4th ODI: Ton-up Warner, pacers shine as Australia finally taste a win; beat India by 21 runs

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Bengaluru, Sep 28: A blistering hundred from David Warner and some disciplined bowling effort helped Australia register their first win in the series as they outclassed India by 21 runs in the fourth one-day international here on Thursday (September 28).

Match Scorecard

Australia, having already lost the series, not only managed to salvage their pride with an all-round effort but also stopped India's streak of the tenth win in a row.

Chasing a target of 335 in 50 overs, India were restricted to 313/8 even as openers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane gave the hosts a sound start. India faltered in the run chase in the middle overs after Rohit, Rahane and Kohli departed in quick succession and the visitors bowled tightly.

Hardik Pandya (41) and Kedar Jadhav (67) too stitched a crucial 78-run stand to keep hosts very much in the hunt but with the asking rate building up, first Pandya and later Jadhav perished trying to add runs quickly.

Young Manish Pandey developed a partnership with Jadhav, after Pandya's dismissal, but he too couldn't score beyond 38 and was cleaned up by Pat Cummins.

By the time team's most senior batsman MS Dhoni walked into the middle it was already too late as the asking rate was 11-plus per over and the finisher was played-on for 13 off 10 while attempting another big shot after hitting a flat six on the previous delivery from Kane Richardson. India finally ended up 21 runs short of the target.

It was a perfect execution of pace bowling as all three Australian speedsters troubled the hosts. All three i.e. Richardson (3/53), Nathan Coulter-Nile (2/56) and Pat Cummins (1/59) bowled economically and kept picking up wickets at regular intervals.

They kept things tight for the Indians in the death-over and ensured Australia doesn't lose this one after batsmen did their job to perfection.

Earlier, riding upon David Warner's 124 in his 100th ODI appearance along with another brilliant effort from Aaron Finch, Australia posted massive 334/5 in 50 overs after electing to bat.

Warner struck breezy century and became the first Australian and eighth batsman, overall, to do so. The left-handed batsman, who missed out on a fifty in the previous game, punished Indian bowlers at will and smashed twelve boundaries and four sixes in his knock.

He stitched a partnership of 231 for the first wicket with Aaron Finch and brought the visitors in driver's seat. He was dismissed by India's man with golden arm i.e. Kedar Jadhav in the 35th over.

Finch, on the other hand, fell just six short of a consecutive century after he was removed Umesh Yadav soon after his opening partner's departure. Peter Handscomb's 43 off 30 balls and Marcus Stoinis' cameo (15 no off 9 balls) enabled them to cross the 330-run mark and post a challenging total for the Indians to chase.

Umesh Yadav was the most successful Indian bowler as he picked up 4 wickets but also conceded most runs (71) as well from 10 overs. India, who made three changes to their side in the inconsequential tie, perhaps paid the price of resting in-form pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah together. The hosts leaked runs in the death-overs and that, perhaps, proved costly for the Indians while batting second.