Date:21/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/21/stories/2008072159371900.htm

Sport - Cricket

Heroics from Raina and Badrinath go in vain

Melbourne: Suresh Raina (115) and captain S. Badrinath (95) waged a grim battle as India succumbed to a 19-run defeat to the Australian Institute of Sports in a run-feast of a match in the Emerging Players Tournament in Brisbane on Sunday.

Put into bat, the host piled up 371 for five in 50 overs, with Theo Doropoulos (107) and captain Moises Henriques (124) scoring the bulk of the runs.

In reply, India was bowled out for 352 in 46.2 overs at the Albury Oval, which saw 723 runs being scored on the day.

The Australians got off to a rollicking start with Doropoulos and David Warner (80) tearing apart the Indian attack, putting 133 runs for the first wicket before Abhishek Nayar removed WarnerThough openers Virat Kohli (27) and Shikhar Dhawan (5) could not give India the start it needed, Raina’s scintillating form kept India in the hunt. He took just 65 balls to reach his century, with Badrinath playing the second fiddle. They cobbled together a 131-run stand for the third wicket when catastrophe struck and Raina fell to Doropoulos.

Nayar (5) and Manoj Tiwary (10) could not live up to the expectations and India’s hopes went up in smoke when Badrinath fell to Grant Sullivan.

Doropoulos shone with the ball as well, scalping three for 68 while Sullivan also had a three-wicket haul.

The scores: Australian Institute of Sports 371 for five in 50 overs (Moises Henriques 125, Theo Doropoulos 107, David Warner 80) bt India Emerging Players 352 in 46.2 overs (Suresh Raina 115, S. Badrinath 95). — PTI