Australia rout India to take 1-0 lead

India have a contest on their hands. MS Dhoni's men started the seven-match limited-overs series as favourites but Australia gave them a rude wake-up call by clinching the first encounter by the huge margin of 72 runs here on Sunday.

Opener Aaron Finch and captain George Bailey hit destructive half-centuries to help the visitors post a challenging 304/8 after electing to bat. Finch made well-paced 72 and in the company of opening partner Phil Hughes (47) set the launch-pad with a 110-run stand. Bailey then consolidated with a mature 85.

Then the seamers stepped up to take the Indian batting by the scruff of the neck to dismiss them for 232 with two balls remaining. With the pitch offering some true bounce, Mitchell Johnson (1-38) and Clint McKay (2-36) worked up brisk pace to keep the stylish Indian top order in check. Shikhar Dhawan (7), Rohit (42), and Yuvraj Singh (7) all succumbed to some vintage fast bowling.

With James Faulkner (3-27) and Shane Watson (2-31) providing ample support, they steadily chipped away at the hosts' batting. It seemed the Men in Yellow had rewound the clock as there was a spring in their step while fielding too.

When Brad Haddin went off the field for a short period after a freak eye injury, Hughes donned the gloves and excelled behind the stumps. Apart from a neat take to send back Rohit Sharma, he also came up with some terrific stops.

It was a mystery, if not a concern, that Yuvraj (2-34) did not complete his full quota of overs. His short outing with the bat, combined with the fact that he opted not to train on the eve of the match, didn't bode well. After the run-fest in Rajkot, it was a return to the traditional limited-overs batting with the Aussies preserving wickets initially and power-hitting towards the end.