India claim one-day crown

India celebtrate their victory at the Gabba © Getty Images

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India survived a valiant fightback from Australia to win a thrilling second Commonwealth Bank final by nine runs and claim the series 2-0.

Irfan Pathan took two wickets in the final over with Australia needing 13 to win, after a half-century from James Hopes had inspired the hosts’ fightback.

Chasing 259 after Sachin Tendulkar posted a classy 91, Australia struggled to recover from the loss of Adam Gilchrist, who scored two in his last ever international innings, and skipper Ricky Ponting for one.

Matthew Hayden (55) and the middle order provided some resistance to set up a nailbiting finish but the India bowlers skittled the tail to clinch victory.

India were almost made to rue not setting a higher total after Tendulkar’s innings, Yuvraj Singh’s 38 and 36 from Mahendra Singh Dhoni had set the platform. A lower order collapse prevented a more daunting total but in reply, Australia made a nervous start and lost Gilchrist in the first over.

Adam Gilchrist walks off for the last time © Getty Images

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He tentatively prodded at Kumar’s third delivery and edged behind to Dhoni, and was followed by Ponting, whose century against India in Sydney was a rare highlight in an otherwise dismal series with the bat. The skipper mis-timed a pull off a short Kumar ball which Yuvraj snaffled easily at mid-on.

Michael Clarke temporarily steadied the ship, hitting 17 off 22 balls, but was fooled by a slower ball from Kumar which stayed low and he was bowled trying to play across the line.

Symonds, not distracted by having to poleaxe a streaker before he had even faced a ball, signalled his intent by cutting Kumar for three, which followed Hayden’s powerful pull for his second boundary.

Although restricted for long spells by the excellent India attack, Hayden brought up his 50 by clipping Harbhajan for a single and Symonds gave Australia some much-needed impetus by hauling Piyush Chawla for six off the spinner’s first ball.

But the opener’s innings came to an end just after the halfway point when he was sent back to the non-striker’s end by Symonds and was run out for 55.

The all-rounder followed two balls later when he was trapped lbw by his adversary Harbhajan for 42, giving the hosts a mountain to climb on 123 for five.

Hopes and Mike Hussey (44) brought Australia back into contention with some aggressive strokeplay in a partnership of 76 but India made a breakthrough when the latter edged Sreesanth behind.

Sachin Tendulkar steps up to the plate again © Getty Images

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Hopes continued to bludgeon the ball all over the ground but lost Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Bracken cheaply. The batsman was then caught out himself attempting to launch Irfan Pathan for six with the third to last ball to hand India victory.

Earlier, Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat but India struggled to get going initially because of some tight bowling from the Australians.

The first boundary did not arrive until the seventh over when Robin Uthappa whipped Lee through square leg.

Ponting then put down a difficult chance when Tendulkar crashed a drive straight at him, but he could not hold on.

The ‘Little Master’ was beginning to look in the mood and lifted Johnson over the slip cordon before reaching a 70-ball half century with a single off Stuart Clark.

Australia eventually made the breakthrough on 94 when Uthappa (30) got a leading edge off Clark which Hopes caught at mid-off.

Dhoni kept up India`s momentum after the departures of Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj with a fine six and two fours but Tendulkar finally perished when he prodded Clarke towards Ponting at mid-on, who took an excellent diving catch to leave India 205 for four.

Thereafter the wickets tumbled and the big score which had at one stage looked likely fizzled out.