Australia rode on a record 153-run partnership between George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell to recover from a jittery start and post a challenging 295 for eight against India in the fourth ODI here today.
Skipper Bailey (98) and Maxwell (92) missed their respective centuries but ensured that Australia recover from a difficult 71 for four to 224 for five through the team's highest partnership against India for the fifth wicket.
Brought in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami's fiery first spell (6-1-21-3) ripped apart the Australian top order after India put the visitors into bat.
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But the Aussies hugely benefited thanks to the butterfingered Indian fielders who dropped as many as six catches and the ground fielding was equally sloppy.
Bailey was dropped twice (on zero and 35) in what could have been regulation catches, while Maxwell too got reprieve on two occasions (on 44 and 69) at the JSCA Stadium.
As if it was not enough, Mitchell Johnson, on 15, was dropped by Raina, while in the last ball of the innings Shikhar Dhawan let one loose from James Faulkner as Australia posted a competitive target under overcast conditions.
With his personal best figures of 3/42, Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers, while Vinay Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin took two apiece and were expensive with economy rates of 6.50 and 6.33 each.
Jaydev Unadkat, who replaced the struggling Ishant Sharma, went wicketless.
Shami extracted swing from the pitch, bowling at around 140-145kphs to trouble the Aussie openers.
He castled Aaron Finch (5) with an inswinger that went through the gap between bat and bat in the second over, while left-hander Phillip Hughes took an outside edge with the India skipper taking a fine catch.
Shami's two-wicket burst, which reduced Australia to 24 for two in the sixth over, meant that for the first time in the series the opening duo failed to notch up the 50-mark.
The Bengal pacer almost had a third to his name in the next ball but Virat Kohli dropped Bailey at the third slip with the Aussie skipper yet to open his account.
