WARNER CENTURY, FINCH 94 TAKES AUSTRALIA TO 334 FOR 5

BENGALURU: David Warner hit a splendid century in his 100th ODI as Australia put up a commanding total of 334 for 5 against India in the penultimate encounter of the fivematch series on Thursday.

Warner (124 off 119 balls), who struck his 14th ODI hundred in his milestone match adding 231 for the opening stand with in-form Aaron Finch (94). Australia were looking good for a total close to 400 but the Indian bowlers pulled back in the final 15 overs in which the visitors could manage only 103 runs.

Umesh Yadav was the pick of the bowlers despite being expensive as he had figures of 4 for 71 in 10 overs to show for his efforts. Kedar Jadhav (1/38 in 7 overs) also did his bit to put brakes on the scoring after the openers raised visions of a mammoth total.

Warner, who have had a poor series till date, hit 12 boundaries and four sixes while Finch, who hit 10 boundaries and three sixes off 96 balls, missed out on a well-deserved hundred. Their dismissals in quick succession did put a halt in scoring rate before Peter Handscomb’s 43 off 30 balls and Marcus Stoinis’s cameo (15 no off 9 balls) enabled them to cross the 330-run mark.

Kedar started it all by enticing Warner to go for a lofted shot which went straight to Axar Patel at long on and then next two wickets of skipper Steve Smith (3) and Finch were bagged by Yadav.

Incidentally, Smith’s dis- missal was Yadav’s 100th victim in ODIS.

The stage was set for Australia to go after the Indian bowling, being comfortably placed at 248 for three in 40 overs but Travis Head (29 off 38 balls) struggled during the back-10 enabling India atleast curtail the Australian total by 20 runs. Head was holed by Ajinkya Rahane at deep square leg fence off Yadav.

Handscomb was cleaned up by Yadav after he scored 43 balls off 30 balls with three boundaries and one six.

Mathew Wade (3) and Stoinis remained unbeaten.

Earlier, a fluent approach by both Warner and Finch provided Australia a record first wicket partnership of 231 off 201 balls, beating the previous record of 212 scripted by Geoff Marsh and David Boon against India in Jaipur in 1986. Their partnership was also the highest at Bengaluru, beating the previous best of 183 scored by Brad Haddin and Shane Watson against Canada in a 2011 World Cup match. BRIEF SCORES: AUSTRALIA: 334/5 (David Warner 124, Aaron Finch 94; Umesh Yadav 4/71, Kedar Jadhav 1/38).