Australia take on India today, looking to cement their spot in the Commonwealth Bank One Day Finals Series. Join us for live scores and our live blog from 2:20pm ADST.
Australia continue life after Ricky Ponting, with Shane Watson to captain in Michael Clarke’s absence. Clarke failed to recover from a back strain.
India must win this match to stay in contention for the finals, but whether they can shrug off their indifferent recent form is another matter. They will welcome to return of MS Dhoni, who was crucial in scoring them a win over Australia and a tie with Sri Lanka at the death of two run chases.
India will also play all three senior batsmen, relying on their power rather than the somewhat unimpressive younger brigade. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag are yet to fire this series. Gautam Gambhir has scored two 90s.
Australia’s revelation Peter Forrest will continue in Ponting’s recently vacated number three spot, after making a century from there last start against Sri Lanka. He will be looking forward to another hit against marquee opposition.
David Warner will open the batting with Watson, with wicketkeeper Matthew Wade continuing his game of batting order pinball and ending up at number four.
Dan Christian remains at seven, with the now first-choice bowling line-up of Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, Clint Mackay and Ben Hilfenhaus.
Should be a cracker of a game – scroll down for the live blog below.
kindrob
Guest
Frustrating? not a great comment!! Playing bad does not mean it is frustrating..then it would have been the same when aussies played on spinning tracks. Frustrating because of 'God' in the team...well then it also should be frustrating when a team plays with 14 men against 11! Not just in this series..last one played in Aus too! Who complains, right?
Ben Carter
Roar Guru
Have now seen both the Hussey and Tendulkar incidents at real speed. Verdict? Hussey is NOT out. There's enough leeway within the laws as they are written at present for an umpire to consider Huss to be protecting himself. It's hard to judge his intent as being to deliberately deny India a run-out. Tendulkar verdict? He is NOT out. Lee was not actively attempting to field the ball by the time Tendulkar met him down the pitch. The batsman should have - on appeal - been recalled.
Oracle
Guest
Could D Hussey pay the same price as one G Dyer did from a different age?
Oracle
Guest
India will make 300 and win becauseit doesn't matter. Last chance for Tony Greig to get rid of his100 100's memorabilia that he has wanted to flog all summer. If I was a betting man, this will be the day, with nothing hanging on it. Maybe a forfeit would be a better contest as they are clearly not interested.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
Thanks for being with me tonight, and do join myself or Suneer for the last few matches of this CB ODI series. Goodnight, all.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
Very good.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
So where to from here? India have essentially a dead rubber, then they can get to the departure lounge they've been thinking of for weeks. And Australia? Who goes out of the side when Michael Clarke comes back? Warner got runs, Watson is on the comeback and took wickets. Does Dan Christian go out with Watson to bowl? I think that's how it'll pan out.
Oracle
Guest
Suneer, simply the are bankrupt of quality bowlers? The IPL helping? What happened to RP Singh and the like. Sharma is obviously in danger of being burnt out by the age of 25. Praveen Kumar is not a Test bowler.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
And that is the end of India's finals aspiration. They could maybe make the finals but they would need to utterly pulverise Sri Lanka in Hobart, and they won't. You don't really need me to tell you that that was a pathetic performance by India tonight, and a professional performance by an Australian side that wouldn't give their opposition any sort of break. The bowling was tight, and India had the old rabbit-in-the-headlights look for a large part of this innings, after their top order departed in what has become an all-too-familiar story this summer. No Australian bowler finished his ten overs, and the wickets were shared around, with only David Hussey missing out. Two each for Watson, Doherty, and Hilfenhaus, one for Lee, McKay, and Christian. Watson had the pick of the figures - 5 overs, 2 maidens, 2 wickets for 9. Australia also had a spread of contributors with the bat: 68 the top score from Dave Warner, 56 from keeper Matthew Wade, and 54 from David Hussey, who is the lead run-scorer in the series. India bowled well and kept things tight in their first innings, but the batsmen let the bowlers down, with a bit of help from Tendulkar's dubious dismissal when his path between the wickets was blocked by Lee. For me, that should have been not out, especially given David Hussey's not out of earlier, but inevitably others disagree.
Oracle
Guest
Agreed. They have been very frustrating. At least we don't have 11 "Gods" playing for us who don't have to answer to anyone.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
OUT! Game over. Praveen Kumar, facing his third ball, has a big heave-ho at Doherty, bottom edges into his stumps, and is bowled for 1. Yadav left 0 not out. India bowled out for 165 after 39.3 overs.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
Ouch. Beamer. No ball from Lee. Hit Yadav on the body, too. His one to Pathan was close to too high as well. Lee often has problems with the beam ball. 9/165 (38.5)
Geoff Lemon
Expert
Don't worry Oracle, we're in agreement - I've no doubt where the culpability lies. Just frustrating watching a team who can't put good passages of play together.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
OUT! And you didn't think it would last that long. Pathan goes the cross-bat slog at a high full toss, not high enough to be a no-ball though, and it skied very very high, extremely hard catch for Mike Hussey staring into the lights and the night sky. Could have done better with a full bunger, could Pathan. Hussey coming in off the square leg fence and Lee comes back with a wicket. 9/163 (38.3)
Oracle
Guest
Come on Geoff, they have hardly helped themselves when the going has got remotely near tough. The Indians have left a lot to be desired.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Pathan was in reckoning for the tour of Australia but he was returning from loss of form, injuries and absolutely no pace. Don't think he deserved a place in the first five Indian speedsters who were chosen but then two of them got injured and Pathan still did not make it to the Tests. That was bit of a surprise to me. Anyway, his issue is his pace...at best, he is at 132-133 but it drops off as the game progresses and without too as much swing as Praveen Kumar gets, it is a bit of a concern.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
SIX! Ho, what did I tell you? That was bewwwdiful. Brett Lee's first ball of the over, it was in the slot, and Pathan just went elbow high, through the line of the ball, clean straight drive that ended up just to the onside of straight, several rows back. Nice high arc, that was pure cricket to watch there. Second 6 for Pathan. 8/162 (38.1)
Geoff Lemon
Expert
OUT! And the story of India's day, India's summer - nothing goes their way for very long. Ashwin reached for that Doherty ball, got a leading edge, popped it up in the air, and Watson took the simplest catch he'll ever take at mid-on. 97 needed from 72, India can't win, but let's hope Pathan goes for a few and lands some hits to entertain this crowd. Helmets on. 8/156 now, 37.6 overs.
Geoff Lemon
Expert
FOUR! A single to Pathan, then Ashwin goes inside out over cover to a full toss. A high one too. That deserved putting away. 9 in 3 balls, much better stuff from India. 7/156 (37.4)
Geoff Lemon
Expert
Dropped! FOUR! Pathan smashes one down the ground from the first ball of Doherty's next over, Peter Forrest comes round from long-on, he dived forward at it but it was low to the ground, couldn't quite get to the pitch of it, and it went through him for four runs. 7/152 (37.2)