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SYDNEY: Young Manish Pandey struck a brilliant unbeaten 104 as India thwarted Australia’s push for a clean-sweep with a record run chase to notch up a thrilling consolation six-wicket victory in the fifth and final cricket one-dayer here on Saturday. Australia thus won the high-scoring series by 4-1 margin.
Chasing a steep target of 331, India’s batting rode on Pandey’s maiden ODI ton and a superb opening stand of 123 between Rohit Sharma (99) and Shikhar Dhawan (78) to overhaul the score with just two balls to spare, setting up the record for the highest run chase against the home team on Australian soil.
After having bungled a similar chase in the previous match, the Indians made sure that they did not suffer any catastrophic collapse on Saturday with Pandey being the glue that held one end.
The visitors, after cruising along nicely at one stage, were left to pick 13 of the last over which was bowled by Mitchell Marsh. He bowled the first delivery wide as the equation came down to 12 off six balls.
Skipper Dhoni, who was struggling to middle the ball throughout the entire innings cleared the fence off a low full-toss bowled by Marsh but was out off the very next delivery leaving a tricky six runs to be scored off 4 deliveries.
Pandey, however kept his cool as he steered a wide yorker for a boundary to keep it down to 2 off 3 balls. He also completed a magnificent ton in the process. The win was accomplished when Pandey hit over extra cover region as vice-captain Virat Kohli rushed to the field to congratulate him. Pandey, hit eight fours and a six in his 81 ball knock.
The cricket caravan now moves to Adelaide, where the first T20 International will be played on Republic Day.
While Pandey was adjudged Man of the Match, Rohit, who has been in sublime form throughout the series was fittingly awarded Man of the Series for his 441 runs in five matches with a staggering average of 110.25 that included two hundreds, which could have easily been three as he missed it by a whisker.
For Dhoni, who notched up his highest score of 34 off 42 balls in the series, the chase became an acid test as he struggled to even work the singles during the initial part of his innings. But the six off the final over should make his critics believe that ‘Dhoni The Finisher’ has still some firepower left in him.
While chasing 331, India got off to a flying start thanks to Dhawan, whose 78 runs came off 56 balls and was laced with 7 fours and 3 sixes. This was his 17th ODI fifty.
He came out all guns
blazing and put up 123 runs for the first wicket with Rohit Sharma, who hit nine fours and a six with the team 50 coming up in only the 8th over. (PTI)
score board
Australia innings
AJ Finch lbw b I Sharma 6
DA Warner c Jadeja b I Sharma 122
SPD Smith* c RG Sharma b Bumrah 28
GJ Bailey c I Sharma b R Dhawan 6
SE Marsh run out (Yadav/Gurkeerat Singh) 7
MR Marsh not out 102
MS Wade† c †Dhoni b Yadav 36
JP Faulkner b Bumrah 1
JW Hastings not out 2
Extras 20
Total 330/7
India innings
RG Sharma c †Wade b Hastings 99
S Dhawan c SE Marsh b Hastings 78
V Kohli c †Wade b Hastings 8
MK Pandey not out 104
MS Dhoni*† c Warner b MR Marsh 34
Gurkeerat Singh not out 0
Extras 8
Total 331/4
