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Rediff.com  » Cricket » PHOTOS: Rohit's ton in vain as Smith, Bailey seal Australia win

PHOTOS: Rohit's ton in vain as Smith, Bailey seal Australia win

Last updated on: January 12, 2016 16:46 IST
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Images from the opening ODI between Australia and India at the WACA, Perth, on Tuesday.

Steven Smith of Australia celebrates his century

IMAGE: Steven Smith of Australia celebrates his century in the first ODI against India in Perth. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Centuries from Steve Smith and George Bailey helped Australia to a comfortable five-wicket win against India in the first ODI of the five-match series, in Perth, on Tuesday.

Chasing a formidable total (310), the world champions eased home with four balls left. It was the highest successful run chase at the WACA, and the third highest in an ODI in Australia.

Scorecard

Smith, playing his first match against India since the 2015 World Cup semi-final, carried on from where he left with his fifth ODI hundred. 

The Australian captain's 135-ball 149 was inclusive of 11 hits to the fence and two over it, and he added 242 for the third wicket with Bailey.

Bailey's 120-ball 112, his third ODI hundred, included seven boundaries and two sixes.

Rohit Sharma of India celebrates his century

IMAGE: India's Rohit Sharma celebrates his century in the first ODI against Australia, in Perth, on Tuesday. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Earlier, Rohit Sharma smashed his way to a magnificent unbeaten 171 as India piled up an imposing 309 for three. 

En route his ninth ODI hundred, the stylish right-hander from Mumbai broke a plethora of records, including the one where he surpassed Sir Vivian Richards's 153, which was the highest individual score against Australia in an ODI Down Under for the last 37 years. 

Rohit faced 163 balls, hitting 13 boundaries and seven huge sixes. He brought up his hundred off 122 balls in the 37th over, becoming the first Indian to score an ODI century against Australia at the venue.

He crossed the 150-mark off 155 balls, and in doing so aggregated 1000 ODI runs against Australia in 19 innings, one less than Sachin Tendulkar.

Virat Kohli of India bats

IMAGE: India's Virat Kohli bats during the first ODI against Australia. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images

He also added 207 runs for the second wicket with vice-captain Virat Kohli (91), who missed a well-deserved hundred.

India's vice-captain hit nine boundaries and a six.

Australia got a taste of Rohit's blazing blade especially towards the end when India scored 61 off the last five overs. 

Their partnership was India's highest for the second-wicket against Australia in ODIs, surpassing the previous best of 199 set by Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman in Indore back in 2001. 

The Rohit-Kohli combination tore apart an inexperienced Australian attack, as their debutant duo of left-arm fast bowler Joel Paris (0-53 in eight overs) and right arm medium fast Scott Boland (0-74 in 10 overs) were taken to the cleaners.

Kohli brought up his 35th ODI half-century off 61 balls in the 32nd over, a mistimed pull sailing over the square leg boundary for six.

Josh Hazlewood of Australia celebrates the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan

IMAGE: Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood celebrates the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Josh Hazlewood (1-41) got off to a wayward start and Rohit capitalised on it in style. At the other end, local boy Paris (0-53) made a decent start to his international career, but then the Indian openers got the better off him too. 

Rohit looked good from the word go, and Shikhar Dhawan (9) ought to have played second fiddle but he didn't seem comfortable at the crease. He was out caught off a mistimed pull shot in the seventh over off Hazlewood, with the score reading 36-1.  

The run-scoring spree continued with Boland, Mitchell Marsh (0-53) and James Faulkner (2-60) making no impression either.

George Bailey of Australia celebrates his half century with Steven Smith

IMAGE: George Bailey of Australia celebrates his half century with Steven Smith during the the first ODI against India in Perth. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Australia lost Aaron Finch (8) and David Warner (5) early, both falling to debuatant Barinder Sran (3-56).

Smith and Bailey took over from then on, combining caution with aggression to put together a record stand for the third wicket against India.  

Their 242-run stand, along with the effort of Rohit and Virat earlier in the innings, ensured this was the first ever ODI to record two 200-plus partnerships. 

An otherwise expensive Ashwin (2-68) returned to pick up Bailey and Glenn Maxwell (6) in successive overs but by then it was too late. 

The second ODI will be played at the Gabba, Brisbane, on Friday.

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