IWK

India beat Australia by 38 runs in warm-up game

Written by IWK Bureau | Feb 13, 2011 10:13:25 AM

Bangalore: World Champions Australian suffered a 38-run loss against World Cup co-hosts India in a warm-up match in Bangalore on Sunday.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting made a successful comeback from a broken finger, top-scoring with 57, but his fellow team mates failed to cope with a quality spin attack.

Chasing 215 to win, Australia were bowled out for 176 in the 38th over at the packed Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Indian leg spinner Piyush Chawla (4-31) and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh (3-15) wrecked the Australian batting.

Shane Watson (33) shared a 51-run stand with Tim Paine (37), who added 67 for the second wicket with Ponting.

But Paine and Michael Clarke (0) fell in consecutive overs as Australia lost 2-3 to be 3-120.

Chawla, who had Clarke playing onto his stumps, was on a hat-trick after dismissing Cameron White (4) and David Hussey (0) in the 29th over.

Chawla's fourth wicket came when Callum Ferguson (eight) was caught at slip at 6-148 with only the tail to come.

Harbhajan had Ponting and Mitchell Johnson (15) stumped and also removed Jason Krejza lbw for a duck at 9-175 and the end came when Brett Lee was bowled for one.

Earlier, Lee had proved speed can work as a weapon for Australia on the subcontinent as the veteran grabbed 3-35, including three wickets in nine balls.

Opener Virender Sehwag hit 54 off 56 balls, but apart from that India were powerless against Australia's pace onslaught.