The 15000-odd spectators who showed up at the MA Chidambaram witnessed a massive drubbing as Australia A batted India A out of the game to claim the tri-series and round off their tour on a high

The Bulletin by Kanishkaa Balachandran in Chennai26-Sep-2008
Scorecard
How they were out

Luke Ronchi and David Hussey starred in Australia A’s title triumph © Cricinfo Ltd.
The 15000-odd spectators who showed up at the Chepauk witnessed a massive drubbing as Australia A batted India A out of the game to claim the tri-series and round off their tour on a high. The puzzling decision to put Australia in to bat on a sun-baked pitch eventually cost India as the Australians – led by David Hussey – seized the advantage, piled up a challenging 303 before their express seam attack sunk India in to a position from which they could salvage very little.The Australians sensed India’s weakness against genuine pace and dropped their spinner, Xavier Doherty, for Shaun Tait, and the move paid dividends right from the start. The trio of Tait, Mark Cameron and Brett Geeves generated enough pace to rattle the top order on a pitch which still looked like a batting belter. India had lost seven wickets within 18 overs and it was clear from the onset that they had lost the match at the toss.Play was held up for 15 minutes after the first ball of the innings after one of the Australian fielders at the third man boundary was hit by a missile. Tait immediately fired a missile of his own when he sent back the out-of-form Dinesh Karthik with an express yorker. Robin Uthappa eased in to some kind of rhythm with two boundaries towards third man but he too succumbed to a quick yorker, this time off Geeves. Ravi Teja fell to the extra pace and bounce from Cameron and the chase told a sorry story at 33 for 4.Yet again, it was left to the middle-order pair of Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma to script a match-winning stand, and the signs were encouraging when Raina caressed Geeves past the covers. The partnership, however, lasted just five overs for Raina fell tamely, and India’s biggest hope, Yusuf Pathan, paid the price four balls later to give Ashley Noffke a double-strike.What hurt India more than the early strikes was the lack of partnerships in the middle order. While Rohit and Raina consolidated in the middle overs on Wednesday, they failed to repeat that today. Rohit continued to remain positive against the quicker bowlers – pulling Cameron over fine leg – but he fell when he tried the same against Geeves. Hussey rounded off a rewarding day with two wickets to wrap up the innings.It was a handful of half-centuries which gave the Australians the edge in the morning session. The manner in which Luke Ronchi and Hussey drove effortlessly through the line proved just how easy it was to bat out there. Hussey lofted Praveen Kumar with a straight bat and the sound of the ball crashing onto the sight screen was a worrying sign of things to come for India, as he proceeded to dominate for the majority of the innings.White joined Hussey to grind the bowling in a stand of 94. The fielders were pushed back once the spinners operated in tandem and dot balls were rare. The fuller deliveries were pushed down the ground while the shorter ones were grafted away square of the pitch, on the off side in particular. Neat footwork and clean hitting rendered the spinners ineffective and even after White fell, Hussey remained the mainstay in the middle overs. Voges led Australia’s charge in the slog overs, capitalising on some very ordinary death bowling by the seamers. Low full tosses were slammed over wide long-on, while the slower balls were either heaved over midwicket or slammed past extra cover. Voges made up for a disappointing tour with a brisk unbeaten 55 to guide his team to an unassailable target.Australia APhillip Hughes b Irfan 11 (24 for 1)
Ball cuts back in and clips the top of middle stump, beaten for paceLuke Ronchi c Saha b Nayar 52 (77 for 2)
Tried to cut close to the body, Saha was standing up to the stumpsCameron White c Saha b Chawla 50 (171 for 3)
Attempts a sweep but fails to pick the googly, Saha takes the edgeMarcus North b Irfan 6 (192 for 4)
Plays all around a straight delivery, the off and middle stumps are flattenedDavid Hussey b Yusuf 75 (213 for 5)
Tries to play with the turn to the on side, gets a bottom edge onto the off stumpGeorge Bailey st Saha b Chawla 14 (238 for 6)
Beaten in flight after waltzing down the trackAshley Noffke c Saha b Nayar 18 (269 for 7)
Tries to drive through the offside, Saha takes the outside edgeIndia A
Dinesh Karthik b Tait 0 (2 for 1)
Squared up by a menacing yorker which sent his leg stump for a spinAbhishek Nayar c Hughes b Geeves 1 (6 for 2)
Drives on the up towards mid-off, Hughes dives to his leftRobin Uthappa b Geeves 14 (33 for 3)
Failed to dig out a yorker on off stumpRavi Teja c Ronchi b Cameron 11 (33 for 4)
Ball bounces up off a good length and Teja fails to fend it awaySuresh Raina c Hughes b Noffke 9 (62 for 5)
Makes room and tries to carve him over mid-off but tamely scoops it down to HughesYusuf Pathan c White b Noffke 1 (65 for 6)
Tries to pull a short delivery, gets a top edge towards square legRohit Sharma c Tait b Geeves 42 (105 for 7)
Tries to hook a short delivery, Tait runs to his left from fine leg and takes a well-judged catchIrfan Pathan c Noffke b Hussey 11 (128 for 8)
Gives him the charge but miscues it to short third manPiyush Chawla lbw b Hussey 8 (142 for 9)
Comes round the wicket, traps him in front on the forward defensivePraveen Kumar st Ronchi b White 2 (147 for 10)
Beaten in flight and turn