By IANS
Chandigarh : Half-centuries from Sachin Tendulkar (79) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (50 not out) helped India reach 291 runs for four wickets in 50 overs against Australia in the fourth One-day International here Monday.
Besides Tendulkar (119 balls, 7x4s) and Dhoni (35 balls, 5x4s, 1×6), Sourav Ganguly chipped in with 41 (59 balls, 6x4s) and local boy Yuvraj Singh made 39 (55 balls, 5x4s) after India won the toss and chose to bat first. Robin Uthappa scored a quick 30 and remained not out.
Australia conceded a whopping 39 ‘extras’, including 31 wides, while medium pacer James Hopes took two wickets at the Sector 16 Stadium, where international cricket returns after 14 years.
India made three changes in the side that lost in Hyderabad. Rudra Pratap Singh, Sourav Ganguly and Murali Kartik replaced S. Sreesanth, Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma.
Australia, leading the seven ODI series 2-0, brought in Nathan Bracken for Stuart Clark.
Scoreboard
Fourth One-day International, India vs. Australia, Sector 16 Stadium, Chandigarh
India:
Sourav Ganguly c Gilchrist b Hopes 41
Sachin Tendulkar run out (Lee) 79
Yuvraj Singh c Ponting b Hopes 39
Mahendra Singh Dhoni not out 50
Rahul Dravid b Bracken 13
Robin Uthappa not out 30
Extras (b 1, lb 7, w 31) 39
Total (for four wickets in 50 overs) 291
Fall of wickets: 1-91 (Ganguly, 19.6 overs), 2-174 (Yuvraj, 35.6), 3-221 (Tendulkar, 41.5), 4-244 (Dravid, 45.5)
Bowling:
Brett Lee 7-1-26-0 (3w)
Nathan Bracken 10-0-78-1 (4w)
Mitchell Johnson 8-0-51-0 (3w)
James Hopes 9-0-43-2 (1w)
Andrew Symonds 7-0-39-0 (3w)
Brad Hogg 9-0-46-0 (2w)
Umpires: Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Suresh Shastri (India)
TV umpire: G.A. Pratapkumar (India)
Match referee: Chris Broad (England)