NAGPUR: A sparkling century from Mahendra Dhoni propelled India to their highest-ever ODI score against Australia - 7-354 - here on Wednesday night. The home side then bowled the tourists out for 255 to win by 99 runs and level the seven-match series at 1-1.
The captain's 124 from 107 balls bolstered the home side's imposing total of 354, easily eclipsing India's previous highest score against Australia - 315 in Bangalore in 2001.
Dhoni had strong support from Gautam Gambhir (76) and in the last 16 overs from Suresh Raina (62 from 50 balls). Having put on 119 runs with Gambhir for the fourth wicket, Dhoni then combined with Raina to add 136 runs for the fifth wicket.
The extent of India's dominance was slightly undermined by losing three wickets in the last over.
The home team's innings reinforced Australia's problems with bowling at the death, with the visitors conceding 103 runs from the last 10 overs. Mitchell Johnson (3-75), Ben Hilfenhaus (1-83) and Shane Watson (0-47 from five overs) were all dealt with harshly. Peter Siddle was the visitors' stand-out bowler, although his figures of 1-55 did not do justice to his hard work.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting's decision to bowl after winning the toss looked good early when Siddle elicited an edge from Sachin Tendulkar (four) in the fourth over. But the decision to bring in Hilfenhaus ahead of Doug Bollinger for the injured Brett Lee looked a poor one early, with the Tasmanian hit for 26 runs off his first three overs.
Virender Sehwag (40) did most of the early damage, with his innings typically dominated by boundaries. But he tried to chip Johnson over the infield and was snared at mid-off by Hilfenhaus in the 11th over.
Replacement Yuvraj Singh, playing his first match for India for six weeks, needed only four overs to catch the score of Gambhir, who had been in since the fourth over. But the left-hander's entertaining innings of 23 ended the first ball after the drinks break when Hilfenhaus made up for his expensive start by claiming a sharp return catch at shin height. The wicket came just after Gambhir had been spared on 20, when wicketkeeper Tim Paine spilled a tough one-handed chance - also off the bowling of Hilfenhaus.
Dhoni was very fortunate to escape with his skull intact after his first ball, when he turned his head away from a Hilfenhaus bouncer. The ball struck the very bottom of Dhoni's helmet at the back of his head, which kept him unhurt - and definitely unshaken.
Meanwhile, AAP reports that Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will make his comeback from finger surgery when NSW host Western Australia in a one-day game on Sunday.
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