Medium-pacers Doug Bollinger and Shane Watson grabbed three wickets apiece to inspire Australia to a 24-run win in the fourth one-dayer against India on Monday to level the series 2-2.
Sachin Tendulkar was trapped lbw for 40 by spinner Nathan Hauritz with India, chasing 251 for victory, well placed on 94 for two as Australia turned the game around.
Bollinger dismissed Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26), having sent back opener Virender Sehwag (30) and Virat Kohli (10) in his first spell.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Watson, who also smashed 49 with the bat, then sent back the free-hitting Harbhajan Singh (31), Praveen Kumar (16) and Ashish Nehra (7) as the home team were bowled out for 226 in 46.4 overs.
Sehwag lashed seven fours to give India a flying start but Australia clawed their way back into the game after Tendulkar was dismissed.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting also chipped in by running out dangerman Yuvraj Singh (12) and Ravindra Jadeja (7).
Earlier, Ponting (52) hit his third half-century of the series and Cameron White struck 62 as Australia were bowled out for 250 after being asked to bat first in the day-night game.
Ponting put on 64 for the second wicket with Watson before the skipper became one of four run-out victims in the innings.
Michael Hussey (40) shared a 73-run stand with White for the fourth wicket but the visitors lost their last seven batsmen for 54.
■ZIMBABWE OUT FOR 44
AFP, CHITTAGONG, BANGLADESH
Bangladesh won their five-match one-day international cricket series against Zimbabwe in style after beating the visitors by six wickets in the fourth match yesterday.
Zimbabwe were shot out for one-day international cricket’s fifth lowest total, setting the hosts an easy target of 45 to seal the series 3-1.
In reply, Bangladesh overcame some moments of panic, losing four wickets for five runs after openers Junaid Siddique and Tamim Iqbal added 33 runs in 6.3 overs, before cruising to victory in front of 20,000 fans at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.
Stand-in Zimbabwean captain Hamilton Masakadza won the toss but came to rue his decision to bat first as Bangladesh opted for the same pace-spin opening attack that paid rich dividends on Saturday.
The visitors lost their four top batsmen for eight runs, due largely to some innocuous shots on a wicket that was forecast to be a batting paradise.
All-rounder Malcolm Waller (13) tried to rescue the innings with Stuart Matsikenyeri (11), but once he lofted a catch to cover-point off Bangladeshi captain Shakib Al Hasan, Zimbabwe’s innings folded for just 44 in 24.5 overs.
Shakib, the world’s No. 1 one-day allrounder, was the wrecker in-chief, picking up three wickets and conceding just eight runs in 6.5 overs.
Left-arm spinner Enamul Haque took three wickets.
But it was the pace-spin opening attack of Nazmul Hossain and Abdur Razzak which triggered the collapse, both grabbing two wickets.
Nazmul was adjudged man of the match for picking up the important wickets of Masakadza and Charles Coventry and the brilliant catch that sent back Waller.
In reply, Tamim Iqbal played a quick-fire 22 in front of his home crowd. But once he was gone, trying to sweep Raymond Price, three more followed in an unnecessary panic that the hosts are prone to.
It needed the steady hands of Raqibul Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim to guide Bangladesh to victory.
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