Marsh's ton propels Aussies to 350

Riding on a brilliant maiden hundred by Shaun Marsh and half-centuries from Shane Watson and Cameron White, Australia amassed a massive 350 for four wickets against India in the fifth ODI at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium here today.

The Australian top order with Marsh (112, 112b, 8x4, 2x6), Watson (93), Ponting (45), White (57) and Hussey (31 not out) feasted on a hapless Indian bowling attack to post a daunting total. The visitors never took their feet off the accelerator throughout the innings. Marsh paced his innings really well to score run-a-ball century which had eight boundaries and a couple of sixes.

The 26-year-old Western Australian scored his first hundred in his 18th ODI appearances. Marsh reached his hundred in the 41st over of the innings when he glided Jadeja to the point region and ran a couple. His 50 came off 63 balls and the century came off 104 balls. He used his feet well to tackle Harbhajan and Jadeja. Marsh danced down the track to hit Harbhajan over his head for a six that crashed into the sight screen. Marsh perished while attempting to score another six off Nehra when he failed to clear the deep mid-wicket fielder. Gambhir took a good catch to see the back of Marsh but by the time the southpaw had laid a solid foundation for his team.

Electing to bat on a batting beauty, Watson and Marsh put on 145 runs for the first wicket. Watson, in particular was very severe on the Indian pace bowlers.

The 28-year-old all-rounder pulled Nehra twice over the midwicket for two big sixes and another straight six on to the sight screen off Munaf stood out in his brave innings.

Watson took little time to settle in and played shots all over the park. He did not allow the Indian medium pacers to find their rhythm. On the other hand, Marsh played second fiddle to his senior partner. While Australia's 50 came in 9.5 overs, the bowling powerplay in the 10-15 overs proved to be more productive for the visitors as Watson started dictating terms. Australia crossed the 100-run mark in 15.3 overs. The introduction of Ravindra Jadeja and Harbhajan Singh into the attack applied brakes on the galloping Kangaroos. The run flow became a trickle between the 20-29 overs as the Australian batsmen scored only 39 runs that sans a boundary.

Harbhajan priced out Watson who missed out on a well deserved hundred. Watson's 93 came off 89 deliveries with eight fours and 3 sixes.

Jadeja held on to a skier that came off a miscued edge. Dhoni shuffled all his bowlers without much luck and the opening partnership was broken only in the 26th over of the Australian innings. The Indian ground fielding and catching was below par compared to their show at Mohali. Dhoni dropped Marsh off the bowling of Harbhajan when the batsman was on 29 and Australia on 100. Yuvraj failed to take a return catch offered by Watson with the batsman on 90 and his side's score reading 134. Marsh got another fresh lease of life on 52 when Sehwag floored a catch at short midwicket and the bowler to suffer was Yuvraj Singh.

Ricky Ponting and Shaun Marsh were involved in a 91-run partnership for the second wicket. Ponting's run-a-ball 45 ended when Praveen Kumar clean bowled him with a slower one. The Aussie skipper's knock had three fours and a six over midwicket off Praveen Kumar. Australia lost the second wicket at 236 in 38.5 overs. White and Hussey added 80 runs for the fourth wicket in 43 balls.

The visitors piled on the agony of the hosts by plundering 105 runs in the last 10 overs of the Australian innings. White played a cameo by giving full throttle in the end. He struck Jadeja for consecutive sixes and gave special treatment to Munaf and Nehra too. The only consolation for India came at the end of the innings when Sachin dived to take a brilliant catch to end White's knock off Praveen Kumar.

Harbhajan was the pick of the Indian bowlers.

-- (UNI) -- 05SPD55.xml

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