Dhoni, Yuvraj demolish Aussies

Dhoni and Yuvraj's batting policy helps India go two-up in the series

Dhoni, Yuvraj demolish Aussies

Dhoni and Yuvraj's batting policy helps India go two-up in the series

Though the script didn't particularly end as Ponting and Hussey would have wanted, there was one thing common in all four knocks. All the four batsmen u2013 Ponting (59), Hussey (81), Dhoni (71*) and Yuvraj (78) u2013 have a reputation of being gifted strokemakers, but on a wicket that did not permit lusty hitting, all of them exercised incredible refrain and put their heads down to play orthodox cricketing shots. They waited patiently for the loose deliveries and punished those severely.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Ponting, having won the toss and deciding to bat, was looking good for a big knock. But when he was on 59 and had settled down into good rhythm, he tried to nudge one from the middle stump to the on-side. That was the only mistake he made in his 92-ball innings and was trapped plumb in front of the wicket by spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

Hussey, meanwhile, did execute a couple of reverse sweeps, but on realising the risk involved, quickly reverted to his orthodox ways.

Hussey's knock was textbook cricket, an almost 100 per cent strike rate without any fireworks. In fact, Hussey's 132-minute knock was punctuated by only three fours and one six at the death of the innings.

Dhoni and Yuvraj simply mirrored the effort of Ponting and Hussey. Like their Australian counterparts, Dhoni and Yuvraj stuck to the basics and kept rotating strike intelligently.

So, just when the picture was looking bleak for Team India at 3-53 u2013 Virender Sehwag (11), Sachin Tendulkar (32) and Gautam Gambhir (6), already back in the pavilion in the middle of the 16th over u2014 these two steadied the ship and took advantage of the dew that made bowling under lights a nightmare.

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