{ "id": "13684", "author": "13", "cnmid": "0", "title": "Australia beat India in the first ODI at WACA", "lang": "en", "series": "86", "cup_year": "2016", "article_type": "General", "excerpt": "", "subtype": "", "editor1": "

Perth, 12 January<\/strong> - Skipper Steve Smith (149) and George Bailey (112) powered a difficult 310-run chase, nullifying Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 171, to help Australia register a commendable five-wicket victory over India in the first of the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series here on Tuesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Set a stiff target of 310 runs, Australia chased it down in 49.2 overs at the WACA Ground. India's cause was helped by opener Rohit Sharma who struck 163-ball 171 alongside Virat Kohli's 91 to take the team to 309\/3 in 50 overs after opting to bat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But some exceptional batting later on by skipper Steve Smith (149 off 135) and George Bailey (112 off 120) helped the hosts to post a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

En route to his fifth ODI century, Smith smashed 11 boundaries and two sixes while Bailey brought up his third hundred, smashing seven fours and two sixes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Debutant pacer Barinder Sran (3\/56) and Ravichandran Ashwin (2\/68) were the only successful bowlers India. They were taken for runs by Bailey and Smith.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Chasing the huge total, Australia got off to a disappointing start by losing both their hard-hitting openers Aaron Finch (8) and David Warner (5) to pacer Sran inside the first five overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Finch was dismissed caught and bowled while Warner got himself caught by Kohli off Sran. Australia were 21\/2 then.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Smith and Bailey came into the crease in a tough situation where they needed to score at a healthy pace to allow the required run-rate to stay within reach and also remaining mindful of not losing further wickets.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The experienced duo did it perfectly, piling on useful runs to build a strong platform.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Smith-Bailey produced a splendid 242-run partnership for the third wicket before Bailey was dismissed in the 42nd over to reduce the hosts at 263\/3.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

From there on Smith held on, using his experience, to get his side close to victory line before getting dismissed late in the match.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Earlier on in the day, winning the toss and electing to bat, the visitors got off to a comfortable start as both openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan (9) struck the ball positively right from the beginning.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But the hosts got the much needed and early breakthrough as Dhawan, trying to go for a hook, found himself caught at long leg by Mitchell Marsh. India were 36\/1 in 6.4 overs then.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

From there on it was a one-sided show by the visitors as incoming batsman Kohli and Rohit took the game to the next level by making batting look easy in front of a good crowd.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

With three pacers, two medium pacers and an irregular spinner in their line-up, Australia were on the back foot as the right-handed pair kept on piling runs and inching closer to individual milestones.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Rohit brought up his ninth ODI century and the third against Australia in Australia in the 37th over to put his team in a commanding spot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

His partner Kohli also kept on scoring but fell agonisingly short of his century. Trying to up the ante in the slog overs, he was caught at long-on boundary by Aaron Finch off James Faulkner. India were 243\/2 in 44.3 overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The two added 207 runs for the second wicket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

It was the eighth 200-plus run partnerships for India outside Asia after an unbeaten 201 between Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2008-09.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The 207-run partnership between Rohit-Kohli was also the highest second wicket partnership for India against Australia after V.V.S. Laxman-Sachin Tendulkar (199) in Indore in March 2001.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

With the dismissal kohli, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (18) scored a couple being out caught off the bowling of Faulkner. Ravindra Jadeja (10) remained unbeaten alongside Rohit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Agency<\/strong><\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2016\/01\/steve-smith-and-george-bailey.jpg", "alt_img": "", "alt_title": "Steve Smith and George Bailey", "image1": "", "video": "", "seo_title": "Australia beat India in the first ODI at WACA", "seo_desc": "Australia beat India in the first ODI at WACAPerth, 12 January - Skipper Steve Smith (149) and George Bailey (112) powered a difficult 310-run chase, nullifying", "seo_keywords": "Steve Smith, George Bailey, India vs Australia 1st ODI, Perth ODI", "tag": "", "tagging": "", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "0", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": "0", "slug": "steve-smith-and-george-bailey-power-australia-to-five-wicket-win-over-india-", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": "0000-00-00", "ians_time": "00:00:00", "server_time": "0000-00-00 00:00:00", "trash": "0", "view_count": "4185", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "0", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2016-01-12 17:37:00", "updated": "2016-01-12 17:37:00", "img_from": "", "img_source": "", "schedule_publish": "0000-00-00 00:00:00", "news_keywords": null, "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "1", "jio_date": "2016-01-12 17:37:00", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": "2016-01-12 17:37:00", "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": null, "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/steve-smith-and-george-bailey-power-australia-to-five-wicket-win-over-india-13684" }