had conceded four extras at that point. While Robin’s contribution to the (Uthap)partnership was 23, Sachin Tendulkar’s contribution to it was 24.

The third Powerplay of their innings was between the 16^th and the 20^th over. Sixteen overs into the match, the first drinks break was taken. India had scored 73 without the loss of a wicket at that point. While Uthappa was batting on 25, Tendulkar was batting on 42. The latter’s half-century – which included five boundaries – came off 70 balls.

Uthappa, whose 49-ball innings included a boundary, eventually scored 30. A hundred and twenty-five balls into the match, he was caught by James Hopes. Clark broke the 94-run partnership.

India scored 100 off 21.5 overs (141 balls). Australia had conceded 10 extras. Gautam Gambhir, whose 16-ball innings included a boundary, scored 15. Twenty-seven balls later, he was caught by Mitchell Johnson. Michael Clarke broke the run-a-ball stand.

Thirty overs into the match, the second drinks break was taken. India had scored 144 for the loss of a couple of wickets at that point. While Tendulkar was batting on 72, Yuvraj Singh was batting on 15.

India scored 150 off 30.3 overs (194 balls). Australia had conceded a dozen extras. The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 56 balls. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 14, Yuvraj’s contribution to it was 36. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

Yuvraj, whose run-a-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, eventually scored 38. Fifty-eight balls later, (Matt)hewas caught by Hayden. Andrew Symonds broke the 54-run partnership.

India scored 200 off 37.5 overs (239 balls). Australia had conceded 13 extras. Tendulkar, whose 121-ball innings included seven boundaries, eventually scored 91. Twenty-six balls after Yuvraj’s dismissal, he was caught by Ponting. Clarke broke the 30-run stand.

Rohit Sharma, who faced five balls, scored a couple. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Symonds. Clarke broke the four-run stand. Irfan Pathan, whose 20-ball innings included a boundary, scored a dozen. Thirty-seven balls later, Nathan Bracken, the player of the series, broke the 28-run stand.

Dhoni, whose 37-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, scored 36. Four balls later, he was caught by Clarke. Bracken broke the three-run stand. Harbhajan Singh, who faced three balls, scored as many. Five balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Brett Lee, who broke the nine-run stand.

India scored 250 off 49 overs (306 balls). Australia had conceded 17 extras. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Although his run-a-ball innings included a boundary, Praveen Kumar, the player of the match, had no reason to be in seventh heaven – four balls later, he was caught by Ponting. Bracken broke the six-run stand.

Piyush Chawla, whose two-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. He was unbeaten, as was Sreesanth, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. India scored 258 for the loss of nine wickets off 50 overs. Johnson and Hopes bowled half-a-dozen wicketless overs. While the former conceded 33, the latter conceded 20.

Symonds, who bowled three overs, conceded 27. He picked up a wicket. Clark, who bowled three overs, conceded 32. He picked up a wicket. Lee, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 58. He picked up a wicket. Clarke, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 52. He picked up three scalps, as did Bracken, who bowled nine overs, including a maiden. He conceded 31.

Adam Gilchrist, who faced three balls, scored a couple. Three balls into the chase, he was caught by Dhoni. Kumar broke the two-run stand. Following this match, Gilchrist retired from One-day Internationals.

Ponting had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored just a run. A dozen balls later, he was caught by Yuvraj. Kumar broke the six-run stand. Clarke, whose 22-ball innings included a boundary, scored 17. Thirty-nine balls later, Kumar broke the 24-run stand.

Australia scored 50 off 12.2 overs (76 balls). India had conceded a couple of extras at that point. Fourteen overs into the chase, the first drinks break was taken. Australia had scored 53 for the loss of three wickets at that point. While Hayden was batting on 19, Symonds was batting on a dozen.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 73 balls. While the contributions of both Hayden and Symonds to the partnership was 22 apiece, extras’ contribution to the partnership was half-a-dozen.

Australia scored 100 off 23 overs (144 balls). India had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point. Hayden’s half-century – which included half-a-dozen boundaries – came off 62 balls.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 89. Hayden, whose 68-ball innings included seven boundaries, eventually scored 55. A hundred balls later, Yuvraj and Harbhajan ran him out.

Symonds, whose 56-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 42. A couple of balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Harbhajan, who broke the two-run stand.

Thirty overs into the chase, the second drinks break was taken. Australia had scored 138 for the loss of five wickets at that point. While Hussey was batting on (Micha)eleven, Hopes was batting on three.

Australia scored 150 off 32.4 overs (202 balls). India had conceded seven extras at that point. The sixth-wicket pair put on 50 off 68 balls. While Hussey’s contribution to the partnership was 34, Hopes’ contribution to it was 15. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

Hussey, whose 42-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 44. (Dho)Ninety-six balls later, he was caught behind. Sreesanth broke the 76-run partnership.

Australia scored 200 off 42.3 overs (262 balls). India had conceded eight extras at that point. Lee, who faced a dozen balls, had no reason to be in seventh heaven – 28 balls after Hussey’s dismissal, Kumar broke the 29-run partnership.

Johnson, whose six-ball innings included a boundary, scored eight. Ten balls later, he was caught by Dhoni. Sreesanth broke the 10-run stand. Bracken, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was caught by Chawla. Pathan broke the nine-run stand.

Hopes, whose 80-ball innings included four boundaries and a six, eventually scored 63. A couple of balls later, he was caught by Chawla. Pathan broke the two-run stand. Clark, who didn’t face a ball, was unbeaten.

India eventually conceded nine extras. Australia, who were dismissed for 249 off 49.4 overs, lost by nine runs. Yuvraj, who bowled three overs, conceded 15. He was wicketless, as was Chawla, who bowled nine overs, conceding 45. Harbhajan, who bowled 10 overs, conceded 44. He picked up a wicket.

Pathan, who bowled 8.4 overs, conceded 54. He picked up a couple of wickets, as did Sreesanth, who bowled nine overs, conceding 43. Kumar bowled 10 overs, including two maidens. He conceded 46, picking up four scalps.

India won the best-of-three finals 2-0, winning the 2008 edition of the Commonwealth Bank Series.