India vs Australia 2017, 4th ODI: 5 things we learnt from the match
Australia finally managed to put one across India, defending a target of 335 by 21 runs at Bengaluru in the fourth ODI of the series. Opting to bat first, Australia raced off to a great start courtesy David Warner and Aaron Finch, the former smashing a spectacular hundred while the latter fell six runs short of a second ton on the trot.
Peter Handscomb and Travis Head took Australia to 334 with some big hits but Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma got India off to a flier to even things out. Rahane's dismissal and Rohit Sharma's dramatic run-out put India in a fix and Virat Kohli followed suit soon enough, inside edging a Nathan Coulter-Nile delivery onto the stumps.
Hardik Pandya seemed set for a heroic knock but fell in the 40s while Kedar Jadhav took India close with a run a ball half-century but neither could take India across the finishing line.
Here are five takeaways from the match:
#5 Aaron Finch's return boosts Australia's top order
Australia had been struggling to identify the right partner for David Warner at the top of the order in Aaron Finch's absence. They contemplated pushing Matthew Wade and Travis Head up the order but settled on Hilton Cartwright, who had disastrous returns in the practice match and first two ODIs.
However, since Finch's return, Australia have enjoyed a boost at the top of the order. The hard-hitting opener has smashed a hundred and a 94 in the two matches he has played in thus far in the series. Today, he put on a mind-boggling 231 for the opening wicket, the highest for Australia against India, with David Warner contributing 94 of those runs.