Australia’s cricketers have exacted revenge for Wednesday’s stunning loss to India by inflicting a record-breaking run chase of their own to win the third one-day match in Mohali.
Just three days after India produced the second-greatest chase of alltime, Australia produced a miracle win when faced with a similarly mountainous task.
Led by James Faulkner’s incredible 64 off 29 balls, Australia ran down India’s target of 304 with three balls and four wickets to spare – easily their biggest successful chase on Indian soil.
The match turned on its head in the 48th over when Faulkner thumped 30 runs, including four enormous sixes, off a despondent Ishant Sharma (1-63).
Needing nine off the final over, the Tasmanian allrounder sealed the comeback with his sixth six of a ridiculous innings.
Faulkner’s heroics would not have been possible without the rebuilding efforts of Adam Voges (76no) and George Bailey (43) and completely overshadowed MS Dhoni’s majestic 139no in India’s innings.
Dhoni offered just one chance – a skied catch when on 105 in the second last over, which was spilled by the normally safe hands of Bailey.
Despite there being just 11 deliveries remaining, Dhoni managed to add 34 runs following the drop, passing 7500 one day runs in the process.
The final 10 overs were a whirlwind of boundary-clearing helicopter shots, smashes through cover and others which only a handful of world cricketers could conjure.
He calculated his innings meticulously, playing within himself as he helped India recover from a Mitchell Johnson-inspired collapse.
But once Dhoni decided to up the tempo, the runs flowed freely – finishing with 12 boundaries and five sixes – as he added 76 with Ravi Ashwin (28) and 72 with Virat Kohli (68).
On two occasions Johnson (4-46) threatened to take the match away from the home side – and nearly became the sixth Australian to take an ODI hattrick.
The 31-year-old rattled Suresh Raina with his pace and bounce, having him caught by Shane Watson at first slip, before removing hometown favourite Yuvraj Singh the following delivery.
Johnson couldn’t deliver on his hattrick delivery but he returned to claim the scalps of Ravindra Jadeja (2) and Ashwin.
Australia’s chase started promisingly, with Aaron Finch (38) and Phil Hughes (22) posting their third-straight 50-run opening stand.
But when Hughes was caught behind off Vinay Kumar to make the score 1-68 two wickets followed soon after and the chase became ever more imposing.
Hughes’ exit was followed soon after by dubious back-to-back LBWs to remove Finch and Shane Watson (11) as Australia slumped to 3-88.
Bailey and Adam Voges combined for the biggest partnership of the match, putting on 83 runs, but the departure of the skipper brought the needless runout of Glenn Maxwell (3).
When Maxwell was runout in Jaipur it was entirely his own doing – but on this occasion he was justifiably frustrated by Voges’ decision to change his call mid-pitch and sent the power-hitting allrounder back to the pavilion.
Brad Haddin (24 off 16) and Voges added 39 in quick time, but when the wicketkeeper was caught in the deep off Bhuvneshwar Kumar Australia’s unlikely charge looked shot.
Faulkner had other ideas and the Australians now lead the seven-match series 2-1.
eee
Guest
O'Keefe aka the human mop is terrible .... Hence why he is only playing his 1st game of the year
ak
Roar Guru
'Ishant Sharma saves the day for the Aussies' would be a better title !!!!!!
ChrisUK
Guest
Can't offer any meaningful comment on O'Keefe I'm afraid mate! Can only talk on what I see...
ChrisUK
Guest
You can always look at these things in two ways - either that the bowler was awful or the batsman brilliant. Or vice versa in different circumstances. I'd prefer to give the praise to Faulkner.
Peter
Roar Rookie
O’Keefe himself has admitted he wasn't ready for captaincy.
Hookin' YT
Guest
I saw it. Why didn't Ishant bowl him some yorkers? Awful bowling, I assume Ishant will get dropped.
Hookin' YT
Guest
They are similar to a tee. But O'Keefe is the superior bowler by a mile.
Hookin' YT
Guest
...and a travesty that a spinner of O'Keefe's talents and other skills (batting and captaincy) gets snubbed.
ChrisUK
Guest
I don't see much difference between Hauritz and Lyon. They're about as good as each other. That Hauritz was treated abominably doesn't make it right to do the same thing to Lyon.
ChrisUK
Guest
In ODI cricket, certainly. Not in Tests.
ChrisUK
Guest
I guess most of you were asleep at the climax of this one. Faulkner was astonishing - Australia were dead and buried in this one, it was an outrageous steal. Brilliant finish, brilliant innings.
Nudge
Guest
Seriously mate your a ripper laugh. Krezja? Hehehehehehe
Hookin' YT
Guest
+1000 He managed Hauritz poorly and got him to bowl some absurd lines. When Lyon got picked over O'Keefe to tour India and England I was blown away. Buffoonery.
Disco
Roar Guru
Ponting pushed for Doherty to replace Hauritz because the then-skipper didn't know how to manage his bowlers effectively in India.
Disco
Roar Guru
+1
Hookin' YT
Guest
Comparing Lyon to Warne. Are you mad? Chalk and cheese. I've seen finger spinners going back to Titmus, Mallett and Gibbs in the mid 70s. Lyon is battling to be Shield class let alone test. But, I'll play the "since Warne" game. Hauritz got his 50th wicket in his 13th Test, Pieboy in his 15th. Their averages and strike rates are a run and a ball apart. I never particularly rated Hauritz but Lyon's customary 2 balls an over of crud counter the 2 good balls and 2 average balls he bowls. They smashed him today and the fact NSW picks him in List A 50over over O'Keefe, who is a superior bat, is a travesty. Likewise the Test team. O'Keefe is the superior bowler and a seperior cricketer by a country mile. Going back I felt they should have persevered with Krejza to see if he'd come along instead of dumping him after two. Of the bowlers in Aus at the moment I would pick Lyon behind O'keeefe obviously and then Hauritz, Krejza, Ahmed, Zampa, in no particular order. If he takes more than 12 wickets in the Ashes I'll eat my hat.
Simoc
Guest
Well Hooker you can be sure the hapless O'Keefe will never get a test so you will be able to go to your grave still spoutin your nonsense.
Peter
Roar Rookie
These are grounds and wickets that tend to produce high scores. You can look at Bailey's drop or Haddin's catching, Johnson's bowling or Watson's.
Nudge
Guest
Absolutely fantastic stats hookin. Only problem I only go by test average and no one evens come close to him with the 15 blokes since warney. Problem with people like you is that you would prefer to keep ditching spinners, even 25 year olds who have started there career very well because you want the next warney. Got news for you though you need to get over him, because we probably want see another one like him again old mate
Hookin' YT
Guest
Yep, dropping catches and watching Watson get smashed to all parts AGAIN is the new pass standard. Faulkner got caned as well but thats ok he got the MoM.