India Win Run Fest To Square Series

Virat Kohli's record-breaking innings helped India cruise to victory.Action Images / Paul Childs Livepic

India 362-1 (R Sharma 141no) beat
Australia 359-5 (Bailey 92no) by 9 wickets
Second One-Day International, Jaipur
Scorecard

India won a ridiculously high-scoring second ODI against Australia to square the seven-match series at one apiece. The Australians piled up 359 for five from their 50 overs as their top five all passed 50, but India made mincemeat of it.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan powered 176 off the first 26 overs of the run chase, with Virat Kohli then joining Sharma to up the tempo even further. He smashed the fastest century by an Indian in ODI cricket off just 52 balls to ease India home in the 44th over by nine wickets.

Tonight’s chase is the second highest in the 3420-match history of ODI cricket, behind the 438 at Johannesburg.

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma didn’t appear at all daunted by the huge total that Australia’s batsmen had piled up after winning the toss. Dhawan continued his superb form of late by reaching 50 off 55 balls, while Sharma made 50 off 54 as the 100 came up in just the 17th over.

Australia finally got a wicket with the score on 176 as Dhawan was caught by Brad Haddin off James Faulkner five short of a well-deserved century. However, that only made matters worse as Virat Kohli walked in.

He was with Sharma when he reached a welcome century off 102 balls and did the bulk of the run-scoring in their unbroken second-wicket partnership of 186 in just 104 balls. Kohli reached his century shortly before the end, with Sharma then finishing the match in fitting fashion by pummelling Glenn Maxwell for a hat-trick of boundaries.

Australia’s bowlers took a right battering as four conceded more than eight an over and two - Clint McKay and Shane Watson - went for more than nine.

Earlier in the day, their batsman had done a much better job. Aaron Finch and Phil Hughes began the match in what must rank as fairly sedate fashion in the circumstances, adding 74 in 15.2 overs for the first-wicket. Finch scored 50 of those off 53 balls, with Hughes taking a while to get going. He played the anchor role, hitting 83 off 103 balls, and added 108 with Shane Watson (59 off 53) balls for the second-wicket.

George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell then provided the late impetus and gave a taste of what was to come when Virat Kohli batted. Bailey bludgeoned five sixes en route to 92 not out off 50 balls, while Maxwell smacked 53 off only 32. The pair added 96 in little more than eight overs.

Australia ended on 359 for five, but with the form of the Indian batsmen, even another 100 might not have been enough. The two sides meet again in the third match at Mohali on Saturday.

© Cricket World 2013

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Hot Spot 'dropped for Ashes series'

Hot Spot will not be used in this winter's Ashes series in Australia, says the inventor of the infrared camera technology used to detect edges.

Host broadcaster Channel Nine chose to drop the controversial system after concerns over its cost and reliability.

"It's their decision and that's what has been communicated to us," Warren Brennan told the Sydney Morning Herald. 

The International Cricket Council said it was a matter for Channel Nine and Cricket Australia to resolve.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is aware of the reports and is considering its response. The governing body was not contacted in advance of the decision.

Jonathan Trott, first Test at Trent Bridge

South African third umpire Marais Erasmus overturned Pakistani on-field umpire Aleem Dar's original not out decision for an lbw appeal from Mitchell Starc even though he did not have access to Hot Spot. It was Trott's first ball, and the host broadcaster was using Hot Spot to show a replay of the previous wicket.

Usman Khawaja, third Test at Old Trafford

The Australia batsman was given out caught behind off spinner Graeme Swann by on-field umpire Tony Hill. The review showed no Hot Spot mark and no audio, but third umpire Kumar Dharmasena upheld Hill's original decision. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called it "one of the worst cricket umpiring decisions I have ever seen". 

Kevin Pietersen, third Test at Old Trafford

Pietersen reviewed the decision of on-field umpire Hill after being caught behind in the second innings. The verdict was upheld by third umpire Dharmasena on the audio evidence, despite no mark showing up on Hot Spot.

England coach Andy Flower and captain Alastair Cook have consistently backed the use of technology in the decision review system (DRS) and expressed a desire to improve it, rather than dispense of any of its components.

The absence of Hot Spot means television umpires will be restricted to using Eagle Eye ball-tracking software, audio from stump microphones, and slow-motion replays when England or Australia review an umpire's decision during the Ashes, which begins on 21 November in Brisbane.

Hot Spot was devised in 2007 by BBG Sports and works using heat sensors and infrared cameras to determine what the ball has made contact with.

But it came under scrutiny during England's 3-0 Ashes victory over the summer when several faint edges appeared to go undetected, with Brennan claiming that the protective tape on players' bats was diminishing the effectiveness of his system.

The host broadcaster and the governing body finance the cost of using Hot Spot, which is almost £6,000 per day according to Cricinfo.

Brennan told BBC Sport that Australia television had decided not to pay for the system after an increase in television rights costs.

He said: "Unfortunately, with Channel Nine paying double the amount in rights fees to Cricket Australia for their new broadcast agreement, then there was always going to be less funds available in the kitty for development of technology.

"Instead, BBG approached Cricket Australia to request that they also contribute to Hot Spot costs - in addition to Channel Nine's input. Unfortunately, Cricket Australia refused to engage with BBG in any shape or form apart from an initial phone call saying that this was a Channel Nine and ICC matter.

"I think it's the right decision because Hot Spot doesn't work very well and often clouds the issue rather than solves it. During the Ashes, on several occasions we could hear edges in our ear-pieces but Hot Spot showed nothing at all."

"This disappointed BBG greatly as the cricket boards in England, New Zealand and South Africa all contribute to Hot Spot costs in addition to the local broadcasters.

"BBG completely accepts and understands Channel Nine's decision in regard to this matter. Conversely BBG finds it difficult to understand Cricket Australia's stance on the matter."

Brennan added that his company are continuing to develop the product.

He said: "The critical point in regard to this matter from BBG's perspective is to continue to undertake research and development to improve the Hot Spot product.

"What I learned out of the UK this year is that the system needs to be improved continually.

"There's new technology coming out all the time. And as we can see from everyday instances - from our mobile phones - things improve dramatically month by month, year by year."

A Cricket Australia spokesman was quoted as saying: "We don't think it's appropriate to comment on discussions between Nine and one of its partners."

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