Australia beat India by 110 runs at Brisbane

Brisbane: The Indian batting slumped again today against a massive 110-run defeat in a cricket tri-series match against Australia on Sunday. The hosts get a bonus point in the Commonwealth Bank Series. Australia set up a mammoth 288 for five, largely built around a blistering onslaught in the last 10 overs. Indians were unable to recover after the three early losses and finished up 178 in 43.3 overs on a bouncy Gabba track. The late rally by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni , with 56 runs, only ended up in delaying the inevitable.

It was not just batting, the Indians were outplayed in every department of the game by the hosts.

Australia is now at the top of the table with 14 points from five matches. India is second with 10 points from five games and Sri Lanka managed seven points from four matches.

Pacer Ben Hilfenhaus marked his return to Australia’s one-day side with career-best figures of 5 for 33, including the scalp of Sachin Tendulkar (3) who still remains in search of his elusive 100th international century.

Hilfenhaus and Brett Lee (3 for 49) were hostile on a spicy wicket and ripped out the heart of Indian batting in their first spells.

Earlier, electing to bat, Australia made a fine start before they fell into a quagmire in the first half of the innings.

Australia recovered later and smashed 110 runs in the final 10 overs to post 288 for 5.

Half centuries by Peter Forrest (52) and Mike Hussey (59) and their century stand for fourth wicket help set the base before impressive cameos by Daniel Christian and David Hussey.

Christian (32 off 18 balls) and Hussey (24 off 20 balls) plundered 58 runs from the final five overs, the penultimate over by Vinay Kumar yielding 18 runs.

Irfan Pathan claimed 3/61 and Indian effort was generally good in the field but for sloppy work in the final overs.