October 03, 2007	Wednesday	Ramazan 20, 1428

KOCHI (India), Oct 2: Brad Haddin and Andrew Symonds hammered brisk half-centuries to set up Australia’s crushing 84-run win against India in the second One-day International here on Tuesday.

Australia’s batting might was on view as the World Cup winners posted a challenging 306-6, with man-of-the-match Haddin (87 not out), Symonds (87) and Matthew Hayden (75) all putting the Indian attack to the sword.

The total was big enough to put pressure on world Twenty20 champions India, who were bowled out for 222 to concede a 1-0 lead in the seven-match series.

The first one-dayer was abandoned due to rain at Bangalore on Saturday.

The match also saw rival players trade words in the middle – first Indian seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Symonds and then India’s Harbhajan Singh with a few Australian players after his dismissal.

Sreesanth later received a nasty blow on his helmet as he reacted late to a firm drive from his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who top-scored with a fighting 58 before being the last man out.

Australia virtually wrapped up the match when they reduced India to 87-4 in the opening 15 overs, with paceman Stuart Clark grabbing two wickets, and Mitchell Johnson and James Hopes one apiece.

Robin Uthappa tried to match the Australians’ stroke-play as he hit a 30-ball 41 with two sixes and four boundaries but his flourish did not last long. He was trapped leg-before by Clark.

India were on the back foot after losing ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar (16), Twenty20 world championships sensation Yuvraj Singh (10) and Gautam Gambhir (seven) cheaply.

Earlier, Australia were struggling at 8-2 after being put in to bat, but Symonds, Haddin and Hayden ended India’s early celebrations to help their side set a stiff target.

Hayden was instrumental in getting his side back on track after skipper Adam Gilchrist (0) and Brad Hodge (3) had fallen in the opening four overs. He added 58 for the third wicket with Michael Clarke and 94 for the next with Symonds.

Symonds and Haddin then built on Hayden’s superb effort with a 108-run stand for the fifth wicket. The last 10 overs yielded 91 runs, thanks to big hitting from the pair.

Haddin faced just 69 balls and hit three sixes and eight fours in his career-best knock for his second successive half-century, while Symonds struck two sixes and nine fours in his 83-ball innings.

Hayden initially relied on singles and twos, but Symonds went for big shots soon after arriving at the crease to considerably ease the pressure.

Symonds smashed Pathan for three fours in an over and then hoisted off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar for sixes before racing to his half-century.

Hayden reached his half-century in style, swinging Harb-hajan over mid-wicket for his first six. He then hit part-time bowler Tendulkar and Powar for two more sixes.

India appeared to have regained the initiative after Clarke’s dismissal, but Haddin, Symonds and Hayden counter-attacked vigorously.

It was a smart leg-side stumping by Dhoni that led to the dismissal of Clarke, who had made a century in the previous match.

Square-leg umpire Suresh Shastri consulted the third umpire at the last moment after initially ruling the batsman out, with Clarke waiting at the boundary before walking back to the dressing-room.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA:

A.C. Gilchrist c Tendulkar b Zaheer 0

M.L. Hayden b Pathan 75

B.J. Hodge c Dhoni b Sreesanth 3

M.J. Clarke st Dhoni b Pathan 27

A. Symonds c and b Sreesanth 87

B.J. Haddin not out 87

J.R. Hopes c Dravid b Sreesanth 4

B. Lee not out 2

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-2, W-15) 21

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 306

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-8, 3-66, 4-160, 5-268, 6-297.

DID NOT BAT: G.B. Hogg, M.G. Johnson, S.R. Clark.

BOWLING: Zaheer Khan 10-1-55-1 (3w); Sreesanth 9-0-67-3 (6w); Irfan Pathan 10-0-47-2 (5w); Harbhajan Singh 10-0-57-0 (1w); Powar 5-0-30-0; Tendulkar 3-0-22-0; Yuvraj Singh 3-0-22-0.

INDIA:

G. Gambhir b Johnson 7

S.R. Tendulkar c Symonds b Clark 16

R.V. Uthappa lbw b Clark 41

Yuvraj Singh c Hayden b Hopes 10

R. Dravid c Johnson b Hogg 31

M.S. Dhoni c Hodge b Hogg 58

Irfan Pathan run out 1

Harbhajan Singh st Gilchrist b Clarke 4

R.R. Powar b Clarke 17

Zaheer Khan c Hodge b Hogg 3

S. Sreesanth not out 7

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-6, W-10, NB-7) 27

TOTAL (all out, 47.3 overs) 222

FALL OF WKTS: 1-11, 2-58, 3-79, 4-87, 5-136, 6-139, 7-154, 8-179, 9-190.

BOWLING: Lee 7-0-44-0 (6nb, 2w); Johnson 9-1-46-1 (5w); Clark 6-0-14-2; Hopes 7-0-33-1 (1nb, 2w); Clarke 9-1-35-2; Hogg 9.3-0-40-3 (1w).

UMPIRES: S.L. Shastri (India) and S.A. Bucknor (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: G. Pratapkumar (India).

MATCH REFEREE: B.C. Broad (England).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Brad Haddin.

—Agencies