Australia v India, 2015-16
Wisden's review of the fifth ODI, Australia v India, 2015-16
15-Apr-2017
At Sydney, January 23, 2016 (day/night). India won by six wickets. Toss: India. One-day international debut: J. J. Bumrah.
The final match may have been a dead rubber, but it was the most thrilling game of the series. It was no coincidence that it was played in the most interesting conditions, as wet weather before the game presented batsmen with the challenge of a moving ball. But while the conditions were more favourable to bowlers - the stiff-armed Jasprit Bumrah looked good on debut, after being drafted in from the Twenty20 squad to replace the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar - it was a pair of maiden centuries that stood out. Warner lacked meaningful support until Mitchell Marsh joined him and pummelled his first international hundred. But Marsh was on the receiving end of an Indian counterpunch, led initially by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and pressed home by a rousing partnership between Pandey and Dhoni. India required 13 off the final over, bowled by Marsh. A six from Dhoni and a four from Pandey, which brought up an outstanding one-day century in only his third innings, saved India from a whitewash. It was Australia's first ODI defeat at home for 20 matches (18 wins and a no-result), since losing to South Africa in November 2014.
Man of the Match: M. K. Pandey. Man of the Series: R. G. Sharma.
The final match may have been a dead rubber, but it was the most thrilling game of the series. It was no coincidence that it was played in the most interesting conditions, as wet weather before the game presented batsmen with the challenge of a moving ball. But while the conditions were more favourable to bowlers - the stiff-armed Jasprit Bumrah looked good on debut, after being drafted in from the Twenty20 squad to replace the injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar - it was a pair of maiden centuries that stood out. Warner lacked meaningful support until Mitchell Marsh joined him and pummelled his first international hundred. But Marsh was on the receiving end of an Indian counterpunch, led initially by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, and pressed home by a rousing partnership between Pandey and Dhoni. India required 13 off the final over, bowled by Marsh. A six from Dhoni and a four from Pandey, which brought up an outstanding one-day century in only his third innings, saved India from a whitewash. It was Australia's first ODI defeat at home for 20 matches (18 wins and a no-result), since losing to South Africa in November 2014.
Man of the Match: M. K. Pandey. Man of the Series: R. G. Sharma.