Australia vs. India: Winners and Losers from 4th ODI
Hosts Australia closed in on a series sweep over India with an improbable 25-run victory in the fourth one-day international in Canberra.
Aaron Finch made 107 and David Warner marked his return to action with 93 as Australia—who had successfully chased down scores in the previous three games—posted 348 for eight.
Captain Steve Smith also weighed in with a rapid half-century. He passed 2,000 ODI runs for his country while out in the middle, becoming just the 25th Australian to reach the milestone.
However, centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli put India on course to set a new record for the highest successful run chase on Australian soil.
The tourists at one stage reached 277 for one in the 38th over, only to suffer a dramatic collapse that saw them lose their last nine wickets for 46 runs.
Kane Richardson claimed five for 68 as India were bowled out for 323 with four balls to spare. They have one final chance—at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday—to record a victory in the series.
Here, Bleacher Report picks out the winners and losers from a high-scoring game at the Manuka Oval.
Winner: Kane Richardson
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In a match where bat largely dominated ball, Richardson returned career-best figures to help Australia record a victory that seemed so unlikely with just 12 overs remaining.
The seamer—whose previous best bowling return for Australia was two for 36 against Pakistan in 2014—was a little fortunate with his first wicket, with Rohit Sharma caught down the leg side for 41.
However, Richardson returned towards the end of the innings to capitalise on an astonishing batting collapse by India.
He ended Kohli's fine knock by getting the well-set batsman to chip to Smith at mid-off, while he also sent back Ajinkya Rahane, Rishi Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for single-figure scores.
With Australia missing injured duo James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc, and with Josh Hazlewood rested ahead of the Test tour to New Zealand, Richardson is making the most of his opportunities in the series.
Loser: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
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Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni came out at four in the batting order. A master of carrying his side home in run chases, he was the ideal man to see India to victory.
Instead, the right-hander was dismissed for a three-ball duck, meaning he has now managed only 52 runs in the series.
Caught behind off the bowling of seamer John Hastings, Dhoni was forced to watch on from afar as India subsided in dramatic fashion. Somehow, the tourists managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The visitors have become used to losing on the trip, but the manner in which they let the fourth one-dayer slip from their grasp will really smart.
Dhoni said at the post-match presentation, per ESPN Cricinfo: "I'm not angry, I'm disappointed. This was one game we should have batted much better. I'll take responsibility, I should have carried on but I got out."
Winners: Australia's Opening Batsmen
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Reunited at the top of the batting order, David Warner and Aaron Finch shared an opening stand worth 187—the eighth highest for Australia in ODI cricket.
Warner—back in the team after missing the last two matches while on paternity leave—hit 93 off 92 deliveries before being bowled by Ishant Sharma.
However, Finch went on to record his seventh one-day hundred at international level. The right-hander made 107 at a run-a-ball rate, his innings including two sixes and nine fours.
Spare a thought for poor Shaun Marsh. He made 71 and 68 while filling for the absent Warner but found himself relegated to 12th-man duties in Canberra.
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Loser: Nathan Lyon
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Nathan Lyon had waited patiently for another opportunity to play one-day cricket for Australia.
But, making his first appearance in the format since Oct. 10, 2014, the off-spinner found it tough going against an India side who are used to dealing with slow bowlers.
Lyon—who was given the first over of the second innings by captain Smith—finished with figures of one for 76. Those final numbers were not too bad considering his opening 18 deliveries leaked 31 runs.
Gurkeerat Singh was his solitary wicket, caught at backward square leg from a top-edged sweep.
Winner: Shikhar Dhawan
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After a slow start to the five-match series, Shikhar Dhawan has now made 194 runs in the last two matches.
The left-handed opener followed up his knock of 68 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with 128 in Canberra, hitting two sixes and 14 fours during his 114-ball stay at the crease.
His ninth ODI ton seemed to have India on course to overhaul Australia's total of 348 for eight, only for Dhawan's dismissal to spark an astonishing turnaround.
Per statistician Mohandas Menon on Twitter, Dhawan had never previously been on a losing side with India in a 50-over game where he had made 95 or more with the bat.
Winner: Virat Kohli
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For the second successive match, Virat Kohli made a century for India. For the second successive match, his efforts with the bat were in a losing cause.
India's Test captain made 106 in Canberra, taking his series tally to 373 runs at an average of 93.25.
According to OptaJim on Twitter, Kohli made two hundreds in 20 trips to the crease in one-day cricket in 2015. He has already matched that tally in 2016 after just four knocks.
Still, while he will be delighted with his own form, the 27-year-old will be fuming at his dismissal.
Daniel Brettig noted in his report for ESPN Cricinfo: "This was his [Kohli's] 15th ODI hundred when batting second, and he appeared destined to take India home. When he spooned the first ball of Richardson's ultimately pivotal spell to mid off, Kohli stood motionless at the crease in disbelief."
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