Martyn stars in huge Australian win

Australia 286 for 8 (Martyn 100, Symonds 48; Agarkar 4-37) beat India 209 (Tendulkar 68, Dravid 59; Bracken 4-29, Clarke 4-42) by 77 runs
Scorecard

Michael Clarke was the unlikely star-turn with the ball, after Damien Martyn's superb hundred had put Australia on course for victory. Ultimately, even fine knocks from Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were nowhere near enough as India became the latest team to fall prey to the Wankhede jinx-under-lights. Once Tendulkar and Dravid departed, India folded quickly, to finish 77 runs, and a bonus point, short of Australia's 286 for 8.

But credit where it's due. Clarke had been a peripheral figure with the bat, run out for just two in a frenetic final over where Ajit Agarkar, the pick of India's bowlers, picked up three wickets. When he came on to bowl the 25th over of India's reply, after Brag Hogg and Andrew Symonds had been blunted, and occasionally whacked for fours, by Tendulkar and Dravid, few knew what to expect - a tally of one wicket in six previous games was hardly intimidating.

Tendulkar, who had eased into his stride after a hesitant start when he could have spooned three catches, was the first to depart, bowled after he had made room for a drive through cover (137 for 3). Yuvraj Singh then made just nine before he was too early into the sweep, and the ball ballooned off the glove to Adam Gilchrist (153 for 4). Suddenly, Clarke was on a roll, and India were staring at defeat.

That became a certainty a couple of over later when Clarke tempted Dravid into a reverse sweep, straight to Andy Bichel at backward point (171 for 5). Nathan Bracken then picked up Mohammad Kaif, Agarkar and Harbhajan Singh - Clarke took a fourth by bowling Kumble - to give the victory an emphatic touch that hadn't appeared likely when Tendulkar and Dravid were stroking their way towards the target at a run-a-ball.

In truth though, the victory had been set up by Martyn - aided by Gilchrist, Symonds and Michael Bevan - earlier in the day when India's slow bowler failed to make optimum use of a surface where dust clouds were glimpsed as early as the tenth over.

Zaheer Khan nailed Matthew Hayden - caught by Yuvraj at point, fending off a bouncer - early in the piece (9 for 1), but the rest of the time, he was creamed all over the park by the irresistible Gilchrist. He romped to 41 from 30 balls, before cutting one from Harbhajan into the path of a sprinting Kaif at square-cover (55 for 2).

Dravid had opted for Virender Sehwag to be Zaheer's new-ball partner, but once he got some stick, Harbhajan and Anil Kumble were quickly into the action. The run rate slowed momentarily, but once Ricky Ponting got into the groove, things perked up again. It took a poor decision from Neil Mallender, who gave Ponting out leg before to Agarkar as the ball was spearing down legside, to give India another look-in (93 for 3), but Martyn and Symonds soon consolidated with some thumping strokes and quick running.

Symonds eased smoothly to a 59-ball 48 before he smacked Yuvraj straight into Harbhajan's hands at deep midwicket (171 for 4), as India glimpsed an opening. But Martyn, the picture of circumspection en route to an 84-ball 50, and Bevan, playing his usual scampered-singles game, took the game away with a superbly paced partnership that extended all the way to the final over.

Martyn's second 50 took just 34 deliveries and included a huge six over long-on off Kumble, apart from some deft strokes off a disappointing Zaheer. With the exception of Agarkar, who bowled with unusual control, the rest of the attack was desperately disappointing in conditions that were loaded in their favour.

India's reply started in the worst possible fashion, as Sehwag offered no stroke to one that Bracken got to move back, and VVS Laxman soon followed - after a patchy 21 that included a lucky escape after a first-ball lbw appeal, classical strokeplay and crude attempted hoicks - as the pressure mounted. Tendulkar and Dravid did their utmost to alleviate it, until Clarke's seemingly innocuous left-arm spin caused the innings to unravel. So much for Australian frailty in these conditions, so much for criticism of this second-string attack.