Redefine News

Mohali: Shane Watson hit 49 and took three wickets as Australia beat India by 24 runs in the fourth one-day international to draw level at 2-2 in the seven-match series.

Cameron White also made 62 and captain Ricky Ponting 52 in Australia's total of 250 at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali.

Chasing 251, India got off to a flier with Virender Sehwag (30 off 19 balls) looking eager to wrap up the issue and Sachin Tendulkar (40) going great guns.

But their undoing was no less spectacular as the middle and lower order could not forge a single significant partnership and the team folded for 226 in 46.4 overs.

With Sachin Tendulkar in pursuit of yet another batting milestone - 47 runs separated him from the 17,000 mark when he walked out - and looking in good nick, the crowd had enough to look forward to till an Ashoka de Silva howler spoiled their party.

Fluent initially and aware of the imminent milestone as he approached it, Tendulkar was hit on the pad by an innocuous Nathan Hauritz delivery that was missing the leg stump but de Silva raised his dreaded finger to send groans across the chock-a-block stadium.

At 94 for three, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (26) and Yuvraj Singh (12) had a task uncannily similar to the one they had accomplished in the previous match in Delhi but this time their association was nipped in the bud by a Ricky Ponting direct throw that sent back Yuvraj.

Watson claimed 3-29 from 7.4 overs, while left-arm seamer Doug Bollinger, playing in his fifth ODI, collected 3-38 from nine overs.

On the Indian side Ashish Nehra (3-37) was pick of the Indian bowlers - Harbhajan also grabbed a couple of wickets - and he drew first blood in the eighth over when he struck Shaun Marsh (5) low and plumb.

The next match will be played in Hyderabad on Thursday.