Australia vs. India: Winners and Losers from 2nd ODI
Australia doubled their lead in the one-day international series against India with a seven-wicket win in the second of five matches.
The hosts created history as they reached a target of 309 with an over to spare, setting a new record for the highest successful run chase at the Brisbane Cricket Ground (or Gabba, as it is better known) in Brisbane, Australia.
For the second successive match, India amassed a total of over 300 thanks mainly to an excellent century from Rohit Sharma.
But, also for the second successive match, India's bowlers failed to restrict their opponents in the second innings.
Openers Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh both made 71 to give Australia a solid platform in reply to the tourists' total of 308 for eight, with George Bailey's unbeaten 76 then seeing the home side over the line.
Here, Bleacher Report has picked out the winners and losers from the day-night fixture.
Winner: George Bailey
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George Bailey loves playing against India. His unbeaten 76 in Brisbane means he now averages 95.85 against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side in 50-over cricket.
According to OptaJim on Twitter: "George Bailey has the best ODI average (95.9, 9+ Inns) vs. India and the best ODI strike rate against them (111.6, 600+ runs)."
Having made 112 in the opening game of the series, Australia's former one-day captain managed the top score in his side's successful chase at the Gabba.
Bailey hit a six and six fours as he needed just 58 deliveries to score his runs.
Loser: India's Bowling Attack
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India are finding wickets hard to come by on Australian soil—they have now taken just eight in the first two matches, and one of those came when the opening one-dayer was already over as a contest.
They were not helped in Brisbane by a bad case of butter fingers in the field. A total of three catches went down, albeit two of them were tough chances.
However, only seamer Barinder Sran (5.83) has an economy rate that is under six runs per over. Spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja average 64 and 111, respectively, in the series.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was not particularly impressed with the performance of his bowlers at the Gabba.
He said at the post-match presentation ceremony, per ESPN Cricinfo: "[It] Seems as if we have to score more runs and that puts a lot of pressure on the batsman. Back-to-back 300s is always good, but looking at our bowlers, we need to score 330 or more."
Winner: Rohit Sharma
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Rohit Sharma scored his second successive hundred of the series—and, yet again, it ended up being in a losing cause.
After his unbeaten 171 in the opening game in Perth, the right-handed opener made 124 off 127 balls— including three sixes and 11 fours—in Brisbane.
He received a reprieve on 89, after a thin edge on a delivery from Joel Paris was not spotted by the umpire. Without the use of the Decision Review System (DRS), Australia were unable to overturn the on-field call.
Sharma has now scored five ODI centuries against Australia in just 20 matches.
Per Shiva Jayaraman of ESPN Cricinfo, only Sachin Tendulkar (nine) and Desmond Haynes (six) have made more against the reigning world champions in the format.
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Loser: Shikhar Dhawan
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While Rohit Sharma has been full of runs so far in the series, his opening partner has not made a great start to 2016.
After making just nine in the first one-dayer on Tuesday, Shikhar Dhawan perished for six at the Gabba.
The left-hander—who has now made only one half-century in his last seven ODI innings—became Joel Paris' first international wicket when an attempt to play the cut shot only resulted in an edge through to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.
Dhawan will hope for better fortunes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the third match of the series.
He does at least have some happy memories of playing at the MCG in the past—he hit 137 against South Africa at the venue during the group stages of the 2015 Cricket World Cup.
Winner: Shaun Marsh
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With David Warner away on paternity leave, Shaun Marsh seized his chance to open the batting for Australia.
In truth, the left-hander rode his luck to make 71 from 84 deliveries. He hit five fours before being caught at cover off a leading edge when trying to turn Ishant Sharma to leg.
Sharma, though, had spilled a simple opportunity off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja at long-on when Marsh had just 19 to his name.
Manish Pandey and Barinder Sran also failed to cling on to tougher chances offered by the batsman, who was making his first appearance in the format since playing against England on January 23, 2015.
Loser: The Decision Review System
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India's issues with the Decision Review System (DRS) cost them in the first one-dayer, as they missed out on dismissing George Bailey for a first-ball duck.
Bailey gloved an attempt to pull a short delivery, but the on-field umpire failed to spot any contact. Unable to call for a review, the tourists had to watch on as the batsman made a pivotal century.
However, the lack of DRS came to India's rescue in Brisbane. Rohit Sharma escaped a loud appeal for a catch behind the wicket when he had 89 to his name.
Technology used for television coverage showed there had been an edge on the delivery from Joel Paris. Fox Sports Cricket tweeted pictures of the evidence.
While the majority of countries are happy to have DRS involved, India remain unconvinced by the technology. Perhaps, as suggested by Aaron Finch, it is time for the International Cricket Council to act.
The Australia batsman said, per Chris Garry of Fox Sports: "I would like to see consistency around the world. If the ICC made a blanket rule about it there wouldn’t be any debate.”
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