The pacy WACA track turned out to be a spin nightmare for the UAE side who received a nine-wicket hammering at the hands of defending champions India. The Indian team continued their good run secureing their third consecutive win and entry into the ICC World Cup 2015 quarter-finals.
Understandably, MS Dhoni wanted to bat to avoid exactly what happened – a lopsided contest. But the toss of coin favoured the UAE, who decided to bat first.
The arabian batsmen looked clueless especially against Indian spinners R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja who shared six wickets between them to bowl the Emirates team out for 102 in just 31.3 overs.
Only Shaiman Anwar showed some teeth scoring 35, and it was only due to his 10th-wicket stand of 31 runs with Manjula Guruge that the UAE were able to cross hundred.
India’s reply started on a slow note and then faced a jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan, who could score only 17. But the target was too small and the bowling attack too feeble to give India any hiccups at all.
Rohit Sharma (57*) and (33*) then knocked off the remaining runs in an unbroken stand of 75 without any fuss. Rohit’s runs especially meant a lot in the bigger scheme of things as he had failed against Pakistan and South Africa, and was the only weak link before today.
