Australia's Adam Gilchrist (right) stumps India's Shanthakumaran Sreesanth for one run in their One-Day International cricket match at the Adelaide Oval, yesterday. - AP
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP):Mitchell Johnson took 3-42 and Australia overcame a lackluster batting performance to beat India by 50 runs in a limited-overs tri-series match yesterday at the Adelaide Oval.
India were bowled out for 153 chasing Australia's 203-9.The win, with a bonus point, moved Australia to 17 points in the tri-series standings ahead of India's eight. Sri Lanka, which have six points, play India tomorrow (tonight local time) in Adelaide.None of the India batsmen passed 50 and all struggled to assert themselves on a slowing pitch against strong bowling by Johnson (3-42), Nathan Bracken (2-21) and James Hopes (2-16). Fast bowler Brett Lee was given the night off but was hardly missed.Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni top-scored for India with 37, but was among the casualties as the tourists lost their last five wickets for 19 runs.Dhoni used a runner in part of his innings after suffering a leg injury, but said he should be fit to play against Sri Lanka."It's not really serious," he said. "It's not a tear, so hope for the best and I will be there in the next game."Earlier, left-armer Irfan Pathan took four wickets and Ishant Sharma added two to put India into a winning position.Slumping to 73-5 in the 24th over, Australia's only resistance came from Michael Clarke's 79 from a costly 108 balls. Retiring wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who scored a century in his final appearance at his home WACA Ground on Friday night against Sri Lanka, was out for 15 off Sharma's bowling. But he more than made up the his substandard offensive performance to be involved in five dismissals in the India innings - four catches and a stumping.Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who won the toss and elected to bat first, continued his slump at the crease, out for 10 when he tried to force Patel off the back foot and sliced a catch to backward point."I'm in a little bit of a bad run at the moment," Ponting said. "Most batsmen through their careers have their own ups and downs."Two runs after Ponting was out, Matthew Hayden feathered an attempt to cut Pathan and Andrew Symonds also continued his form slump by dabbing Sharma straight to gully, reducing the home side to 50-4, a start from which they never recovered.Brad Hogg added 32 but a run out ended his innings as Australia lost three wickets for three runs.