India finally tastes victory against Australia

India finally tasted victory by defeating Australia with six wickets in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. Yet another 300 plus total from Australia; good death bowling from Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. Rohit Sharma is Man of the Series for his truckload of runs. Rohit Sharma said "Not really frustrating, we won the game. Always disappointing to get out on 99 but winning matters more. Important to keep scoring the runs for my team. We can take a lot from this tournament and see where we went wrong." Manish Pandey is Man of the Match for his match-winning ton. Pandey said "The feeling is really good. Batting no. 4 was a massive chance as Ajju was injured. I thought to make use of it. Good to bat with Dhoni, always motivating words coming. The crowd is a massive boost for us (evokes a loud cheer)." Some excellent batting from Manish Pandey (104 not out) and a huge six off the first ball of the final over from Dhoni, guided India to a victory in the final ODI against Australia in Sydney on Saturday. Pandey's knock overshadowed some excellent batting from Rohit Sharma (99) and Shikhar Dhawan (78). Australia's 18-match winning streak at home comes to an end. This is the first time that any team has chased more than 300 to complete victory against Australia in their own den. India will retain their No. 2 ranking in ODIs as well. Earlier, chasing a target of 331, Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma chiselled the Australian bowling attack to put on an 100-run partnership in just 15.3 overs. Hastings dismissed the dangerous Shikhar Dhawan for 78 off just 56 balls studded with seven fours and three sixes. In the next over, Hastings removed the in-form Virat Kohli for just 8. Indian bowlers’ horrendous run Down Under continued as Australia rode on centuries from Mitchell Marsh and David Warner in another dominant batting display to pile up 330 for seven in the fifth and final cricket ODI in Sydney on Saturday. Chasing a 5-0 whitewash, Australian looked on course for more but for the last two overs from debutant Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma, which got them just seven runs in an inconsequential match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Opener Warner laid the foundation with 122 off 113 balls, while Marsh remained unbeaten on a brisk 102 off 84 deliveries after India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni asked the home team to take first strike. This was the fourth time in the series Australia crossed the 300-plus mark, and Marsh's maiden ton in this format. Warner struck nine fours and three sixes, while found the fence nine times and cleared it twice. Australia lost last match's centurion Aaron Finch in the first over to Ishant, following which Warner shared a half-century stand with the in-form skipper Steve Smith. Smith's dismissal to Bumrah, his maiden wicket, was followed quickly by those of George Bailey and Shaun Marsh. Warner then steadied the ship by putting on a valuable 118 runs for the fifth wicket with Marsh at just seven runs an over. Having completed his century, a tired-looking Warner got out while trying to slash Ishant, managing to give a catch to an agile Ravindra Jadeja. Then came another crucial partnership of 85 runs for the sixth wicket between Marsh and Matthew Wade (36 off 27 balls), paving the way for another big total by the home side that has already chased down two 300-plus totals in the series so far. The visitors made two changes, bringing in Manish Pandey for the injure Ajinkya Rahane, as also handing out a surprise debut to Bumrah, the youngster not even officially included in the ODI squad. He had arrived early to join up the T20 squad and was afforded this chance as Bhuvneshwar Kumar suffered a hairline fracture in his left thumb in Canberra, ruling him out of the T20I series as well. Australia too made two changes, with Shaun Marsh coming in for Glenn Maxwell and Scott Boland for Kane Richardson. Earlier, Warner and Finch (6) got the proceedings underway, with Indian bowlers getting on top for the first time since the Perth ODI as Ishant (2-60) trapped Finch LBW in the very first over. Smith (28) put on 58 runs with Warner quickly even as Bumrah (2-40) was introduced into the attack in the 8th over and then Rishi Dhawan (1-74) was brought on in the 11th over. The twin moves worked as Australia lost quick wickets before reaching the 100-mark in the 19th over. Bumrah got his maiden international wicket as Smith was caught at midwicket in the 12th over, off a ball that jumped high on him. At the other end, Dhawan got rid of Bailey (6) in the 15th over as Australia were under considerable pressure at that stage. 78/3 became 117/4 in the 22nd over, as Shaun Marsh (7) was run-out, the ball deflecting off Gurkeerat Mann (0-17). But Marsh then joined Warner in the middle, and the duo added important runs to lift Australia from the hole they were in. In fact they did not curb their free scoring as the run-rate continued unabated with the 200-mark coming up in the 34th over, even as Warner had reached his century off 100 balls in the 36th over. While Ravindra Jadeja (0-46) bowled with control, Umesh Yadav (1-82) proved to be expensive once again. The partnership was then broken in the 39th over, Warner caught at backward point off Ishant, and Australia were placed at 249/5 in the 40th over. Marsh then took over the finishing responsibilities and was given able support by Matthew Wade (36) as the duo pushed the score past the 300-mark in the 46th over, putting on 85 runs for the 6th wicket. Both Wade and James Faulkner (1) were dismissed in the death overs in a bid to accelerate further, but Marsh stayed put long enough to score his maiden international hundred off 81 balls in the final over of the innings. In doing so he joined his father Goeff Marsh and brother Shaun, both of whom had also scored their maiden ODI hundreds against India as well.