India-Australia match called off due to wet outfield

BANGALORE, September 29: Australia's hopes of beginning their series against India with a bang were thwarted when rains played spoilsport in the first One-Day International at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
India, chasing an intimidating 307 for seven, were in a spot of bother when they lost Sachin Tendulkar for no score. But a cloud burst in India's third over (they were 13 for one in 2.3 overs) ensured that there would be no further play.
Umpires Suresh Shastry and Steve Bucknor made an inspection at 9:30 pm and called off play due to wet outfield conditions.
Scorecard
Earlier, paceman S Sreesanth struck vital blows early in the game but a crucial 144-run fifth-wicket partnership between Michael Clarke (130) and Brad Haddin (69) and a late cameo by James Hopes down the order ensured that Australia set India an imposing target.
The Garden City seems to always inspire Clarke. It was here that he had made a memorable Test debut, notching a classy hundred in 2004. Saturday's hundred was special as Australia were under pressure after they had lost the first four wickets for just 90 runs. Clarke surpassed his previous ODI best (105 against Zimbabwe) before being run out in the last ball of the innings.
Opting to bat, Australia lost Adam Gilchrist (12) to a brilliant catch by Yuvraj Singh, who dived full length to his right to cling on to the ball at point.
Sreesanth, who was struggling with his line from the far end (he conceded five wides in his first spell of three overs) sent Brad Hodge back to the dressing room, trapping him in front of the wicket.
The Indian supporters were up on their feet. But Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke doused their enthusiasm, raising 60 runs for the third wicket. Hayden (34) was in a belligerent mood, taking successive boundaries off Sreesanth. But the Kerala speedster had the last laugh when he castled the towering left hander even as he shaped to hit across the line.
Andrew Symonds (7) was the next to go when he failed to read Sreesanth's slower delivery, the ball hitting him a little above the ankle. Steve Bucknor was convinced that he was right in front even as Symonds indicated that ball had come off the inside edge of the bat.
Australia were in trouble. But Clarke and Haddin batted with gutso to put the tattered innings together, bettering the fifth-wicket record partnership that Dravid and Sehwag (100, 2001) had strung together, in the process.
Clarke went hammer and tongs. Haddin mixed caution with aggression. The Indian attack was savaged. There was very little captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni could do as each of his bowlers was treated with disdain.
Completing his hundred with a towering six off a Ramesh Powar full-toss, Clarke shifted gear, virtually tearing the Indian attack apart in the death overs, racing to 130.
Their fruitful partnership came to an end when Haddin (69, 83 balls, 7x4, 1x6) ventured out of his crease to hit Yuvraj Singh only to be stumped by Dhoni.
But there was no respite for India as James Hopes made merry witha quick-fire 27 off 37 balls.