HANDSCOMB, TURNER HELP Australia chase record score
MOHALI: Peter Handscomb’s maiden century and a blistering 84 from Ashton Turner helped Australia chase down a record 359 against India to level the series at 2-2 in the fourth one-day international on Sunday. who smashed 117 off 105 balls, and Usman Khawaja, who made 91, was key to take the series into the final ODI in Delhi on Wednesday.
Turner, who made his debut in the opening ODI and playing just his second match, also built crucial partnerships including an 86-run stand with Alex Carey, who made 21.
The 26-year-old Turner, who replaced an injured Marcus Stoinis in the playing XI, hit 5 fours and 6 sixes to smash the bowlers to all parts of the ground.
Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets but the Indian spinners were at the receiving end of some attacking play in dew-laden conditions and sloppy fielding.
Rishabh Pant, doing the keeping duties in place of the rested Mahendra Singh Dhoni missed a chance to stump Turner on 38 and the innings also witnessed a few dropped catches.
Earlier Shikhar Dhawan struck a career-best 143 to guide India to 358 for nine after electing to bat first.
The hosts rode on a 193-run opening stand between Dhawan and Rohit Sharma, who made 95, to post a big total.
Fast bowler Pat Cummins returned his best-ever ODI figures of 5-70 in 10 overs.
Dhawan, who has been struggling to get big scores in recent times, struck form as he reached his 50 in 44 deliveries to take the attack to the opposition.
The right-left batting combination of Sharma and Dhawan mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to lay the foundation for India’s big total.
Sharma registered his 40th ODI fifty but missed out on a hundred after falling to Jhye Richardson, who took three wickets.
Dhawan went on to register his 16th ODI ton and his first in 18 innings amid crowd cheers and a standing ovation from the Indian dressing room.
He surpassed his previous best of 137 in ODIS before being bowled by Cummins, striking 18 fours and three sixes in his 115-ball knock.