Aggressive Johnson impresses Bailey
Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson was at the fore of captain George Bailey and all-rounder James Faulkner's praise, after Australia beat India by 72 runs in Sunday's first ODI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson was at the fore of captain George Bailey and all-rounder James Faulkner's praise, after Australia beat India by 72 runs in Sunday's first ODI at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
The Aussies amassed an impressive total of 304 for eight on the back of Bailey's influential 85 and Faulkner's quickfire cameo of 27, after which Johnson and the rest of the seam attack restricted the hosts to an insufficient 232 all out.
Johnson, who generated plenty of pace and bounce from a pitch expected to prov low and slow, completed figures of one for 38 in 10 tight overs, including the wicket of the dangerous Yuvraj Singh.
"It was a fantastic all-round performance. We talked about our plans, and executed them very well. Mitchell has been really impressive, he gives us a great lift at the start of the innings. Getting to 300 was important," said Bailey.
"We got an excellent start. Almost everyone chipped in later. Our plan was to get 300, and we managed to get there. It is always important to start well in a long series. It is vital for everyone to contribute for the success of a team."
Faulkner was unfortunate not to gain the Man of the Match award, which went to Bailey, after completing a key three-wicket haul to complement Johnson. The second ODI will get underway at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday. Mohali, Ranchi, Cuttack, Nagpur and Bangalore will host fixtures three, four, five, six and seven respectively.
"It was a good team effort. We know it was tough going against them. Mitchell has been bowling well for the past six months. He has been bowling fast and swinging the ball. I think on this wicket here I was trying to keep it really simple," added Faulkner.
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