Australia made a mockery of a modest Indian total of203, racing to the target with five wickets and 18 overs to spare in a lop-sidedmatch of the tri-series at Perth today.
Adam Gilchrist (75) andAndrew Symonds (73) bludgeoned a toothless Indian attack for aggressivehalf-centuries and took the game away from India with an amazing 122-run standthat came off just 97 balls.
The comprehensive victory gave Australia a bigpsychological boost ahead of the best-of-three-finals with India starting inMelbourne on Friday.
It was Australia all the way on a fast bowler'sparadise at the WACA pitch as India cut a sorry figure both with their battingand bowling to suffer their third defeat in four matches against their World Cupnemesis in this series.
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Australia never allowed India back into the game,bowling them out for 203 in 49 overs after Saurav Ganguly had won the toss andmade the wrong call of batting first on a pitch they had not played before onthis tour.
The famed Indian top order ducked and hopped in theface of some vicious pace onslaught led by Brett Lee (3/22) before Yuvraj Singhhit a fine 47 and the tailenders contributed 104 runs to give the total somerespectability.
Gilchrist, leading the side in absence of Ricky Ponting, and Symonds played tothe gallery entertaining a strong 20,000 holiday crowd with a flurry of foursand sixes.
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It was difficult to judge who troubled the Indians moreas they were both in a murderous mood despite Australia losing three quickwickets to be reduced to 37 for three in the 6th over.
But any Indian thought of putting some pressure wassmothered by the run-making spree of these two batsmen who rocketed their teamto the 100-run mark by the 13th over which saw Symonds hit three consecutiveboundaries off young left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan.
Symonds did the same to left-arm spinner Murali Kartikbefore he picked Pathan again to loft him as far as the car parking adjacent tothe stadium. Not done as yet, he screamed another sixer, off Kartik this time,to see the ball get stuck on the stadium roof-top.
A delirious crowd screamed for more but Symonds wassent packing in the 22nd over by Pathan for 73 that came off 57 balls including11 fours and two sixes.
Gilchrist departed two overs later but the damage hadalready been done as far as the Indians were concerned. The left-hander's 75came off 65 balls with the help of 11 fours and a six.
Debutant Michael Hussey (17) and Simon Katich (18) thensaw Australia home without further damage in the 32nd over.
Australia started in a fashion similar to India losing three quick wickets butthe comparison ended there.
Gilchirst, dropped in the first over in the slips by V.V.S.Laxman off Ajit Agarkar, never allowed the pressure to build even though he losthis opening mate Matthew Hayden for a duck in the third over.
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The record-breaking Hayden looked out of sorts duringhis 10-ball stay at the wicket before he was caught brilliantly by RohanGavaskar off Agarkar with the scoreboard reading 14 for one in the third over.
Damien Martyn, in news over the weekend for making anindecent gesture caught on film by a cameraman, departed two runs later in thesame over as India started to eye their chances to successfully defend themodest total.
Michael Clarke was the third batsman to go when L.Balaji, the most impressive among Indian bowlers with figures of 10-1-37-1, hadhim caught by Virender Sehwag in the slips. But that was about all as theIndians were sent on a leather hunt thereafter by the rampaging Gilchrist-Symondsduo.
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Earlier, India were rattled by the bounce and looked inthe danger of being skittled out for less than 150 but for some resolute battingby top-scorer Yuvraj (47) and the tail-enders, reeling as they were at 101 for 6in the 21st over.
Ganguly's decision to bat first backfired miserablywith the top three batsman returning to the pavilion with just 50 runs on theboard.
Lee exploited the perfect conditions for fast bowlingto the hilt picking three wickets, all in an excellent first spell, to put theIndians on notice for the finals beginning in Melbourne on Friday.
Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar, returning to action after missing four leaguegames due to injury, made just 5 while Sehwag, the other opener who resumed dutyfor the team after an injury lay-off, scored 32 as the Indian batsmen ducked andhopped to the Aussie chin music.
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The signs were ominous in the first two overs itselfwhen Sehwag cleared one just over the point fielder and Tendulkar was caught onfirst bounce by Symonds at gully.
But Tendulkar's luck soon ran out when he tried to comebehind the line of a full-pitched delivery which moved off seam and was caughtby Hayden at first slip.
The in-form Laxman (1) repeatedly failed to come inline of the ball and finally edged Lee to wicketkeeper Gilchrist with India 32for 2 in the sixth over.
Sehwag chanced his arms against Jason Gillespie,smashing him for four fours, including two off successive balls in the bowler'ssecond over, before slashing a catch to third man's throat in the 11th over.Sehwag's 32 came from 35 balls.
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Ganguly, who had pushed himself down the order, wassmacked first ball on his helmet by Gillespie which sailed over keeper's headfor four leg byes. The Indian skipper lived dangerously throughout and it wasnot long before he edged Andy Bichel behind the stumps for 1 to leave India 57for 4 in the 14th over.
Rahul Dravid, who was rock-solid in his stay of 37balls and hit two delectable off-drives, square cut Brad Williams straight intothe hands of debutant Hussey for 13 and it was left to Yuvraj to do the rescuejob.
PTI
